Jarosz emerged on the scene in about 2003 as someone to watch. Jamming on stage with bluegrass icons named Grisman or Skaggs, she played her mandolin with a sure touch and real joy. It looked and sounded comfortable in her twelve-year-old hands. She started writing songs on the guitar, took up the banjo, and won a bunch of awards. While her instrumental talents are formidable, let's make one thing clear: Sarah is a singer. She's just flat got it. Her voice is velvety smooth, agile, and powerful. With subtle use of colors and effects, she inhabits her songs the way a fine actress does her role. Overall, her music feels good, avoids over reaching. Nothing's contrived.
Her schoolteacher parents have raised her well, providing the skills, support, and freedom to become the confident artist that she is. Beautiful, talented, and just a little mysterious in a wholesome, Wimberley Texas hill-country kinda way, Jarosz is at home in this world. She knows what she's about and is ready to get out there and make her mark.
Over The Edge
Sarah Jarosz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drop the needle on an old song
Break the ice and pour it my way
Turn the key and light the highway
Lay me down beneath the shadows
Meet me where the wild things grow
Kick the moon and watch it shatter
Hanging out
Hanging out over the edge
Endless lines of information
Change the words & change the station
Endless cries of complication
Is anybody even listening?
The lyrics to Sarah Jarosz's song "Over the Edge" explore themes of taking risks, embracing uncertainty, and seeking connection amidst a complex and often overwhelming world. The song opens with a series of vivid images, urging the listener to "flip the switch and turn the night on," drop "the needle on an old song," and "break the ice and pour it my way" - all actions that indicate a desire to let go of inhibitions and fully engage with life. The refrain, "Hanging out over the edge," emphasizes this risk-taking impulse, suggesting a willingness to step beyond comfortable boundaries and encounter the unknown.
As the song continues, Jarosz paints a picture of a natural, exuberant world somewhere beyond the limits of society's structures and expectations. She invites the listener to "meet me where the wild things grow," suggesting a desire for a deeper, more primal connection with nature and with the self. The line "kick the moon and watch it shatter" reinforces this theme of breaking free from norms and embracing spontaneity. There is a sense, throughout the song, of a yearning for something more authentic, more heartfelt, and more real - expressed in the lyric "I don't mind if it don't matter."
Line by Line Meaning
Flip the switch and turn the night on
Let's start the night and have fun
Drop the needle on an old song
Let's play some nostalgic tunes
Break the ice and pour it my way
Let's start a conversation over a drink
Turn the key and light the highway
Let's hit the road
Lay me down beneath the shadows
Let's find a quiet place to relax
Meet me where the wild things grow
Let's escape to nature
Kick the moon and watch it shatter
Let's let loose and be wild
I don't mind if it don't matter
I don't care about the consequences of our actions
Hanging out
Having a good time
Hanging out over the edge
Taking risks and pushing boundaries
Endless lines of information
Too much information to process
Change the words & change the station
Not interested in what's being said or played
Endless cries of complication
Too much drama and complexity to deal with
Is anybody even listening?
Wondering if anyone cares or pays attention
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jesse Mullen
I cannot stop listening to this genius singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. Everything she does is gold!
Antonio De Sadier
This girl is talented beyond her years! As time goes by, she will be an outstanding artist to watch and listen too!
Birgit Albrecht
She is already outstandig!
Antonio De Sadier
No doubt!
Robert Fata
I've been saying the same thing since I first heard her in 2009. One day she will have the same legendary status as Emmylou Harris and Stevie Nicks.
Jim
Yet another gem from this incredibly talented woman. I feel blessed to have heard her!
Reverend Benzo
I can not express the love that I have for her.
Rohan C
While I do enjoy the trio version, this version is the definitive version. The phrasing and timbre of the acoustic is unbeatable here.
E. J. Breider
What a voice ! What creative songwriting !
Debnsync
I totally am blown away by her, and her companion musicians who are key in the whole performance, THANK YOU - amazing concert in Saxapahaw, N. C.