Raised in Burlington, Vermont, Thibaud moved to Boston in 1987 to master his craft and pursue his dream. "When I first got there, the music scene was mostly alternative rock and more hardcore stuff. I would get mislabeled as a 'Country Act', but by the 1990's it diversified and there was room for more rootsy Americana stuff."
Todd's songs are a slice of what life is really like...the pains and pleasures, love lost and life reborn. Thibaud recorded two critically lauded albums for Doolittle Records, 1998's Favorite Waste of Time (produced by Bostonian musician Kevin Salem) and 1999's Little Mystery. Using songwriters like Elvis Costello, Neil Finn, and John Hiatt for inspiration, Thibaud built a sound that is entirely his own.
Little Mystery
Todd Thibaud Lyrics
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Like that church down the street, hey, she's got a little history
And she's been through this town like the plague
When she goes dow St. Stephen's, there's nothing in her way, but
She's already gone too far to think about what it used to be, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She says there ain't no secrets in this town, I just need a little mystery, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She takes her boy by the hand, yeah, says, "tell me what you want to be"
He said, "I'll do what I can, hey, but is it really up to me?"
She's already gone too far to think about what it used to be, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She says there ain't no secrets in my life, I just need a little mystery, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
And the only undeniable fear is the passing of another year
And while she prays to be reborn, she paints her eyes the color of a storm
There's nothing else left to do, hey, but try to make the best of it
And the crazy truth of it all, it's a great reminder, there's nowhere left to fall, and
She's already gone too far to think about what it used to be, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She says there ain't no secrets in this town, I just need a little mystery, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She says, "say a prayer for innocence because I let it get away from me," oh, yeah, oh, yeah
But there ain't no secrets in my life, I just need a little mystery, oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
Little mystery, little mystery
The lyrics to Todd Thibaud's song Little Mystery are about a woman who, though she appears to have everything together, has a hidden past that she seeks to keep hidden. She is described as going along like a dream and being everything that people want to see. However, like the church down the street, she has a little history. The woman has been through the town like the plague and is known for her past. When she goes to St. Stephen's, nothing stands in her way, but she is already too far gone to think about what it used to be. She says that there are no secrets in her town and that she just needs a little mystery.
The woman takes her boy by the hand and asks him what he wants to be. He replies that he'll do what he can, but is it really up to him? There is nothing in between the perfect life of a queen and the dirty language. She is already too far gone to think about what it used to be, and the passing of another year is her only undeniable fear. The woman paints her eyes the color of the storm and prays to be reborn. She says that she needs a little mystery in her life and that there are no secrets.
The song is about wanting to keep secrets hidden and how people need mystery in their lives. The woman is trying to find a balance between her past and her present, and she is struggling to keep secrets hidden. Thibaud is asking whether or not a person needs secrets in their life, and if they do, how much of a mystery is too much.
Line by Line Meaning
She goes along like a dream, yeah, she's everything you want to see, but
She appears perfect and flawless on the surface, but
Like that church down the street, hey, she's got a little history
Her past is not spotless, just like every other entity, there is a history behind her
And she's been through this town like the plague
She has been around the town as long as anyone could recall
When she goes dow St. Stephen's, there's nothing in her way, but
She navigates through the town with ease despite being known in the locality
She's already gone too far to think about what it used to be, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She is beyond pondering about her previous life and the person she used to be
She says there ain't no secrets in this town, I just need a little mystery, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She admits that she cannot keep anything secret in the town but still desires some undisclosed aspects of her life
She takes her boy by the hand, yeah, says, "tell me what you want to be"
She asks her son what he wants to be in the future
He said, "I'll do what I can, hey, but is it really up to me?"
He responds that he will give his best but questions if he has complete control over his future
From the perfect life of a queen to the dirty language, there's nothing in between, but
The people in the town fall into the two extremes of a prim and proper life and being foul-mouthed, with no middle ground
And the only undeniable fear is the passing of another year
The inescapable reality everyone faces is the fear of getting older with each fleeting year
And while she prays to be reborn, she paints her eyes the color of a storm
She yearns for a new beginning while embracing the uncertainty and volatility that comes with it
There's nothing else left to do, hey, but try to make the best of it
She has come to terms that she can do nothing but try her best with the hand she is dealt
And the crazy truth of it all, it's a great reminder, there's nowhere left to fall, and
The absurd reality is that there's nowhere worse that she could experience, and this is a comfort
She says, "say a prayer for innocence because I let it get away from me," oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She concedes that she has lost her purity but requests that others ask for her absolution anyway
But there ain't no secrets in my life, I just need a little mystery, oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
She reiterates that she can't keep any secrets in her life but requires some ambiguity
Little mystery, little mystery
She repeats the desire for a little mystery in her life.
Contributed by Kaitlyn I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.