Although a visual artist by trade, he has continued to write his own music, releasing Moonflower Plastic in 1997 and Let's Welcome the Circus People in 1999. He also wrote songs for a project called Eyesinweasel which were collected on 2000's Wrinkled Thoughts. His Demos and Outtakes collection was released in the following year. Also in 2001, Sprout rejoined with Robert Pollard (of Guided by Voices) to form Airport 5, independently releasing numerous singles and 2 full length albums, Tower in the Fountain of Sparks and in 2002, Life Starts Here. In 2003, he continued writing and composing independently, this time from his home in Michigan, recording and releasing his most recent solo effort Lost Planets & Phantom Voices.
I Didn't Know
Tobin Sprout Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I, I didn't know
If you left something behind
Well I, I didn't know
I never knew
The places you knew
Understand this
See your facing
Traces fading
If you somehow slipped behind
Well I, I didn't know
Understanding ever time I
Break the spell that
You had held for me
If you had something on your mind
Well I, I didn't know
If you left something behind
Well I, I didn't know
I never knew
The places you knew
Understand this
Strange demand to
See your facing
Traces fading
The song "I Didn't Know" by Tobin Sprout has quite ambiguous lyrics that may leave listeners scratching their heads. The song is a slow-paced and melancholic piece that seems to reflect on a failed or lost relationship. The lyrics repeat "if you had something on your mind," followed by "well I, I didn't know," indicating some sort of emotional or communicative disconnection between the singer and the subject.
The notion of being out of the loop is reinforced in the following lines where Sprout sings, "I never knew the places you knew" and "traces fading." It seems like the singer is regretful of not having a better understanding of what the other person had been going through or was hoping for in the relationship. The last line of the chorus, "strange demand to see your facing," adds more to this feeling of distance and ignorance.
The verses carry similar themes, but the language used is even more obscure. The line "understand this" is almost a plea for someone to bridge the gap in understanding, while "break the spell that you had held for me" can be interpreted in different ways. Perhaps the spell refers to the illusion of security or comfort that the singer felt before the relationship fell apart, and now they need to shake it off to move on.
Overall, "I Didn't Know" has a pervasive mood of sadness and regret, but the specific circumstances of the story are left for the listener to fill in. As with many Tobin Sprout songs, the strength here is in the evocative nature of the lyrics and the dreamy instrumental accompaniment.
Line by Line Meaning
If you had something on your mind
If there was something troubling you that you wanted to share with me
Well I, I didn't know
Unfortunately, I was unaware of your inner thoughts and feelings
If you left something behind
If there was something important that you forgot or neglected
I never knew
I regret to say that I was never aware of what you left behind
The places you knew
The locations that you were familiar with and visited often
Understand this
Please attempt to comprehend my perspective
Strange demand to
It may seem peculiar that I am asking this of you
See your facing
To be in your presence once again and look at your face
Traces fading
The remnant memories of our past interactions are slowly disappearing
If you somehow slipped behind
If you fell behind or were left behind in some way
Understanding ever time I
Each time I reflect and think about our past experiences
Break the spell that
To try and break free from the hypnotic trance you had me under
You had held for me
The grip or influence that you had over me
Lyrics © BEGGARS MUSIC, LTD., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: TOBIN SPROUT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind