The first incarnation of what would later become the Nields came together in 1987 in McLean, Virginia, when Nerissa Nields met David Jones, a theater student, and the two of them started a band with Nerissa's sister Katryna. David changed his last name to Nields after marrying Nerissa.
1994 proved to be a watershed year for the Nields, with the band changing from a three-piece folk group to a five-piece rock band. The new members of the band were Dave Chalfant (bass), who Katryna had met in college, and Dave Hower (drums), a friend of Dave Chalfant's. Dave Chalfant also produced the band's album released that year, Bob on the Ceiling, which was named for a friend of Katryna's. This album featured a mix of the acoustic material that the Nields had previously specialized in and a more rock-oriented sound that would become their trademark. With their new sound, the Nields received critical acclaim, and quit their day jobs to become full-time musicians.
Their 1995 EP Abigail, named for Katryna and Nerissa's sister, would be the last self-released Nields album. In 1996, they released Gotta Get Over Greta on the independent Razor & Tie record label. The album was re-released in 1997 with three bonus tracks on Guardian, a division of Elektra Records. The group felt that with a major-label deal, they were on the brink of superstardom: they had a considerable grassroots following, and a mailing list that had tens of thousands of names and was growing continuously.
Unfortunately, the group suffered a number of setbacks the next year. Guardian folded, leaving them without a record label, and their tour van (nicknamed Moby) was growing increasingly unreliable. While they needed a new van urgently, their financial situation made it impossible for them to afford one. To raise money for the van, they self-released an album called Mousse (the nickname for Dave Chalfant's sister Andromache) and held a special 'Jam for the Van' concert where they debuted that album. As a result of that concert, the Nields were able to purchase a new van, which they nicknamed Nessie. They were also able to secure a new label, Zoë, a division of Rounder Records. All Nields records released since, except one, have been released on that label. Over the next three years, the Nields released two more records (Play and If You Lived Here You'd Be Home Now), and in 1999 Katryna Nields and Dave Chalfant got married, becoming the second married couple in the band after Nerissa and David Nields.
Although the band enjoyed a moderate degree of success, they remained in the red fiscally due to the high expenses they incurred (salaries for the band members, salaries for their manager, maintaining their van, lodging, etc.). Furthermore, the group was getting older, and people wanted to settle down and start families. The limits of what could been done in a 3-minute pop song also rankled some, who wanted to explore deeper themes. The combination of these factors led to the band's breakup in 2001. Their 2001 album, released that same year, was a two-disc album titled Live From Northampton. Like their 1993 album, it was recorded at the Iron Horse Music Hall, and was self-released by the band. The band ceased in 2001.
During the mid-2000s, the band occasionally performed shows, and, from 2006, went on the release a series of albums.
In the Hush Before the Heartbreak
The Nields Lyrics
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Everything is beautiful
In the hush before the heartbreak
Everything's cool
In the hush before the heartbreak
I'll be your fool
In the hush before the heartbreak
I'll do anything for you
I don't care about tomorrow
I don't care about yesterday
I don't care about your lover
I won't make her go away
I don't care about appearances
Or what my friends will say
(Let them talk all day)
In the hush before the heartbreak
I just want you to stay
You can know someone forever
And know what no one else knows
You get closer and closer
Till you are closed
You will stay this way forever
In your perfect dusky room
With the light shining from heaven
From a perfect waning moon
Like the message that you sent me
Saying "I will be home soon"
(I'll be home soon)
In the hush before the heartbreak
The lyrics to The Nields's song In the Hush Before the Heartbreak describe the moments just before a heartbreaking event, when everything seems peaceful and beautiful, yet there is an underlying sense of impending tragedy. The singer declares their unconditional devotion to their loved one, stating that they will do anything for them during this time. They disregard societal norms and expectations, emphasizing their desire for the loved one to stay with them.
The second verse speaks to the complexity and intimacy of human relationships. The singer suggests that they have a deep understanding of their loved one, which no one else can comprehend. However, the ultimate result is emotional closure, which can make one feel trapped in a room with a waning moon. The message received that the loved one will soon come home creates a sense of hopeful anticipation, but the singer knows that the heartbreak is inevitable.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet emotions of a relationship on the verge of collapsing. The singer holds on to the fleeting beauty of the present moment, while acknowledging the pain to come.
Line by Line Meaning
In the hush before the heartbreak
Right before something bad happens, there's a moment of silence where everything seems fine.
Everything is beautiful
During that moment of silence, everything looks perfect and wonderful.
Everything's cool
Even though something is about to go wrong, no one seems to notice or care.
I'll be your fool
Even if it means embarrassing myself or doing something stupid, I'll do it for you.
I'll do anything for you
No matter what you ask of me, I will do it for you.
I don't care about tomorrow
The future doesn't matter because everything seems perfect right now.
I don't care about yesterday
The past doesn't matter because everything seems perfect right now.
I don't care about your lover
I don't care that you have someone else in your life.
I won't make her go away
I won't try to get rid of the person you're with.
I don't care about appearances
I don't care what other people think of us or our relationship.
Or what my friends will say
Even if my friends disapprove of us, it doesn't matter to me.
(Let them talk all day)
They can gossip and speculate all they want, but it won't change how I feel about you.
I just want you to stay
All I want is for you to stay with me, right here in this moment.
You can know someone forever
Even if you've known someone for a long time, there are always things about them that no one else knows.
And know what no one else knows
You can have a deep, intimate connection with someone that no one else can understand.
You get closer and closer
The more you know someone, the more intimate your relationship becomes.
Till you are closed
Eventually, you become so close that you're like two halves of a whole.
You will stay this way forever
Once you reach that level of intimacy, nothing can ever change it.
In your perfect dusky room
This perfect moment is happening in a beautiful, dream-like setting.
With the light shining from heaven
There's an otherworldly quality to this moment that makes it seem magical and divine.
From a perfect waning moon
The light from the moon adds to the mystical atmosphere of the moment.
Like the message that you sent me
This moment is like a message from the universe telling me that everything is going to be okay.
Saying "I will be home soon"
This moment is a promise that things are going to work out and that we will be together.
(I'll be home soon)
This moment is a reassurance that we will be reunited and that everything will be okay.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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