While still in high school, he recorded his first solo effort, Mythologies, released on the Carpe Diem label, and produced by future 97 Murry Hammond. Miller and Hammond then formed the group Sleepy Heroes, a power-pop trio that released one CD - Under A Radio Sun - and promptly disbanded.
In the early 1990s, Miller started performing country songs acoustically with Hammond with the moniker Ranchero Brothers - a duo that performs occasionally to this day.
Miller's second solo album The Instigator was released in 2002. In 2006, he released The Believer. Recently he released the self-titled Rhett Miller in 2009.
For photographs and additional information visit Rhett Miller's official website www.RhettMiller.com, or the official website of the Old 97's www.Old97s.com.
Firefly
Rhett Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did when she was 19, not afraid to die
I started plannin' our future
But you were just 19, still a firefly
You got terrible vision
You shoulda seen I was leavin' when I first appeared
I got bit by the footlights
Never say you'll never leave
'Cause you'll never know 'til you try
In a jar fireflies
Only last for one night, only last for one night
Trains roll like gamblers in slow mo
Tryin' to find good luck when they couldn't find love
Oh yeah, and I'm gonna sleep on the train tracks
It's gonna be a peaceful night then it's gonna get rough
Never say you'll never leave
'Cause you'll never know 'til you try
In a jar fireflies
Only last for one night, only last for one night
I must have had a reason for leavin'
Not one I could see
I must have had a reason for leavin'
It must have been me, it must have been me
You looked like my mother
Did when she was 19, not afraid to die
For the last time I'm not your mother
And I was only 19, I'm still a firefly
Rhett Miller’s song Firefly is a tale of young love, filled with nostalgia and regret. The singer, who is looking back on the relationship, describes how he saw the girl as an idealized version of his mother when she was 19 – full of life, unafraid, and ready to die for what she believed in. He fell in love with her and began dreaming about their future together, but he was holding onto an idea of her that wasn’t real. She was just a teenager, a “firefly” who wouldn’t be caught in a jar for long.
The chorus of the song, “Never say you'll never leave, 'Cause you'll never know 'til you try, In a jar fireflies, Only last for one night, only last for one night” is a warning about not holding onto things too tightly. Relationships, like fireflies, are fleeting and can’t be caught in a jar forever. The singer realizes too late that he was holding onto an illusion, and he chose to leave the relationship before it could end on its own.
In the second verse, the singer compares his own search for love to “trains roll[ing] like gamblers in slow mo, tryin' to find good luck when they couldn't find love”. He knows that he made a mistake, and he’s willing to sleep on train tracks to escape the pain. However, he also knows that he can’t go back in time and change anything, that he had a reason for leaving, even if he can’t remember it.
The song is a melancholy reflection on the nature of love and the power of memory. The singer has idealized and romanticized his past relationship, and when he realizes that it’s not what he thought it was, he chooses to leave before it fades away like a firefly.
Line by Line Meaning
You looked like my mother
Did when she was 19, not afraid to die
The girl resembled the singer's mother when she was young and adventurous.
I started plannin' our future
But you were just 19, still a firefly
The singer began envisioning a future with the girl, but she was still young and not ready to commit.
You got terrible vision
You shoulda seen I was leavin' when I first appeared
The girl couldn't see the singer's intentions to eventually leave from the beginning of their relationship.
I got bit by the footlights
I got caught in the headlights in any place but here
The singer became enamored with the excitement of being on stage, causing him to become restless and distant in his relationship.
Never say you'll never leave
'Cause you'll never know 'til you try
In a jar fireflies
Only last for one night, only last for one night
One should never rule out the possibility of leaving a situation, since they won't know if it's truly right for them until they try. Similarly, catching fireflies only provides temporary joy, like a single night of happiness.
Trains roll like gamblers in slow mo
Tryin' to find good luck when they couldn't find love
Trains, like gamblers, move slowly and often in vain attempts to find something that they desire but can't obtain, such as luck or love.
Oh yeah, and I'm gonna sleep on the train tracks
It's gonna be a peaceful night then it's gonna get rough
The singer plans to sleep on train tracks to find temporary peace and escape from his problems, but he knows things will eventually become difficult again.
I must have had a reason for leavin'
Not one I could see
I must have had a reason for leavin'
It must have been me, it must have been me
The singer left his relationship for a reason he couldn't clearly identify and assumes the fault lies with him.
For the last time I'm not your mother
And I was only 19, I'm still a firefly
The girl wants the singer to recognize that she is not like his mother, and that she is still young and independent.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEWART RANSOM MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@typicalYTaddict
This song makes me cry for a number of different reasons. I’ve never had a song make me cry before and would normally think something like that is corny but at this point, I can’t get thru listening to it without shedding a tear. It’s very sentimental to me. I’d like it to be my wedding song if I ever get married but I don’t want to cry the whole time lol
@Temiken
If I could only listen to one song today, then I choose this song. Yup. Over and over and over again. What a tune!
@tombehnke9058
"in a jar, fireflies only last for one night".
how tragically beautiful.
@Christiane-yb1wj
I don't like much country music but this is so pretty. Been on my playlist for years
@BuckRogers2000
I have great hopes for both of these young singers :)
@fancykatya
I dig this song big time and Miss Yamagata is the perfect compliment to Rhett's voice!
@marthavalenta
Love it!
@JimProsser
Best song on The Believer far and away. Wish you would do more stuff with Rachel Yamagata too!
@douglasmoffat1538
She has never looked better than in this video.
@LadyMeinUSA
nice song 😊❤