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.
Nebraska
The Nields Lyrics
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Left New York for California sky
Dad had gone, it was Mom and me
In our Chevrolet, two-part harmony
The car broke down west of Omaha
We settled down, Mom got a job
Oh, Nebraska
Oh, Nebraska
Oh, Nebraska
Oh, Nebraska
Don't feel sorry for me
I fell in love in the usual way
With a flat-eyed boy on his flatbed truck
When the baby was born, he sent a card that said Good Luck
And some flowers; I live with Mom upstairs
And our best friend Kate who never goes anywhere
Chorus
I work the graveyard shift at a restaurant
Somewhere out on 281
A stranger came into the place
And said she saw a sunset in my face
Chorus
The Nields's song Nebraska tells a story of a young girl and her mother who left New York and headed towards California. However, their journey ends up in Nebraska when their Chevrolet breaks down west of Omaha. The mother finds a job and the girl falls in love with a flat-eyed boy. When the baby arrives, the boy sends a card wishing her good luck and some flowers. The girl lives with her mother and their friend Kate, who never seems to go anywhere. The girl works the graveyard shift at a restaurant on Highway 281 where a stranger enters and compliments her on her face, saying she saw a sunset in it.
The song explores themes of love, hardship, and resilience. The young girl and her mother may have had a rough start, but they eventually found their footing in Nebraska. It highlights the importance of cherishing those closest to us and finding joy in the small things. The stranger who compliments the girl’s face at the end is a reminder that we never know who we will meet and touch our lives as we go through life’s journey.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was twelve, my mom and I
At the age of twelve, my mother and I moved from New York to California.
Left New York for California sky
We left New York to enjoy the California sky.
Dad had gone, it was Mom and me
My dad had left, and so, I was with my mom only.
In our Chevrolet, two-part harmony
We were in our Chevrolet car and singing in harmony together.
The car broke down west of Omaha
Unfortunately, our car broke down west of Omaha.
We settled down, Mom got a job
We stayed there, and my mother found a job.
Oh, Nebraska
Oh, Nebraska, the place where we got stuck.
Don't feel sorry for me
Please don't pity my situation.
I fell in love in the usual way
I fell in love like any other person would.
With a flat-eyed boy on his flatbed truck
I fell in love with a boy who drove a flatbed truck.
When the baby was born, he sent a card that said Good Luck
When we had a baby, he sent us a card wishing us good luck.
And some flowers; I live with Mom upstairs
He also sent flowers, but now I live with my mother upstairs.
And our best friend Kate who never goes anywhere
Our best friend Kate is always with us and never leaves.
I work the graveyard shift at a restaurant
I work at a restaurant during the graveyard shift.
Somewhere out on 281
The restaurant is located somewhere on 281.
A stranger came into the place
One day, a stranger came into the restaurant.
And said she saw a sunset in my face
She complimented me by saying she saw the beauty of a sunset on my face.
Oh, Nebraska
Oh, Nebraska, the place where we have made our home.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID NIELDS, NERISSA FRANKLIN NIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind