Slaid Cleaves’ music is marked by both the quirky blend of isolated eccentricity and steely resilience of his Yankee upbringing and the weathered soul of Texas, the state he has called home for over a decade now. First registering on the national folk scene by winning the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition in 1992, Cleaves released his national debut No Angel Knows (Philo/Rounder) in 1997, following a string of self-released albums and many nights logged in folk clubs as both a performer and a soundman. Met with effusive critical praise, No Angel Knows was followed by Broke Down (Philo/Rounder) in 2000, which expanded his audience exponentially by virtue of its exceedingly well-crafted songs and rugged Gurf Morlix production. In addition to the title track, a Rod Picott collaboration that won Song of the Year at the Austin Music Awards in 2001, Broke Down featured a couple of interpretations of other writers’ songs prefiguring Slaid’s later work, including a poignant reading of fellow Austinite Karen Poston’s “Lydia.”
Following Broke Down came 2004’s Wishbones (Philo/Rounder), a richly detailed exploration of life’s darker corners where still a ray of hope somehow shines. Wishbones climbed to the top of the Americana Radio chart coming in at #1 for 2004 while Slaid toured relentlessly promoting the album. It was after the recording of Wishbones that Cleaves began to consider the endeavor that became Unsung. “Over the years,” Cleaves explains, “as I grew as a songwriter, my songs began to make up the bulk of my sets. But I continued to throw in the odd song by a hero or friend, both in my shows and on the records I made. I did that partly out of tribute to my influences, but also to give my set, or album, some context and some variety.” These are songs from the songwriter trenches – compositions Cleaves first heard at late-night song-swaps, open-mic nights, during downtime at recording sessions, and on modest self-released CDs. Thanks to the work of producers David Henry and Rod Picott (a long-time Cleaves cohort and fellow Mainer), the performances and backdrops on Unsung are as evocative and captivating as the songs themselves. Cleaves’ gifts as an interpreter are such that the line between singer and song vanish completely.
"Cleaves tells gorgeously compact stories in a voice packed with Texas trail dust." -- Entertainment Weekly
"...one of the finest singer-songwriters in Texas." -- Neil Strauss, The New York Times
Beyond Love
Slaid Cleaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in secrets we abide
Long gone is the sharp pain
Of young love's foolish game
Days fade into night shades beyond love
Sometimes I'm afraid she
Puts too much faith in me
God knows I try but I'm
Perfume faint as empty whiskey
Glasses sweet and soft
Dusty bed side table lamp
Throws light on something lost
Days fade into night shades beyond love
Outside a cold hand waits
From the gloaming to the dawn
As love sleeps safe in memory
And you hold on, hold on
Perfume faint as empty whiskey
Glasses sweet and soft
Dusty bed side table lamp
Throws light what we've lost
Love fades into night shades beyond love
Days fade into night shades beyond love
Beyond love
"Beyond Love" by Slaid Cleaves is a song that reflects on the bittersweet feelings of a long-term relationship. The singer observes his partner sleeping beside him and reflects on the secrets they share. He acknowledges that the sharp pain of young love's foolish game has faded, and they have settled into a comfortable routine. However, he is still afraid that she puts too much faith in him and that he is bound to fall down at some point. The somber imagery of the song's verses suggests that there is a sense of loss and regret underneath the surface of their relationship, with the perfume of empty whiskey glasses and a dusty bedside table lamp symbolizing the passage of time and the fading of passion.
The song's refrain consists of the lines "Days fade into night shades beyond love," which provide a sense of finality and acceptance that things cannot be the way they were in the past. The final lines of the song shift the focus to the outside world, with a "cold hand" waiting from the gloaming to the dawn. This line suggests that the couple's relationship may not be immune to the passing of time and that they must hold on to their memories of love. Overall, "Beyond Love" is a moving meditation on the complexities of long-term relationships and the emotions that accompany them.
Line by Line Meaning
She sleeps softly beside
The singer's partner is sleeping next to them.
And in secrets we abide
The couple keeps secrets together.
Long gone is the sharp pain
The pain from past failed relationships is no longer present.
Of young love's foolish game
The singer has grown past the mistakes of young love.
Days fade into night shades beyond love
Time passes and emotions have moved beyond love.
Sometimes I'm afraid she
The singer expresses fear about his partner's expectations.
Puts too much faith in me
The singer's partner has expectations that may be difficult to meet.
God knows I try but I'm
The singer acknowledges that they are not perfect.
Bound to fall down sometime
The singer knows they will make mistakes.
Perfume faint as empty whiskey
The environment surrounding the couple is reminiscent of past indulgences.
Glasses sweet and soft
The couple's glasses hold sweet and soft drinks.
Dusty bed side table lamp
The setting is quiet and calm with a dusty lamp casting a warm glow.
Throws light on something lost
The dim lighting highlights something that has been lost or forgotten.
Days fade into night shades beyond love
Time continues to move on and emotions move further away from just love.
Outside a cold hand waits
The coldness of the world is waiting outside of the couple's world.
From the gloaming to the dawn
The waiting coldness will be there from dawn to dusk.
As love sleeps safe in memory
The memories of love keep the couple feeling secure.
And you hold on, hold on
They hold onto each other to keep the past and future in touch.
Love fades into night shades beyond love
Love has moved further away from just love.
Days fade into night shades beyond love
Time moves beyond love.
Beyond love
They have gone beyond just love to something different.
Contributed by Mackenzie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.