Former ballerinas turned songstresses, they released their self-titled debut in 2000 with Epic. The album was met with lukewarm reception, but the girls were undeterred. After moving to New York, they released Light Of The Moon with Universal in 2005, with similar luck. After leaving the label and their manager to make some serious changes, they recorded their third album with producer Roger Greenawalt and after having opened a week's worth of shows for Albert Hammond Jr. [Catherine Pierce's fiancee] in November 2006, the girls were greeted with much more enthusiastic reception and excellent press.
Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge was released in April 2007.
The Pierces recently gained even more press when they were featured on the December 5th episode of the hit TV show, "Gossip Girl".
However, despite Catherine's high-profile celebrity romance with the Strokes guitarist, Albert Hammond Jr., the increased publicity didn't translate into sales.
According to the You'll Be Mine Songfacts, the siblings were on the verge of calling it a day when a friend of theirs, Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman, offered to produce them. The result was The Pierces fourth album, You & I, their first release after signing to Polydor.
Honest Man
The Pierces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh
Oh, she's got it bad
She thinks that she could have it all
So she holding on for something more
But she still has her doubts
Oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh
I was trying hard
He knew that it was over long before he began to see the end
But still he keeps on trying, we all do what we can
Oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh
Caught a ride with an old friend
It was a bad trend and it was a bad scene
Headed down to the south folk
You know with one word but I know what you mean
He was an honest man (Oh oh, oh oh oh oh)
He was an honest man (Oh oh)
Steady as she goes
She walks a tight, tight wire high up above the ground
And everybody knows
He can't stay out forever, there's laws that will pull you down
Oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh
Caught a ride with the north wind
It was a bad trend and it was a bad scene
Headed down to the south folk
You know with one word but I know what you mean
Yes, I know just what you mean
He was an honest man on a lost highway
We all know what we can, he was going my way
Caught a ride with an old friend
It was a bad trend and it was a bad scene
Headed down to the south folk
You know with one word but I know what you mean
Yes, I know just what you mean
He was an honest man (Oh oh, oh oh oh oh)
He was an honest man (Oh oh, oh oh oh oh)
He was an honest man (Oh oh, oh oh oh oh)
He was an honest man (Oh oh)
The Pierces's "Honest Man" is a song about holding onto something that has already ended, and the difficulty of moving on. The first verse describes a woman who holds onto hope for something more even though she knows the relationship is over. The second verse shifts to a man who continues to try even though he also knows the relationship is over. The chorus repeats the phrase "He was an honest man" several times, emphasizing the sincerity and truthfulness of the character in the song.
The lyrics also explore the idea of being caught between two different directions or paths in life. The references to the south and north wind suggest a metaphorical journey towards a new direction. The line "caught a ride with an old friend, it was a bad trend and it was a bad scene" implies a regression or backward motion, while the line "he was going my way" suggests that the singer has a sense of direction or purpose in contrast to the wandering or searching of the other characters.
Overall, the song's message seems to be about holding onto hope and trying, even when it might seem futile. The use of the phrase "honest man" suggests that integrity and honesty play a crucial role in being able to move forward with life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, she's got it bad
She is deeply invested, she wants it all.
She thinks that she could have it all
She believes she can achieve anything she wants.
So she holding on for something more
She's waiting for something better, something that will fulfill her deepest desires.
She sees the writing on the wall
She is aware of the inevitable outcome, but still has hope.
But she still has her doubts
She's not entirely sure if it's worth the wait, if it's worth fighting for.
I was trying hard
I was doing my best.
He knew that it was over long before he began to see the end
He was aware that it was ending, even though he didn't want to believe it yet.
But still he keeps on trying, we all do what we can
Despite knowing the end is near, he keeps pushing forward, doing what he can to make it work.
Steady as she goes
She's consistent, moving forward carefully and without wavering.
She walks a tight, tight wire high up above the ground
She's in a precarious position, balancing everything carefully.
And everybody knows
Everyone is aware of the consequences, of the potential for failure.
He can't stay out forever, there's laws that will pull you down
He can't avoid the consequences forever, there will come a time when he will have to face them.
Caught a ride with the north wind
He went with the flow, he didn't try to resist what was happening.
It was a bad trend and it was a bad scene
The situation wasn't good, things weren't going well.
Headed down to the south folk
He was headed towards a different direction, a new path.
You know with one word but I know what you mean
You don't need to say anything, I understand what you're trying to say.
He was an honest man
He was truthful, he didn't hide anything.
(Oh oh, oh oh oh oh)
We all know what we can, he was going my way
We all do what we can, he was following my lead.
He was an honest man on a lost highway
He was truthful, even though he was on a path that seemed uncertain.
He was an honest man (Oh oh, oh oh oh oh)
He was an honest man (Oh oh)
Caught a ride with an old friend
He went with someone familiar, someone he trusted.
Yes, I know just what you mean
I understand you completely, I know exactly what you're saying.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALLISON MARGARET PIERCE, CATHERINE ELEANOR PIERCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind