Currently based in Brooklyn, NY, USA, van Etten débuted with single Much More Than That (2007, Abaton Book Company). Her album Are We There was released on 14 May 2014 on Jagjaguwar).
van Etten moved to Tennessee to attend Middle Tennessee State University, where she discovered a variety of influential music. After moving back home to New Jersey, she was encouraged by Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio to pursue a career in music.
van Etten undertook her first UK tour with Meg Baird in Jan 2008. She toured with Great Lake Swimmers on their European tour in May 2009, kicking it off with a show in London with Beirut and Shearwater. She again toured with them in September/October 2009.
On May 26th, 2009, she released her "Because I Was in Love" single on 12" vinyl, CD and MP3 on Language of Stone.
She was the first artist to record in 2010 for the Weathervane Music's Shaking Through video series.
On September 21, 2010, her sophomore album, "Epic" was released on Ba Da Bing. The powerful 7-track album featured much more instrumentation than her first, primarily-acoustic affair. The evolution of her sound proved that she is much more than a traditional folk singer-songwriter.
The release of Epic coincided with a difficult break-up of a relationship. She busied herself with touring for the record, but when the singer completed her schedule a year later, she found herself homeless in New York. After a period of sleeping on friends' couches, recovering from her heavy touring schedule, she hooked up the National's guitarist Aaron Dessner to record her third album, Tramp, which was released on February 7th, 2012.
May 2014 brought about the release of Van Etten's fourth record, Are We There, on Jagjaguwar. Van Etten self-produced the record with Stewart Lerman, with the guidance of bandmate and manager Zeke Hutchins. Most of the recording was done at Hobo Sound Studios in Weehawken, New Jersey, with piano tracks being recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The record features musicians Zeke Hutchins, Doug Keith, Heather Woods Broderick, Dave Hartley, Adam Granduciel, Marisa Anderson, Stuart D. Bogie, Mickey Free, Mary Lattimore, Little Isidor, Jacob Morris, Torres' Mackenzie Scott, Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg, Lower Dens' Jana Hunter, and Efterklang touring member Peter Broderick.
In 2015, the EP I Don't Want to Let You Down was released on Jagjaguwar. It is composed of the songs that did not make it onto Are We There.
On October 2, 2018, Van Etten released a new track entitled "Comeback Kid" and announced her next album Remind Me Tomorrow, which was released on January 18, 2019. On February 28, 2019, Van Etten appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to perform the single "Seventeen".
Sites: MySpace
You Shadow
Sharon Van Etten Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Follow me until you don't know where you are
Closing your eyes when you're reaching with hands
Falling down flat when you don't understand who I am
You ain't nothing, you never won
You ain't nothing, you've never done nothing, no
You don't do nothing I don't do
Listening t'ill you know what to say
Listening t'ill you know what to say
Use loving words and be gentle and kind
Open your mind and it's easy to find where I am
You ain't nothing, you never won
You ain't nothing, you've never done nothing, no
You don't do nothing I don't do
You shadow
You ain't nothing, you never won
You ain't nothing, you've never done nothing, no
You don't do nothing I don't do
You shadow
You say you changed your mind
Yeah I let you
You say, come and see
Why keep me settled
You ain't nothing, you never won
You ain't nothing, you've never done nothing, no
You don't do nothing I don't do
You shadow
You ain't nothing, you never won
You ain't nothing, you've never done nothing, no
You don't do nothing I don't do
You shadow
You don't do nothing I don't do
You shadow
You don't do nothing I don't do
You shadow
You don't do nothing I don't do
You shadow
In Sharon Van Etten's song "You Shadow," the lyrics convey a sense of frustration and power dynamics within a relationship. The repetition of the line "Follow me until you don't know where you are" suggests a controlling and manipulative behavior, where one person is leading the other blindly. The line "Closing your eyes when you're reaching with hands" highlights a sense of confusion and vulnerability, as the person tries to understand their role in the relationship.
The phrase "You ain't nothing, you never won" emphasizes a belittling tone, indicating that the person being addressed is constantly criticized and undervalued. It suggests a lack of accomplishment or approval in the eyes of the singer. The repetition of "You don't do nothing I don't do" can be interpreted as a cutting remark, insinuating that the person being referred to is unoriginal and merely shadows the actions and desires of the singer.
The line "You say you changed your mind, yeah I let you" implies a sense of control asserted by the singer, allowing the other person to have a change of opinion. However, it seems to be done out of convenience or as a means to maintain control rather than genuine respect for the other person's autonomy. The overall theme of "You Shadow" seems to revolve around the imbalance of power, manipulation, and the diminishing of someone's worth within a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Follow me until you don't know where you are
Continuously follow my lead until you lose yourself and have no sense of direction
Closing your eyes when you're reaching with hands
Shutting off your sense of sight while trying to grasp something intangible
Falling down flat when you don't understand who I am
Tripping and failing when you are unable to comprehend my true nature
You ain't nothing, you never won
You hold no significance or achievements to your name
You ain't nothing, you've never done nothing, no
You possess no accomplishments or accomplishments whatsoever
You don't do nothing I don't do
There is nothing you do that I do not also do
You shadow
You are merely a reflection or imitation
Listening t'ill you know what to say
Continuously listening until you know the appropriate response
Use loving words and be gentle and kind
Employ affectionate language and display tenderness and compassion
Open your mind and it's easy to find where I am
Expand your perception and it becomes effortless to locate my existence
You say you changed your mind
You claim to have altered your perspective
Yeah I let you
Yes, I permitted or allowed you to do so
You say, come and see
You invite me to witness something
Why keep me settled
Why are you trying to keep me content or satisfied
You don't do nothing I don't do
There is nothing you do that I do not also do
You shadow
You are merely a reflection or imitation
You don't do nothing I don't do
There is nothing you do that I do not also do
You shadow
You are merely a reflection or imitation
You don't do nothing I don't do
There is nothing you do that I do not also do
You shadow
You are merely a reflection or imitation
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Sharon Van Etten
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anika says "hi"
on A Crime
Sharon, if you ever read this ... thank you.