in Nottingham.… Read Full Bio ↴Lead singer of the Tindersticks. Born on 14 November 1965
in Nottingham.
Like Tom Waits or Mark Lanegan, Stuart Staples has a ragged voice that sounds like it's been wrecked by years of cigarettes and alcohol. Whether singing his lyrics in a whispery croon or incoherent mumble, Staples captures the twilight atmosphere of a lonely, dilapidated pub, creating sorrowful music that has little punch in daylight but becomes cathartic for lost souls in the late evening. In 1992, Staples formed the Tindersticks, originally a trio called Asphalt Ribbons, in Nottingham, England. Including Asphalt Ribbons members David Boulter (keyboards) and Dickon Hinchcliffe (violins) as well as Neil Fraser (guitar), Mark Colwill (bass), and Al Macaulay, the Tindersticks immediately won over the British press with their eponymous first LP in 1993, selected as Album of the Year by Melody Maker. Often compared to Waits, Nick Cave, and Leonard Cohen, Staples' erotically charged and hauntingly disconsolate stories about relationships expanded the Tindersticks' audience with each outing. Through word-of-mouth and stellar reviews, the band established a loyal following in America in the '90s with no commercial radio airplay. Although the Tindersticks' later efforts, such as 1997's Curtains and 1999's Simple Pleasure didn't achieve the universal acclaim of their earlier LPs, Staples was still regarded as one of the finest songwriters in England.
The Path
Stuart A. Staples Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's as fragile as it is long
And the line that the path follows
Is not a straight forward one
It dips and it wiggles
Sometimes it climbs
Far too close to the sun
Cause I know it's the only one
And we escaped from that fancy often
But they're now just distant stains
There's guys in this town
That have fallen down
And never found their feet again
They made their woman cry
One to many times
She's keepin' some other fellow on tonight
But I - I keep that path under my feet
I keep my eyes on that line
And when old friends come calling
And we hang around for a while
It's not a question of falling
They're just important people in my life
They get that look in their eye
That says let's go too far
And those tend to find my car
And get back to my baby's arms
And keep my eyes on that line
Yeah I - I keep that path under my feet
I keep my eyes on that line
(Bridge)
There's a path that stretches before her
And it's as fragile as it is long
And the line that the path follows
Is not a straight forward one
It dips and it wiggles
Sometimes it climbs
Far too close to the sun
But I keep that path under my feet
Cause I know it's the only one
Yeah I - I keep that path under my feet
Cause I know it's the only one
Yeah I - I keep that path under my feet
Cause I know it's the only one
The song "The Path" by Stuart A. Staples is an insightful piece that talks about the importance of staying on track, especially when the path is not straightforward. The lyrics start by describing a path that stretches before her, which is fragile and long. The path is not a straight one and it dips and wiggles, sometimes climbing too close to the sun. Despite the path's complexities, the singer keeps it under his feet because he knows it's the only one. This line implies that the singer realizes the difficulty that comes with following an uncertain path, but he believes that it's the only way for him.
The song then shifts to talk about some people who have fallen down and never found their feet again. These individuals made their women cry too many times and have lost the opportunity to keep their women close. The singer implies that these men have gone off the path without realizing it. The singer then talks about how his old friends come calling and how hanging out with them is not a question of falling. These friends sometimes tend to take things too far, but the singer stays true to his path and keeps his eyes on the line that he has chosen. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, stressing on the need of staying committed to one's chosen path.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a path stretches before her
She has a journey ahead of her
And it's as fragile as it is long
The path is both delicate and lengthy
And the line that the path follows
The path is not straightforward
Is not a straight forward one
The path is difficult to navigate
It dips and it wiggles
The path is full of twists and turns
Sometimes it climbs
At times, the journey is an uphill battle
Far too close to the sun
The journey can be dangerous
But I - I keep that path under my feet
The artist is determined to stay on the path
Cause I know it's the only one
They understand that this is their only option
And we escaped from that fancy often
They have avoided temptation in the past
But they're now just distant stains
Those temptations are now far away and unimportant
There's guys in this town
Other people have made mistakes
That have fallen down
They have stumbled on their journey
And never found their feet again
They were unable to recover
They made their woman cry
Their actions hurt someone they loved
One to many times
It happened repeatedly
She's keepin' some other fellow on tonight
The woman has moved on
And when old friends come calling
The singer reconnects with their past
And we hang around for a while
They spend time together
It's not a question of falling
The artist is not tempted by their past
They're just important people in my life
Those friends still matter to the artist
They get that look in their eye
The friends become excited for a new adventure
That says let's go too far
They want to push the limits of the journey
And those tend to find my car
The artist is usually the driver
And get back to my baby's arms
The singer has someone waiting for them
And keep my eyes on that line
The singer remains focused on the journey
There's a path that stretches before her
Repetition of the opening line
And it's as fragile as it is long
Repetition of an earlier line
But I keep that path under my feet
Repetition of an earlier line
Cause I know it's the only one
Repetition of an earlier line
Yeah I - I keep that path under my feet
Repetition of an earlier line
Yeah I - I keep that path under my feet
Repetition of an earlier line
Cause I know it's the only one
Repetition of an earlier line
Contributed by Aria W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.