Sister Hazel formed in Gainesville, Florida in 1994 and was named for Siste… Read Full Bio ↴Sister Hazel formed in Gainesville, Florida in 1994 and was named for Sister Hazel Williams, a local nun who ran a homeless shelter. The group released its self-titled debut album in 1994 through its independent record label, Croakin' Poets and shortly after its release, singer/guitarist Ryan Newell and drummer Mark Trojanowski joined the band. Newell played on the album before officially joining the group.

The band's second album, ...Somewhere More Familiar was released in 1997 and sold approximately 30,000 copies through its initial pressing, prompting Universal Records to sign the band. Universal re-released ...Somewhere More Familiar in late 1997. A single from the album, "All For You" hit #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains the band's most successful single.

The band's third album Fortress was released in 2000 by Universal. The band worked with producers Mike Clink (Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Heart), Richie Zito (Cheap Trick), and Paul Ebersold (3 Doors Down). The album featured minor pop hits "Champagne High" and "Change Your Mind."

In 2003, after the band split from Universal, it released its fourth studio album, Chasing Daylight, on the Sixthman label and toured throughout the year to promote the album. The band's internet presence emerged during this time period, and hardcore fans dubbing themselves "Hazelnuts" studied setlists, shared bootleg concert recordings, and initiated a promotion scheme with the band through their official website. 2003 also saw the simultaneous release of Live*LIVE, a two-disc live album, and A Life in the Day, a live DVD.

In 2004, Sister Hazel released its next studio album Lift. Songs from Lift were re-recorded for 2005's Lift: Acoustic Renditions, an EP of studio acoustic takes on five of the songs, offered exclusively through Apple's iTunes Store. In July 2005, the Sister Hazel album was re-issued again by Sixthman, in response to claims that the album had become difficult to find in stores.

Sister Hazel then promoted its album, Absolutely, which was released on October 10, 2006. The band also continued to tour and hold annual fan gathering events, The Rock Boat and The Rock Slope. Absolutely is the band's highest charting album on the Billboard charts following Fortress and it received 4 out of a possible 5 stars from Allmusic, a tie with Fortress's score.

On June 5, 2007, Sister Hazel released a "hybrid" album entitled BAM! Volume 1. It contains B-sides from the Absolutely recording sessions and some from previous albums.

Sister Hazel also released a holiday album called Santa's Playlist on September 25, 2007.

On February 9, 2008, Sister Hazel performed a live concert at Daytona International Speedway for the Budweiser Shootout.

Sister Hazel released a live acoustic album on June 17, 2008 entitled Before The Amplifiers, Live Acoustic on Croakin' Poets/Rock Ridge Music. The record features sixteen tracks, including the band's hits, fan favorites, and live concert staples, all in a stripped-down, acoustic format. The album was recorded on January 12 at Nickel & Dime Studios in Atlanta (other bands who have recorded there in the past include Indigo Girls, The B-52's, Shawn Mullins) in front of 100 lucky fans who were chosen at random from more than five thousand entries.

At the July 18, 2008 concert at Wolf Trap Farm Park, drummer Mark Trojanowski took paternity leave for his newborn child. Former Vertical Horizon and current Doobie Brothers drummer Ed Toth played in his place.

On July 9, 2009 Ford Motor Company announced a collaboration with Sister Hazel to promote the company's new Sync Technology, which is available on a number of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles. The band has been chosen to be the face of the company's "Sync My Ride" website.

The band released its seventh studio album of original songs (tenth album overall) on August 18, 2009. The album, entitled "Release", contains 12 tracks and is on the Rock Ridge Music label. On the day of release, "Release" was the number one album on iTunes.

On October 12th, 2010, Sister Hazel released their 8th studio album, "Heartland Highway", which is unique among SH albums in that all band members wrote at least one song that appears on the album.

Sister Hazel Williams was an African-American woman who ran Sister Hazel's Rescue Mission in Gainesville, FL. during the 1970s and early '80s. This facility gave those who were down on their luck a safe place to stay warm, eat and regroup, regardless of age, race or beliefs. It is in this spirit of unconditional concern for all beings that the band chose to use her name.

The band has had music featured in several movies and soundtracks including Major League: Back to the Minors, The Wedding Planner, Clay Pigeons, Bedazzled, American Wedding, and 10 Things I Hate About You. Sister Hazel also appear on the Fleetwood Mac tribute album, Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours with their cover version of "Gold Dust Woman". In 1999, they recorded a cover of "September Gurls" for the Big Star tribute album, Big Star, Small World. However, the track was not included when the album was released in 2006. The song "Where Do You Go" was featured on Scrubs (Season 6, Episode 4, "My House").

Band members
Ken Block - lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Jett Beres - bass, harmony vocals
Andrew Copeland - rhythm guitar, vocals
Ryan Newell - lead and slide guitar, harmony vocals
Mark Trojanowski - drums

Concede
Sister Hazel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
Concede and believe me
I won't give up, I won't give out on you
Concede and believe me
I won't give up, I won't give out on you
Oh no no no-la la la la la
You
Oh no

Now hear, I promise to listen
Why won't you go for that
Now hear, I promise to hold you
Why won't you go for that

If I had wings and I could fly
Well I'd still walk with you
If I had a safe place to lie
I'd want to lay with you

[Chorus]

So now you shut off and you shut down
Won't let nobody in
And when you shut off and you shut down
Won't play that fool again

I've seen your inside, you stay inside
And I won't go for that
I've seen your quarters
Seen your crooked sacred pictures on the wall

[Chorus]

I'll be your jester, be your fool
Compromising fool
I'll be your jester, be your fool

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sister Hazel's song Concede reflect the struggle to gain trust and intimacy with a partner who has built emotional barriers from past trauma. The song addresses the difficulties of breaking down walls that have been erected to protect oneself from further heartbreak. The chorus, repeated throughout the song, emphasizes the singer's promise to not give up on the relationship, even in the face of challenging circumstances. The lines "Concede and believe me / I won't give up, I won't give out on you" suggest a willingness to compromise and work towards a healthy relationship.

In the verses, the singer expresses a desire for communication and connection. They promise to listen and hold their partner, asking why they won't reciprocate. The image of having wings and flying contrasts with the desire to remain grounded and close to their partner. The lines "If I had a safe place to lie / I'd want to lay with you" evoke a longing for safety and vulnerability. However, the second stanza portrays frustration with their partner's emotional shut down. The singer has seen their partner's "inside," their vulnerabilities and pain, and is willing to be a "fool" to win their trust.

Overall, Concede conveys a persevering attitude towards a damaged relationship. It acknowledges the challenges of opening up after being emotionally hurt, but also emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and intimacy in a healthy partnership.

Line by Line Meaning

Concede and believe me
Please agree to work with me and have faith in me.

I won't give up, I won't give out on you
I will keep trying and supporting you.

Oh no no no-la la la la la
I care about you deeply, and I don't want to lose you.

You
You are the one I am singing to and trying to reach.

Now hear, I promise to listen
I will pay attention to you and show that I care.

Why won't you go for that
Why aren't you willing to try and work with me?

Now hear, I promise to hold you
I will support you and be there for you when you need it.

If I had wings and I could fly
Even if I had the freedom to do anything I wanted, I would choose to be with you.

Well I'd still walk with you
I would always stand by your side no matter what.

If I had a safe place to lie
Even if I had a place to escape to, I would still want to be with you.

I'd want to lay with you
I want to be close to you and spend time with you.

So now you shut off and you shut down
You're closing yourself off and not letting anyone in.

Won't let nobody in
You are not allowing anyone to get close to you.

And when you shut off and you shut down
Whenever you close yourself off emotionally.

Won't play that fool again
You won't be taken advantage of again.

I've seen your inside, you stay inside
I know there is more to you than what you show on the outside.

And I won't go for that
I won't accept that you are closing yourself off and won't let me help you.

I've seen your quarters
I've been in your space and seen how you live.

Seen your crooked sacred pictures on the wall
I've noticed how you are holding onto things that are important to you, but you are keeping them hidden.

I'll be your jester, be your fool
I will do whatever it takes to make you happy and keep you close to me.

Compromising fool
I am willing to make compromises in order to keep our relationship strong.

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: ANDREW COPELAND, JEFF BERES, KEN BLOCK, MARK E. TROJANOWSKI, RYAN CARTER NEWELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS