In July of 2010, Sarah Siskind found herself thousands of miles from her Tennessee home in a small ranch house just outside of Boulder. Escaping the oppressive southern summer heat for six weeks, she took temporary roots in Colorado while teaching songwriting at a nearby festival and touring the southwest. Her intent was to finish writing the songs for her new album, Novel, during her downtime.
Just out of a five-year publishing deal on Nashville’s Music Row, Sarah was inspired by the idea of exploring her sound as a musician and her vision as an artist. Bathing in this newfound freedom, her creativity burgeoned and she was soon setting up a microphone in the spare bedroom and hitting record.
It began with the recording of a simple guitar and vocal track for "Nowhere In The Middle", a song that explores the dangers of loving someone too much. Unable to put the track away, she found herself in the kitchen pantry grabbing salt canisters, dry rice, and oatmeal boxes to create a percussion section. She made a snare out of a storage box with sheets of paper taped to the top. Swept away by the muse, Sarah would continue to record the rest of the songs this way, finishing it with just one microphone, several guitars (including her beloved Gibson, Larry), and "found sounds” from her home back in Nashville. Sarah engineered, tracked and produced “Novel” with no boundaries, no one else in the room, on her own.
Despite her isolation, the theme of the album became human connection and no single song onNovel illustrates that better than the title track, a song that reminisces about ‘old-fashioned’ pre-internet friendship and courtship. “Growing up, the thought of using technology to connect with another human never crossed my mind," says Sarah. "People dropped by, there were hours upon hours of sitting on a floor talking with friends and family, and we listened to and played music together."
Novel's lead track is "Yellow and Blue", an Alice in Wonderland-esque take on wandering into uncharted territory, whether it be a stranger's garden or a new relationship. "I had the most vividimagination as a child, always craving that buzz of a new experience...I hope I never lose that."What follows is songwriting study touching on emotional chapters we all face: shouting up to ask for relief ("Take Me"), falling head over heels ("Feeling For You", "I Think About Love"), breaking down ("Crying On A Plane", "You're Still There"), children growing up and out ("Welcome Home"), and fighting with and for love ("Nowhere In The Middle", "Rescue You"). The closing track is a raw and chugging version of the spiritual "Didn't It Rain", made famous by Mahalia Jackson. The tambourine sounds are children's instruments Sarah strapped to her ankles.
Sarah makes jewelry from charms, beads and the like that she finds while on the road and sells them on Etsy and at her live gigs. Though wheat/dairy free, Sarah can (thankfully) still drink good beer and shares recipes, tips and restaurant/brewery suggestions on her food blog. Born and raised in North Carolina, she makes her home in Nashville, TN.
Falling Stars
Sarah Siskind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything in the backseat
I thought i could make it better, ahead of the storm
No apparels i would need
But the road was longer
The night was darker and i fell falling like a star
I guess thats all we really ever are, falling stars
I thought i could do it all, better on my own
Burn it down and build it back up
But there was a bigger plan for me all along
Nothing i could do was enough
And the road was longer
The night was darker and i fell falling like a star
I guess thats all we really ever are, falling stars
Oh the sky is where we start
And we get to here by falling
On the way you know its dark
But so bright, we are, so bright, we are, the falling
We are falling
Oh the road was longer
The night was darker
And i fell falling like a star
I guess thats all we really ever are
Falling stars
In Sarah Siskind's song "Falling Stars", the singer reflects on her belief that she could handle everything on her own, without any assistance or support. She thought she could make things better, even in the midst of difficulties, and was willing to push herself to the limit. However, as she pursued this path, she found that the road was longer and the night darker than she had anticipated. She eventually fell, "falling like a star", realizing that all along, she had been reliant on the help and guidance of others. The chorus emphasizes the transient nature of life and how we're all just "falling stars". It's a reminder that we're all imperfect, constantly changing, and that it's natural to have moments of falling.
Throughout the song, there's a sense of humility and acceptance of one's limitations. The singer acknowledges that there was a bigger plan for her all along, and that sometimes we can't control everything in our lives. She recognizes the importance of relying on a supportive community and the need to let go of the idea of being self-sufficient. The chorus highlights the beauty of impermanence and the power of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought i could make it better, better on my own
Believing in self-reliance, I thought I could change everything for the better without anyone's help.
Everything in the backseat
Everything else is now secondary and not a priority.
I thought i could make it better, ahead of the storm
Thinking ahead, I assumed I could improve things before any obstacles arose.
No apparels i would need
There was no need for any preparation, as I was confident in my ability and didn't think anything could go wrong.
But the road was longer
The journey was much longer and more arduous than I had anticipated.
The night was darker and i fell falling like a star
The situation worsened, and I couldn't help but feel hopeless as I fell like a shooting star.
I guess thats all we really ever are, falling stars
This experience serves as a reminder that we are all prone to falling down in life, no matter how much we try.
I thought i could do it all, better on my own
I believed I could accomplish everything solo, without assistance or guidance from others.
Burn it down and build it back up
Starting from scratch by destroying the present, I thought I could rebuild everything to be better than before.
But there was a bigger plan for me all along
However, a grander plan for my life was in motion that I was unaware of.
Nothing i could do was enough
Despite my best efforts, I was not able to bring about the changes and improvements I had intended.
Oh the sky is where we start
Our potential is limitless, and the sky is the beginning of what we can achieve.
And we get to here by falling
Our paths to success are built on taking risks and overcoming failures.
On the way you know its dark
The journey towards our goals can be challenging and filled with uncertainty at times, but we must stay persistent.
But so bright, we are, so bright, we are, the falling
Despite the challenges, we are still shining brightly, and our falls serve as fuel to propel us forward.
We are falling
We are in a constant state of falling, but that doesn't define our entire journey through life.
Writer(s): SARAH SISKIND
Contributed by Tristan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.