After graduating from UCLA in 2002, Bareilles performed at local bars and clubs. She issued two demos of mostly live tracks in 2003: The First One in April and The Summer Sessions in October.
In January 2004, Bareilles released her first studio album, Careful Confessions. She signed a contract with Epic Records' A&R executive Pete Giberga on April 15, 2005. The remainder of the year and early 2006 was spent writing and reworking songs for her upcoming album.
Her debut major-label album Little Voice came out on July 17, 2007.
Chasing the Sun
Sara Bareilles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stuck between the dead and the living
So I thought to myself,
Sitting on a graveyard shelf
As the echo of heartbeats,
From the ground below my feet
Filled a cemetery
In the center of Queens
I started running the maze of
The names and the dates, some
Older than others the skyscrapers, little tombstone brothers
With Manhattan behind her, three million stunning reminders
Built a cemetery
In the center of Queens
You said, remember that life is
Not meant to be wasted
We can always be chasing the sun!
So fill up your lungs and just run
But always be chasing the sun!
So how do you do it,
With just words and just music,
Capture the feeling that my earth is somebody's ceiling
Can I deliver in sound
The weight of the ground
Of a cemetery
In the center of Queens
There's a history through her
Sent to us as a gift from the future
To show us the proof
More than that, it's to dare us to move
And to open our eyes and to learn from the sky
From a cemetery
In the center of Queens
You said, remember that life is
Not meant to be wasted
We can always be chasing the sun!
So fill up your lungs and just run
But always be chasing the sun!
All we can do is try
And live like we're still alive
It's a really old city
Stuck between the dead and the living
So I thought to myself
Sitting on a graveyard shelf
And the gift of my heartbeat sounds like a symphony
Played by a cemetery
in the center of Queens
You said, remember that life is
Not meant to be wasted
We can always be chasing the sun!
So fill up your lungs and just run
But always be chasing the sun!
All we can do is try
And live like we're still alive
All we can do is try
And live like we're still alive
In "Chasing the Sun," Sara Bareilles looks at the world from the perspective of a cemetery in Queens, New York City. The graveyard is located in the midst of bustling modern society, characterizing life as a balance between the dead and the living. As Bareilles walks and meditates with the dead, she discovers the city's historical richness and the importance of seeing life as a journey of chasing the sun.
Bareilles starts by capturing the essence and history of the city in which the cemetery is located. She sees the skyscrapers and the tombstones as brothers, both standing as tall reminders of history. Bareilles attributes the city's development and growth to learning from the past; the dead are gifts the future sent to help the living move forward. With this message, Bareilles urges listeners to always be chasing the sun and never waste life. She ends the song by emphasizing the importance of living while we are still alive.
The song's lyrics and the music revolve around the concept of life and death, showcasing Bareilles's poetic talent. She draws inspiration from the beauty of the graveyard, transmitting the weight of the ground in sound. The catchy and stirring melody, together with the intense and challenging lyrics, paints a picture of chasing the sun as the only way forward in life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a really old city
The city is ancient and has been around for a long time.
Stuck between the dead and the living
The city is a place where both the dead and the living coexist.
So I thought to myself, Sitting on a graveyard shelf
The singer is sitting on a tombstone while contemplating the surroundings.
As the echo of heartbeats, From the ground below my feet Filled a cemetery, In the center of Queens
The earth beneath the tombstones is filled with the echoes of past lives, creating a graveyard in Queens.
I started running the maze of The names and the dates, some Older than others the skyscrapers, little tombstone brothers With Manhattan behind her, three million stunning reminders Built a cemetery In the center of Queens
The artist runs through the cemetery, observing the different names and dates on the tombstones, and how they are similar and different to the skyscrapers and buildings of Manhattan, creating a unique cemetery in Queens.
You said, remember that life is Not meant to be wasted We can always be chasing the sun! So fill up your lungs and just run But always be chasing the sun!
Someone advised the singer to live life to the fullest and keep striving to achieve their goals continuously.
So how do you do it, With just words and just music, Capture the feeling that my earth is somebody's ceiling Can I deliver in sound The weight of the ground Of a cemetery In the center of Queens
The singer wonders how they can use words and music to represent that the earth beneath their feet is someone's final resting place and how to convey the weight of this cemetery through music.
There's a history through her Sent to us as a gift from the future To show us the proof More than that, it's to dare us to move And to open our eyes and to learn from the sky From a cemetery In the center of Queens
The cemetery holds a rich history and has been preserved until today as a gift from the past to teach the present generation the importance of the past and to urge to learn and move forward.
All we can do is try And live like we're still alive
One can only give their best shot and enjoy life as if they are still alive and not waste it away.
And the gift of my heartbeat sounds like a symphony Played by a cemetery in the center of Queens
The artist's heartbeat seems to resonate with the echoes of past lives beneath the tombstones, creating an ethereal experience in the cemetery.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JACK ANTONOFF, MIKE ANDERSON, SARA BAREILLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jessshow1046
It's a really old city
Split between the dead and the living
So I thought to myself,
Sitting on a graveyard shelf
As the echo of heartbeats,
From the ground below my feet
Filled a cemetery in the center of Queens
I started running the maze of the names and the dates,
Some older than others
The skyscrapers, little tombstone brothers
With Manhattan behind her,
Three million stunning reminders
Built a cemetery in the center of Queens
You said, remember that life is not meant to be wasted
We can always be chasing the sun!
So fill up your lungs and just run
We'll always be chasing the sun
So how do you do it,
With just words and just music,
Capture the feeling
That my earth is somebody's ceiling,
Can I deliver in sound,
The weight of the ground
Of a cemetery in the center of Queens
There's a history through her
Sent to us as a gift from the future
To show us the proof
More than that, it's to dare us to move
And to open our eyes
And to learn from the sky
From a cemetery in the center of Queens
You said, remember that life is not meant to be wasted
We can always be chasing the sun!
So fill up your lungs and just run
We'll always be chasing the sun
All we can do is try
And live like we're still alive
It's a really old city
Split between the dead and the living
So I thought to myself
Sitting on a graveyard shelf
And the gift of my heartbeat
Sounds like a symphony
Played by a cemetery in the center of Queens
You said, remember that life is not meant to be wasted
We can always be chasing the sun!
So fill up your lungs and just run
We'll always be chasing the sun
All we can do is try
And live like we're still alive
All we can do is try
And live like we're still alive
@DanaFacchine
"so how do you do it with just words and just music, capture the feeling that my earth is somebody's ceiling..." damn girl. you know how to write a song and make people feel things.
@IntentionalObserver
Dana Facchine Yes!
@JAG8691
Dana Facchine Absolutely!
@MrSdsok
She is so damn talented...
@DanaFacchine
MrSdsok indeed she is!
@janewanya
this song is underrated. best song I've heard in ages.
@linnycrocus6023
I've been living in Queens about a few blocks away from the cemetery Sara sings about for nearly four years. Being here with having no other place to go during the pandemic was really hard and scary. There was a point in which I could hear an ambulance every hour. My mental health really took a toll being scared for my life constantly. It was hard to find a place to go in which people knew how to socially distance in my neighborhood. I started jogging at the calvary cemetery a few months ago. It was the only place I could find in which I could be alone, be in the quiet, have some space. At first I thought "Why would I want to go to a cemetery to jog? That's so depressing" But then it quickly became my favorite place to go. Being in a place in which being alive puts you in the minority really gives you perspective. Yes life is hard and scary.....but we are so lucky to still be alive to still have air in our lungs....especially after this year. The feelings I get being there are exactly what Sara talks about in this song. The funny thing is.....I heard this song briefly in 2013.....I didn't realize that the same cemetery I go to is the same one she is talking about in this song until recently. The fact that there is a beautiful song reminding me to keep trying about a place I'm so lucky to live near is so special to me. I'm very lucky. . "All we can do is try. And live like we're still alive"
@Watery_Tart
This is as beautiful as Sara's lyrics. Thanks for sharing.
@maggiehayes1854
Linny, you remind me to be grateful for each breath! Thank you for sharing your story- how quickly we can forget the pandemic year, but you are correct about how difficult and scary that year was.... blessings to you!
@avishunter6283
😊😊😊