Her songs have featured on several TV shows, including The L Word, Charmed, How I Met Your Mother, ER , Nip/Tuck, Men in Trees, Alias, One Tree Hill, Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy and The O.C., to which she made a guest performance in season 2. Her song was also used in So You Think You Can Dance (Season 6). Yamagata also contributed a song to Mandy Moore's 2007 album, Wild Hope. She also toured with Moore, opening many of her shows around the country.
On May 22, 2008, a new banner was added to her site indicating the digital release of a new EP, Loose Ends, with three new songs, serving as a preview for the now delayed release of her second full-length album.
In early 2008, her site featured a "teaser video" for the new album. The album was finally released on October 7, 2008. Yamagata's second studio album is called Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart. This album is much darker than its predecessor and deals more with heartache. It was originally slated for release in the late-summer of 2007.
On October 9, 2008, a two-song live acoustic video performance premiered on LiveDaily Sessions, featuring the songs "Faster" and "Sunday Afternoon".
On April 2, 2009, she performed her single "Elephants" on One Life to Live in the fictional Capricorn Cafe.
She previewed the song "Jonah" on October 10, 2009 on her official website. Later on in November 2, Yamagata premiered the song "He Loves You Deep Inside". The songs serve as an appetizer to her next record.
Reason Why
Rachel Yamagata Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'd spend our days travelin'
It's not that I don't understand you
It's not that I don't want to be with you
But you only wanted me
The way you wanted me
So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
You can tell the world what you want them to hear
I've got nothing left to lose, my dear
So, I'm up for the little white lies
But you and I know the reason why
I'm gone, and you're still there
I'll buy a magazine searching for your face
From coast to coast, or whatever I find my place
I'll track you on the radio
And I'll sign your list in a different name
But as close as I come to you
It's not the same
So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
We can pat ourselves on the back and say that we tried
And if one of us makes it big
We can spill our regrets
And talk about how the love never dies
But you and I know the reason why
I'm gone, and you're still there
So, steal the show
And do your best to cover the tracks that I have left
I wish you well and hope you find whatever you're looking for
The way I might've changed my mind
But you only showed me the door
So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
We can pat ourselves on the back and say that we tried
And if one of us makes it big
We can spill our regrets
And talk about how the love never dies
But you and I know the reason why
The lyrics of Rachel Yamagata's song, "Reason Why," tell the story of a relationship that has come to an end. The singer is reflecting on how things could have been if they had stayed together and traveled the world. The singer acknowledges that they understand their partner but that their partner only wanted them on their own terms. The singer has decided to leave and hope for the best, even though they are aware that their partner will tell the world what they want them to hear. The singer has nothing left to lose and is up for little white lies. However, the singer and their former partner know the reason why the relationship ended, even though they might spill their regrets and talk about how love never dies if one of them makes it big. In the end, the singer wishes their former partner well and hopes that they find whatever they are looking for.
The lyrics of "Reason Why" are poignant and relatable. They speak to the universal experience of failed relationships and the difficulty of letting go. While the song is sad, there is also a sense of hope and resilience. The singer chooses to leave and hope for the best, rather than staying in a relationship that is not fulfilling. The song beautifully captures the complicated emotions of a relationship that has ended and the longing for what might have been.
Line by Line Meaning
I think about how it might have been
I contemplate how our relationship could have been different if we had made other choices.
We'd spend our days travelin'
We would have enjoyed moving around and seeing different places together.
It's not that I don't understand you
I do grasp your perspective and motives behind your actions.
It's not that I don't want to be with you
I do desire to be with you and make our relationship work.
But you only wanted me
You only desired a certain version of me, and not my true self.
The way you wanted me
You only wanted me to fulfill your expectations and not be myself.
So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
I will venture out by myself, uncertain of what the future holds.
And we can hang our heads down as we skip the goodbyes
We can part ways without any formal farewell and regrets.
You can tell the world what you want them to hear
You can manipulate the truth to make yourself look better in front of others.
I've got nothing left to lose, my dear
I have nothing more to lose, after being hurt and left with nothing to hold on to.
So, I'm up for the little white lies
I am willing to accept half-truths and incomplete stories to make sense of our situation.
But you and I know the reason why
We understand the real underlying reasons behind our break-up and actions.
I'm gone, and you're still there
I have left, and you are still stuck in the same place and circumstance.
I'll buy a magazine searching for your face
I will try to find any trace of you in a magazine or any other media outlets.
From coast to coast, or whatever I find my place
I will look for you everywhere, irrespective of how far I have to travel or where I end up.
I'll track you on the radio
I will listen to songs or radio stations that play your music, and try to connect to you through them.
And I'll sign your list in a different name
I will use a false identity to sign up for your events, concerts, or shows to hide my real intentions.
But as close as I come to you
Even if I get the chance to be close to you, I know it won't make a difference since it can't change our past.
It's not the same
Things have changed, and we can't go back to how they used to be before.
We can pat ourselves on the back and say that we tried
We can console ourselves that we gave it our best shot, even though we couldn't make it work.
And if one of us makes it big
If one of us becomes successful, we may be proud of their achievements, even though we are not together.
We can spill our regrets
We can openly acknowledge our missteps and mistakes, even though it's too late to correct them.
And talk about how the love never dies
We can reminisce about our love, and feel that it has a special place in our hearts, even though we are no longer together.
Contributed by Chloe D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.