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.
What's Inside
Sara Bareilles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sugar, butter, flour
Sugar, butter, flour
Sugar, butter, flour
My hands pluck the things I know that I'll need
I'll take the sugar and butter from the pantry
I add the flour to begin what I am hoping to start
What's inside, everyone wants to know what's inside
And I've always told them, but I feel something needs to change
You wanna know what's inside?
I could tell you if I wasn't hiding
My whole life is in here
In this kitchen, baking
What a mess I'm making
The opening lines of this song are simply the ingredients for baking a pie crust – sugar, butter, and flour. However, the repetition of the ingredients seems to suggest a deeper meaning beyond just baking. The use of these ingredients is compared to the essential components of life, a sort of recipe for living. The singer's hands pluck these ingredients representing how we choose the elements that make up our lives. Then, she adds the flour to start what she is hoping to make, just as we add elements to our lives that we hope will lead to a fulfilling future.
The chorus talks about the idea of "what's inside" and how everyone wants to know what's inside of a person, what makes them who they are. The singer confesses that she has always told people what is inside, but she feels that something needs to change. The vulnerability of the singer's confession is highlighted in the next verse, where she admits that she could tell you what's inside if she wasn't hiding. She reveals that her whole life is in the kitchen and baking, and what a mess she is making. This line seems to suggest that her life, like the baking, might seem haphazard and unorganized, but it is what makes her who she is.
Overall, the song seems to be about the idea of vulnerability and how we show or hide our true selves from the world. It highlights the connection between essential elements of life and baking, bringing out the idea of how the ingredients we choose in life can ultimately reflect who we are as people.
Line by Line Meaning
Sugar, sugar, sugar, butter
The recipe requires sugar and butter as the main ingredients.
Sugar, butter, flour
The three main ingredients that the singer will use to make their baked goods.
My hands pluck the things I know that I'll need
The singer is confident in the recipe and the ingredients needed for the baking process.
I'll take the sugar and butter from the pantry
The artist is physically gathering the key ingredients required from the pantry.
I add the flour to begin what I am hoping to start
Flour is the final ingredient and once added, the baking can commence.
And then it's down with the recipe and bake from the heart
The baking process is a creative and emotional one for the singer that requires following the recipe and putting personal touches into the final product.
What's inside, everyone wants to know what's inside
People are curious about what makes the singer's baked goods so special.
And I've always told them, but I feel something needs to change
The artist has been forthcoming about the recipe in the past, but now feels the need to keep something hidden.
You wanna know what's inside?
The artist is being directly addressed and challenged about their secret recipe.
I could tell you if I wasn't hiding
The artist admits that they are purposefully keeping their recipe a secret.
My whole life is in here
Baking is a significant part of the singer's life, and their recipe is deeply personal to them.
In this kitchen, baking
The artist feels most at home and aware when they are in the kitchen, baking.
What a mess I'm making
Baking is a messy process, that although chaotic, still yields a beautiful, delicious final product.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SARA BAREILLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@garychapman2055
Courageous ain't she : ) She opens her heart every time she speaks ... always raw, honest and unapologetic. I think that's what is so attractive and inspirational about her. Plus, she's got "Personality ten miles wide" : )
But my favourite is still Lara Fabian though ...
Check out : Lara Fabian - Je t'aime (Live in Paris, 2001)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoZ6P6ihzCU
... she stops the intro to let the crowd settle... but instead the crowd decide to serenade her at her own concert. The look of genuine wonder and disbelief on her face is so moving ... she gets a lump in her throat and can at times barely sing as she joins in, letting them take the lead for much of the song.
She's another one of those rarest of singers who wear their heart on their sleeve and are not afraid to simply be themselves
This world needs more people like these.
@fionamakris1474
she deserves seven thousand grammys and fifty thousand tonys
@annee4728
you are more than right!!!
@KenBernardez
Oh dear she will! The Waitress is so good based from what I've heard. I can almost guarantee a Tony for her!
@misticgirl269
+Florayde Ken Bernardez It was amazing. She needs to get her Grammy already and plenty of Tonys.
@EigramGn
+Fiona Makris She does deserve them, but since Waitress is eligible for the 2016 Tonys together with Hamilton the Musical, I don't see Waitress winning much, if any at all
@FOTISCASPER
+Fiona Makris dose aplohera Fiona Makris :) generous offers is Greek tradition. Teach them that girl wherever you are :D
@briobrandon911
One of the most underrated singer AND songwriter of this generation! She is very talented in every form of music and it sucks that she is not getting the recognition she deserves! Im so glad that she is still making music, and now the score for a very promising broadway show! SLAYYY SARA SLAYYY ME!
@merarisdelmar2089
Indeed. She is incredible. her voice, her personality... everything!
@rexcraigo
Underrated? Who the hell underrates her? Certainly no one with a brain and no one that matters in my sphere of existence. She's the best artist alive today.
@alexandria1066
I agree 100%. This is amazing beyond words