Having played guitar and piano as a young girl, she was moved to write her first song, "Remember The Day", after taking a road trip with a friend across the Alps to Genoa, via Strasbourg. She appeared in Wim Wenders' 1973 film Alice in the Cities, and her music also featured in Umarmungen und andere Sachen (1975), a German Jochen Richter film set in Bavaria about three romantically involved bank robbers. Baier opted not to pursue an acting or singing career, and moved to America where she concentrated on raising a family.
The songs that went on to make up her album Colour Green were home reel-to-reel tape recordings Baier had made in Germany between 1970 and 1973. Some thirty years later her son Robby compiled a CD from these recordings to give to family members as presents. He also gave a copy to Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis, who in turn passed it along to the Orange Twin label. Orange Twin released the album in February 2006. She is expected to release a second studio album. She performs the song "Let Us Know" in Wim Wenders' movie Palermo Shooting (2008).
www.sibyllebaier.com/
Let Us Know
Sibylle Baier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That the little things are
Little, and big ones big
Life is fragrant and brittle
A twig on the tree of knowing
It grows for the sake of growing
From the drunkenness of my trying
I think I'm home
My souls and my freedom of seeing
The one in the many fall
It knows without knowing
Let us know
That the little things are little
And big ones big
Have us see what is now
In the light of eternity
Let us be
You and me
Like writing on water, leaving no trees
Embracing the face of our dying
Into this brilliant space
It glows for the sake of glowing
Let us know
That the little things are little
And big ones big
In these lyrics, Sibylle Baier seems to be contemplating the meaning of life and the importance of different experiences. She urges the listener to recognize that little things are just as important as big things, and that life is both beautiful and fragile. She uses the metaphor of a twig on a tree to represent the growth of knowledge, and suggests that it is important to pursue knowledge for its own sake, even if we feel unsteady and unsure along the way.
The phrase "Life is fragrant and brittle" suggests that life is both beautiful and fragile, and that we should cherish every moment. The line "My souls and my freedom of seeing" suggests that Baier has gained a deeper understanding of herself and the world around her. She believes that all things are connected, and that everything has a purpose, even if we don't always understand it.
The second half of the song is more introspective, with Baier reflecting on her mortality and the fleeting nature of life. She urges the listener to embrace the "face of our dying" and find meaning in the present moment, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. The final line of the song, "Let us know that the little things are little and big ones big" serves as a reminder to take nothing for granted, and to appreciate both the mundane and the profound in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Let us know
We should inform each other
That the little things are
Small things are
Little, and big ones big
Tiny things are minor, significant ones are important
Life is fragrant and brittle
Existence is delicate and aromatic
A twig on the tree of knowing
A small part of a vast understanding
It grows for the sake of growing
It matures merely to develop
From the drunkenness of my trying
From the haziness of my endeavoring
I think I'm home
I am satisfied with where I am
My souls and my freedom of seeing
My spiritual and perceptual independence
The one in the many fall
The unit in plurality fail
It knows without knowing
It understand without understanding
Have us see what is now
Help us notice the present
In the light of eternity
Considering the boundlessness of existence
Let us be
We should exist
You and me
Both of us
Like writing on water, leaving no trees
Like dropping words on liquid, leaving no trace
Embracing the face of our dying
Accepting our mortality
Into this brilliant space
Into this outstanding universe
It glows for the sake of glowing
It shines simply to radiate
Let us know
We should inform each other
That the little things are little
Small things are
And big ones big
And significant ones are important
Writer(s): Sibylle Ingrid Baier
Contributed by David B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lilian campos
Let us know
That the little things are
Little, and big ones big
Life is fragrant and brittle
A twig on the tree of knowing
It grows for the sake of growing
From the drunkenness of my trying
I think I'm home
My souls and my freedom of seeing
The one in the many fall
It knows without knowing
Let us know
That the little things are little
And big ones big
Have us see what is now
In the light of eternity
Let us be
You and me
Like writing on water, leaving no trees
Embracing the face of our dying
Into this brilliant space
It glows for the sake of glowing
Let us know
That the little things are little
And big ones big
soren
This is the only new song we have from her, and she really didn't change. Still so beautiful
john
Hope that she still has songs that are not yet discovered
joe pines
I hope one day we have another album. Her voice is still so beautiful
haley foster
I wish this was on Spotify, it is amazing!
Ben Drescher
We must get this song on Spotify! This is such a beautifully strange song.
skskskms
yes!!
lilian campos
Let us know
That the little things are
Little, and big ones big
Life is fragrant and brittle
A twig on the tree of knowing
It grows for the sake of growing
From the drunkenness of my trying
I think I'm home
My souls and my freedom of seeing
The one in the many fall
It knows without knowing
Let us know
That the little things are little
And big ones big
Have us see what is now
In the light of eternity
Let us be
You and me
Like writing on water, leaving no trees
Embracing the face of our dying
Into this brilliant space
It glows for the sake of glowing
Let us know
That the little things are little
And big ones big
Chris Neto
I think it's leaving no "trace", makes more sense and rhymes with space
Seba Stop Progre
No conocia esta canción!!
Que sorpresa maravillosa
Gracias!!
Diana Cruz Delgadillo
What a melty voice! The female version of Leonard Cohen's voice for sure!