S. Carey is American musician Sean Carey of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Carey is… Read Full Bio ↴S. Carey is American musician Sean Carey of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Carey is best known as the drummer and supporting vocalist of indie folk band Bon Iver. In August 2010, Carey released his first solo album, All We Grow.

The debut album is the result of a young lifetime spent immersed in music. As a band member of Bon Iver from the very beginning, Carey endured a flip of his formal training to step firmly into a worldwide-touring rock band. His performance degree in classical percussion from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and his love for jazz drumming prepared him for a central role in the inspiring force of the Bon Iver live show.

All We Grow is a convergence of Carey's Waltz For Debbie era Bill Evans inflected jazz tendencies, and traditional rock band experience, taking leads from Mark Hollis' Talk Talk. It also retests the waters of modern classical composition, investigating the moodiness generated by percussive repetition in a manner familiar to fans of Steve Reich. In his downtime on tour with Bon Iver, Sean would spend time pining for his soul-mate's arms, and in that context, dreaming and composing. During infrequent tour breaks at home he would patiently record these pieces, adding layers each time. Two years later, the parts converged to make an album.

For as much room to breathe as Carey allows his compositions, there are incredibly dynamic moments of bombast held right next to moments of subtle depth and texture. Engineered by Jaime Hansen and Brian Joseph, intermittently at home and at April Base (Justin Vernon's studio outside Eau Claire), All We Grow is an all-encompassing headphone experience as intimate as chamber music and as ambitious as a symphony.

While many are familiar with the cabin mythology of Bon Iver, the story behind Sean joining the band is equally kismet. After hearing through mutual friends that Justin was looking to put together a band, he spent two weeks in his bedroom listening to For Emma, Forever Ago on Myspace, dissecting and learning the drum and vocal parts so well that Justin invited him to join the band upon Sean's approach.

All We Grow is a classic album born without expectation and met with adoration - a cathartic result of Carey's extraordinary and vibrant life experiences that resonates loss, dreams and heart in a manner so instantly relatable, you feel as though you can touch it.

Leave
S. Carey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's raining in brooklyn when we leave the rehearsal
And I'm avoiding your eyes
Cause I don't want you to go home

Still it's into the car; you in the passenger's seat
Where you feel so at home
And I am thinking of touching your arm

Let's get out of Brooklyn
And into the wild
Into this wild heart of mine
Into our bodies and out of our minds
Unleash the innocent love inside you and I

Long ago
I fell
In love with you
I fell
Say you did, too
Do tell
Climb into bed & let my body know you well

It's raining in Brooklyn when we leave the rehearsal

Let's get out of Brooklyn
And into the wild
Into this wild heart of mine
Into our bodies and out of our minds
Forget our innocence, we don't have much time

Long ago
I fell
In love with you
I fell
Say you did, too

Do tell
Climb into bed & let my body know you well

Overall Meaning

S. Carey's "Leave" is a lullaby-like song with simple but powerful lyrics. It is a traditional folk song that has been covered and rearranged by many artists over the years. The song is about a baby who is left alone with the father while the mother has gone away. The father soothes the baby to sleep with the repetitive lyrics of "Go to sleep you little babe," indicating a desire for the little one to rest in peaceful oblivion while the world around them is in chaos. The lyrics continue to tell a story of love and loss, with the father telling the baby that they are all they need, and that they will find happiness even though everyone else is gone. The song is both sad and comforting, with a sense of resignation to the fact that life goes on.

The phrase "Didn't leave nobody but the baby" repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the loneliness and vulnerability of the baby. The song seems to suggest that the baby is too young to understand what is happening and is simply being cared for by the father. The father promises to take care of the baby and bring them comfort, assuring them that they will be enough for each other. The song ends with an invitation for the baby to rest beside the father and be loved unconditionally.

The song's interpretation is open to discussion as the lyrics are often covered and changed. The song has been used in movies and TV series such as "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "True Blood," adding to its cultural significance.

Line by Line Meaning

Go to sleep you little babe
Please fall asleep, child

Your mama's gone away and your daddy's gonna stay
Your mother has left and your father will remain

Didn't leave nobody but the baby
There's nobody else here to take care of you

Everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn
Everyone has gone to work in the fields

Didn't leave nobody but the baby
There's nobody else here to take care of you

You're sweet little babe
You're an adorable child

Honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop
There's plenty of sweetness and joy to be had

Gonna' bring a bottle to the baby
I will bring some comfort to you

Don't you weep pretty babe
Don't cry, my beautiful child

She's long gone with her red shoes on
Your mother has left, wearing her red shoes

Gonna' need another lovin' baby
We need someone else to love