For Sage, who is also a poet, actor and visual artist as well as a longtime record label owner (she founded MPress Records in 1996), music has always been her primary form of self-expression. By the age of three she had taught herself to play the piano, and by her teens, she’d won the ASCAP Pop Songwriting Contest. Upon hearing Sage’s winning entry, legendary producer Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex) told her she was “extremely talented” and offered to produce her demo. While her parents pressed her to go to Stanford University instead, it was an encouraging moment that gave her the confidence to self-produce her first record, MORBID ROMANTIC.
On the milestone of her tenth album, Sage admits, “I started writing songs to make sense of being bullied in school. I never envisioned music taking me around the world, or that one day I’d play the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Being part of the indie community is humbling though…it keeps you grounded.” Sage, who has collaborated with Phil Ramone and shared stages with Judy Collins, Marc Cohn, The Animals, Shawn Colvin and Sarah McLachlan, has had a prolific career both as a musician and entrepreneur. This year Sage produced the fourth volume of MPress' annual charity compilation series, NEW ARRIVALS, benefiting homeless youth, while her label had its first Billboard charting and Grammy® nominated releases.
HAUNTED BY YOU was tracked with members of Sage’s touring band The Sequins: Quinn (drums), Dave Eggar (cello), Russ Johnson (trumpet), and also features guitarists James Mastro (Patti Smith), Mark Bosch (Ian Hunter) and Jack Petruzelli (Rufus Wainwright); bassists Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco) and Mike Visceglia (Suzanne Vega); mandolin player David Immergluck (Counting Crows); and drummer Doug Yowell (Duncan Sheik). Singer-songwriters Dar Williams, Lucy Woodward, Katie Costello, Ryan Hommel and Seth Glier – as well as actor/director Joshua Leonard – also make guest appearances; John Shyloski (Johnny Winter) and Kevin Killen (Elvis Costello) engineered.
Unlike Sage’s previous albums, including 2009’s critically acclaimed DELANCEY STREET, much of HAUNTED BY YOU was composed on guitar. “I pushed myself to pick up guitar to write this record because I was scared of it and took that as a cue.” The title track, along with “Abby Would You Wait”, “Invisible Light”, “Hey Nah” and “Everything”, were all penned by Sage on a 1966 Martin acoustic inherited from an ex. “I gave myself a pass to try something brand new, and to make mistakes that would hopefully yield something more visceral.”
Sage wrote the dozen songs on the album after separating from her boyfriend of four years, whom she describes as “the kindest, most balanced person I’ve ever dated. He was much more traditional than me though…touring slowly took its toll." Alone, reflecting on her breakup, the 3-time Independent Music Award winner found herself suddenly prolific. “California”, “The Sequin Song” and “Confession” show a more vulnerable, raw side of the singer, reckoning with her newfound freedom, as well as inevitable loneliness.
“After my breakup I had an intense affair with someone I met overseas. I was swept off my feet…but it was an impossible situation.” Strained by long-distance, Sage eventually felt pressured to break off what had become a tumultuous wave of cross-continental phone calls and emails. “Soulstice”, featuring Counting Crows’ David Immergluck on mandolin, “captures that moment where I was as happy as I’ve ever been, even though it was fleeting.”
The concept of soul-mates reappears throughout the record. Sage wrote the Americana-inspired “Abby Would You Wait” about someone with whom she shared one long conversation after a gig, but with whom she “connected so strongly that I saw an entire future.” Likewise, the lush, acoustic guitar-based “Everything” celebrates the shameless joy of a new attraction, “when all you can see is shimmering possibility.”
“Invisible Light”, which both opens and closes the album in two very different musical arrangements (one featuring Dar Williams on guest vocals), is Sage’s favorite song on the record. “I wrote ‘Invisible Light’ while fantasizing about someone who just effortlessly ‘gets’ me and lets me in completely. I’m definitely ready to have my mind blown by that kind of love.”
Upcoming tour highlights include official showcases at SXSW (Austin, TX), Hotel Café (Los Angeles, CA), Joe’s Pub (New York, NY) and Lincoln Center’s ‘Meet The Artist’ series (New York, NY). In addition, Think Coffee will be presenting Sage’s first art show in a decade at their Bowery & Bleecker location, from May 6-June 3rd. HAUNTED BY YOU is due out in the U.S. in May 2012.
I Guess
Rachael Sage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess that I’ll believe if you want me to
I guess I’ll go along even if I’m not so sure
How to not be selfish anymore
I guess I’ll stay awake even if I’m sick and tired
I guess there’s more at stake now that I’m inspired
I guess I’m gonna love even if I’m not so sure
Cause I tried to stay away from your skin as soft as clouds
I tried to keep away from your red, red roses
I tried to run away from your voice as sweet as cream
But I am only a human being
I guess I’ve got a heart ‘cause you seem to make it sing
I guess I’ve got opinions about everything
I guess I’m gonna share ‘em even if I’m not so sure
How to not be silent anymore
Cause I tried to stay away from your skin as soft as clouds
I tried to keep away from your red, red roses
I tried to run away from your voice as sweet as cream
But I am only a human being
I guess I’m gonna rise, baby, if you think I can
I’ll look into your eyes and we’ll make a plan
I guess I’ll be the one to pick you up off the floor
Just when you can’t stand it anymore
I guess I’m not so selfish...
I guess I’m not so silent...
Guess I'm not so… ‘cause I tried!
Ooh child, things are gonna get easier
Ooh child, things are gonna get brighter, brighter
Ooh child, things are gonna get easier
Ooh child, things are gonna get easier
Ooh child, things are gonna get brighter, brighter
Ooh child, things are gonna get easier
Na, na, na, na…
The lyrics of "I Guess" by Rachael Sage seem to be an admission of uncertainty and vulnerability. The singer seems to be willing to compromise and go along with things that they are not entirely sure about, as long as it pleases and benefits the other person. They acknowledge their own flaws and limitations as a human being, but they also seem to derive strength and inspiration from the other person. The refrain "I guess" suggests a tentative and open-ended attitude towards life, rather than a rigid or dogmatic one.
The verses seem to be about the singer's attempts to resist or avoid the other person's influence, perhaps out of fear of being hurt or disappointed. They describe the other person's physical and emotional attributes in poetic terms, suggesting that they are both alluring and intimidating. However, by the end of the song, the singer has changed their mind and decided to embrace the other person and their own vulnerability, acknowledging that "things are gonna get easier" if they do.
Overall, the song seems to be about the difficult but necessary process of letting go of one's defenses and opening oneself up to love and connection. It also touches on themes of self-doubt, empathy, and resilience, all of which are common in Rachael Sage's music.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess I have a soul if you think I do
I believe in the existence of my soul only when you do
I guess that I’ll believe if you want me to
I will believe whatever you want me to
I guess I’ll go along even if I’m not so sure
I will comply despite my uncertainty
How to not be selfish anymore
I am trying to learn how to be less self-centered
I guess I’ll stay awake even if I’m sick and tired
I will stay awake even if I am exhausted and not feeling well
I guess there’s more at stake now that I’m inspired
I am motivated to do more because the stakes are higher now
I guess I’m gonna love even if I’m not so sure
I will love, despite my hesitation
Cause I tried to stay away from your skin as soft as clouds
I attempted to avoid your alluring touch
I tried to keep away from your red, red roses
I tried to resist the temptation of your gifts
I tried to run away from your voice as sweet as cream
I tried to escape the charm of your voice
But I am only a human being
I am susceptible to human emotions and weaknesses
I guess I’ve got a heart ‘cause you seem to make it sing
You make my heart sing, so I must have one
I guess I’ve got opinions about everything
I have opinions on everything
I guess I’m gonna share ‘em even if I’m not so sure
I will express my opinions, even if I am uncertain
How to not be silent anymore
I am trying to learn how to speak up more often
I guess I’m gonna rise, baby, if you think I can
I will rise if you believe in me
I’ll look into your eyes and we’ll make a plan
We will make a plan together
I guess I’ll be the one to pick you up off the floor
I will be there to help you when you fall
Just when you can’t stand it anymore
During the times when you feel overwhelmed
I guess I’m not so selfish...
I am not as selfish as I used to be
I guess I’m not so silent...
I am not as quiet as I used to be
Guess I'm not so… ‘cause I tried!
I am better now because I have tried to improve myself
Ooh child, things are gonna get easier
The future holds promise of ease and comfort
Ooh child, things are gonna get brighter, brighter
The future holds promise of brighter days
Na, na, na, na…
A joyous expression of hope and anticipation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RACHAEL SAGE, STAN VINCENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind