A good chunk of popular music’s real estate has been carved up along lines of age these last half-dozen decades, and we’re used to seeing young musicians aim exclusively for young audiences then flounder as they outgrow teenaged listeners’ tastes and concerns. Pan-generational mentoring and mingling has done much to insulate bluegrass from this coming-of-age quandary. Still, Sierra Hull is the rare soul to make it through these years entirely unscathed.
Secrets—the debut album she recorded at 15, and released at 16—struck the ear with sensibilities that seemed both seasoned and fresh; kids’ stuff this was not. Three years and a move from her family’s home in tiny Byrdstown, Ten. to Boston’s Berklee College of Music later, she’s followed with one of the most surefooted transitions into early adulthood put to record. Thirty seconds into the opening track, she sings a line that puts a fine point on it: “I’m not a child anymore.”
Of course, the evidence of Sierra’s uncommon maturity—musical and personal (one might say she embodies the perfect balance of humility and capability)—has been there all along, and won her formidable fans: by age 11, Alison Krauss had called with an invitation to the Opry stage; by 12, Rounder was expressing interest; first Ron Block and now Barry Bales have served as co-producers, and her studio bands have featured the cream of the contemporary bluegrass crop—Stuart Duncan, Randy Kohrs and Bryan Sutton this time, alongside members of Sierra’s own crack band Highway 111. Then there’s the fact that Berklee gave her the school’s most prestigious award, the Presidential Scholarship, a first for a bluegrass musician; her choice to accept it, to delay her dream of hitting the road full-time after high school in favor of expanding her musical worldview, was hardly a light one.
If ever the “child prodigy” label did Sierra justice, its usefulness has completely fallen away and a distinctive new identity emerged. What you hear on Daybreak is one of bluegrass’s few full-fledged virtuosic instrumentalist/singer/songwriters, and one who’s gracefully grown into her gifts. While her mandolin playing has always possessed clarity and fleet-fingered precision, here she attacks her solos with newfound spontaneity and depth of feeling; she calls it “playing with a point to prove.” Her singing—always straight and true—has more heartfelt power behind it, to results Bales describes, simply, as “doing the songs justice.”
As for the songs, Sierra’s first album held just a few originals, but she wrote seven of these twelve, a collection that stands up quite well next to the outside material. There’s a pair of sprightly instrumentals, her first-ever western swing number and several that show her emotional sophistication: in songs that fall squarely in the bluegrass tradition, feelings are out in the open; during country-leaning compositions, she ponders relationships from more introspective angles; and the title track—a breathtaking pop ballad—is the most ruminative moment of all.
Boundaries—age, genre or otherwise—don’t hamper an artist like Sierra. She’s already earned considerable respect in the bluegrass world, the IBMA’s voting members having nominated her for no fewer than five awards over three years—there’s a good chance she’ll be the first woman to win the mandolin category. But as a player, a singer and a songwriter, she also has remarkable range, the potential to win over ears unfamiliar with Bill Monroe and give performances of broad cultural importance, as she’s done at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the National Prayer Breakfast. Matt Glaser—head of Berklee’s American Roots Music Program—put it this way: “She has no limitations as a musician.” Daybreak is certainly a noteworthy arrival; you can’t help but feel it’s also just the beginning.
- Jewly Hight, Nashville, Tennessee, January 2011
Easy Come Easy Go
Sierra Hull Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things that a child lets go on in her head
But I'm not a child anymore
My first real heartbreak I was undone
Sworn that I'd given up on love
But I'm not afraid, anymore
And I would look back on our story
But that chapters gone
I can let your memories roll
Easy come easy go
Yesterday morning I drove by your place
Reach for my cheek no tears on my face
'Cause I'm not that girl anymore
And I look back on our story
But that chapters gone
Like raindrops off my back
I can let your memories roll
Easy come easy go
Easy go
To the place of peace that I have come to know
Once all my dreams were tied up in you
And I walked up in fear that you would not come true
But I'm not afraid anymore
And I can look back on our stories
But that chapters gone
And like raindrops on my back I can let your memories roll
Easy come, easy go
Sierra Hull's "Easy Come Easy Go" is a song that speaks of letting go of past relationships and embracing the future. The song reflects on past heartbreaks and how they have become a thing of the past, with the line "But I'm not a child anymore" suggesting that the singer has grown and moved on from the experiences of her youth. She reflects on the first real heartbreak that she experienced and the promise she made to give up on love, but now she is not afraid anymore.
The lyrics seem to suggest that the singer has let go of the past and is ready to move on to the future. The line "Like raindrops off my back, I can let your memories roll" indicates that she is no longer holding on to the memories of her past relationship, and she is now able to let them go. The song speaks of the pain of heartbreak, but it also reminds listeners that there is always a way to move forward and find peace.
Overall, Sierra Hull's "Easy Come Easy Go" is a song of hope – it encourages listeners to let go of the past and embrace the future. The lyrics portray a sense of resilience, as the singer moves on from her heartbreaks and becomes stronger as a result.
Line by Line Meaning
Ghost in my closet and under my bed
Insecurities and fears that I used to have as a child still haunt me.
Things that a child lets go on in her head
As children, we have a tendency to let our imaginations run wild and harbor irrational fears.
But I'm not a child anymore
I have grown up and learned to deal with my fears in a mature way.
My first real heartbreak I was undone
The pain of my first heartbreak left me feeling broken and lost.
Sworn that I'd given up on love
After my heartbreak, I thought I would never find love again.
But I'm not afraid, anymore
Through time, I have overcome my fear of love and am ready to try again.
And I would look back on our story
I sometimes reminisce about our past relationship.
But that chapter's gone
But I understand that our relationship is over and there is no going back.
And like raindrops off my back, I can let your memories roll
I have learned to let go of the memories of our relationship like water off a duck's back.
Easy come easy go
It was easy for our relationship to end, and I am accepting of that fact.
Yesterday morning I drove by your place
I happened to pass by your house yesterday morning.
Reach for my cheek no tears on my face
Although seeing your house brought back memories, I did not feel sad enough to cry.
'Cause I'm not that girl anymore
I have grown past the girl who would cry over you and am stronger now.
And I can look back on our stories
I can reflect on our memories together.
But that chapter's gone
But I understand that our relationship is over and there is no going back.
Like raindrops off my back, I can let your memories roll
I have learned to let go of the memories of our relationship like water off a duck's back.
Easy come easy go
It was easy for our relationship to end, and I am accepting of that fact.
Easy go
I am willing to let go of our relationship with ease.
To the place of peace that I have come to know
I have found peace within myself.
Once all my dreams were tied up in you
I used to believe that my future was reliant on our relationship.
And I walked up in fear that you would not come true
I was afraid that my dreams would not come to fruition without you.
But I'm not afraid anymore
I have learned to be confident in myself and my own abilities.
And I can look back on our stories
I can reflect on our memories together.
But that chapter's gone
But I understand that our relationship is over and there is no going back.
And like raindrops on my back, I can let your memories roll
I have learned to let go of the memories of our relationship like water off a duck's back.
Easy come, easy go
It was easy for our relationship to end, and I am accepting of that fact.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Shadowboro2
It really is wonderful to know that bluegrass still caries the torch of real talent & musicianship, with people like Sierra Hull, Chris Thile & Alison Krauss who can actually play instruments and write meaningful songs. Unlike country music which has sadly become as shallow as the mass-produced pop of today; just a shadow of what it used to be in the 90's or when legends like Patsy Cline, Hank Williams & J. Cash thrived. Thanks Sierra, for helping to restore my faith in the the future of music!
@JohnJL-wl2lj
This is the first song I ever heard from Sierra, just beautiful!! I'm hooked now, I love her!! The rest of the world needs to catch on though, she deserves way more attention!!!
@manitou1954
She is a treasure, her musical talent is phenomenal. I don't want to be hyper critical of our society but I question why her music isn't better known while those of lesser abilities are plastered throughout the media.
@xXGENDAMAGEXx
That’s easy. Because that’s how the machine wants it. That’s why we have to support more directly what we love. To take our power back. Don’t spend money with companies that hate everything you believe in.
@DONNIEWATKINS
That Was a Mouth Full !~!~ Yes She Is Pretty Dam Amazing Bud :):) <3 !~!~
@Nelz459
I've worked in radio for 22+ years, most of it in country music, and I must say Sierra that you are a true country talent (vocally and musically) that deserves all the blessings that come with stardom. Keep up the great work!
@bvolat
I have never heard such beautiful music as this. What harmonic shifting! Brilliant.
@badfinger848
I was completely shocked when I actually turned my TV on a few weeks back and saw this video playing on CMT. Usually, other than a few of the very popular artists like Brad Paisley, who have undeniable musical talent, they don't tend to play much that I enjoy but it sure was great to see Sierra Hull getting played on a channel that I never expected to see her on and especially with how talented she is.
@seekanddowhat
now this is talent
@aussie8114
I love this album.