Tristan Prettyman (born May 23, 1982) is a singer-songwriter and former Rox… Read Full Bio ↴Tristan Prettyman (born May 23, 1982) is a singer-songwriter and former Roxy model. She was born and raised in the town of Del Mar located in San Diego County, California.

Taking advantage of the town's proximity to the ocean, she began surfing at the age of 12. She competed in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) High School Division and earned fifth place in the state title while still in middle school.

At 15, she was given a cassette of Ani DiFranco's 1993 Puddle Dive by her half-brother's friend. She played the album constantly and it still has great sentimental value to her. It serves as a reminder of when her musical ambitions started to blossom.

Inspired by DiFranco's music and due in part to her nature of being a self-described "nosy kid" she entered her parents' room and began playing around with her father's old acoustic guitar. Although her parents were initially angry with her for "taking" her father's guitar, they eventually became supportive of her interest in music.

She began playing in front of friends at their homes and they encouraged her to begin writing her own material. One night, while performing for some friends, an employee of the production company The Moonshine Conspiracy, run by surf filmmaker Taylor Steele and professional surfer Chris Malloy, heard her and asked Tristan to appear in the film the company was working on at the time entitled Shelter. Tristan's song, Anything At All was chosen to be on the soundtrack.

Prettyman began playing in clubs and bars throughout San Diego County before being invited to join fellow San Diegoan, and future boyfriend, Jason Mraz on his national tour.

Prettyman spent the winter of 2004 in New York collaborating with producer Josh Deutsch who had worked with Mraz and Lenny Kravitz.

Prettyman is half-sister to Cody McClintock, an independent film producer.

She is signed to Virgin Records, and put out her first major label album Twentythree on August 2, 2005. Tristan credits her half-brother with much influence on her thinking and the title of her debut album pays partial homage to the "23 enigma". A perceptual concept which refers to the abnormally high occurrence of the number 23 in daily life as described in the book Cosmic Trigger by Robert Anton Wilson, as derived from friend and fellow author William S. Burroughs.

Twentythree peaked at 24 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart.

In 2008 Tristan released her sophomore album, entitled Hello.

November
Tristan Prettyman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Beneath the fog is a city I know too well
And it melts like ice and it burns like hell
And the freeways always stopped at 6 o'clock
So we're leaving without you whether you like it or not

And the wind blows the leaves off the trees
Another sign of spring bringing winter to its knees
And they say, the grass is greener on the other side

Well I want to know all about the darkness that lights your eyes 'cause it's...

It's breaking me down, it's breaking me down
It's breaking me down, down, down, down, down...

And the change
Is so constant over me
Take me and show me
Who I need to be

The asphalt a little bit darker and it helps you to remember when
The rain fell, in sweet November and
Be careful who you fall in love with, 'cause someone somewhere won't approve
And the prettiest girls always seem to keep their eyes on you

'Cause they're breaking you down, breaking me down
Breaking me down, down, down, down, down

So come on break me
I dare you
Break me I swear
Breakin' me down, down

So come on break me
I dare you

Break me I swear
Come on break me down, down, down...

Overall Meaning

Tristan Prettyman’s song November describes a bittersweet journey of leaving behind a city that's both familiar and painful. The lyrics "Beneath the fog is a city I know too well, and it melts like ice and it burns like hell" suggest that the city holds traumatic memories for the singer, while the "freeways always stopped at 6 o'clock" implies that the city has become stagnant and restricting. The song also touches on the fleeting nature of time, as "the wind blows the leaves off the trees, another sign of spring bringing winter to its knees." The singer wants to explore the alluring, mysterious darkness within a person's eyes and longs for clarity in her own life, as she seeks guidance, singing "Take me and show me who I need to be."

As the song progresses, we learn that the singer has a history with the city that she is leaving behind. The asphalt, darker now, reminds her of the time when the rain fell in sweet November, alluding to a time of happiness and warmth. However, she is aware of the dangers of falling in love with someone and facing judgment from society. The song also highlights the vulnerability that exists in relationships, as it takes a toll on both parties, suggesting that the situation is "breaking" them down.

Overall, November talks about an emotional journey of leaving behind painful memories, seeking clarity, and finding oneself while navigating the complexity of human relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Beneath the fog is a city I know too well
A place that haze wistfully obscures has been overly familiar to me

And it melts like ice and it burns like hell
The city gives me a burning and melting sensation alternatively

And the freeways always stopped at 6 o'clock
The roads would always halt protocol-wise at 6 pm

So we're leaving without you whether you like it or not
If you show no interest in coming along, then we'll leave without you willingly

And the wind blows the leaves off the trees
The wind removes leaves off the trees with ease

Another sign of spring bringing winter to its knees
Another indication of spring forcefully displacing winter

And they say, the grass is greener on the other side
People opine that the lawn has a richer shade on another part

Well I want to know all about the darkness that lights your eyes 'cause it's...
I'm interested in the obscurity that gives off that bright expressive gaze because...

It's breaking me down, it's breaking me down
It's emotionally discombobulating me, and it persists

And the change
A transformation that's been occurring gradually

Is so constant over me
It's always happening persistently around me

Take me and show me
Lead me and exhibit

Who I need to be
The kind of person I should emulate

The asphalt a little bit darker and it helps you to remember when
The tarmac is slightly dimmer than usual and it triggers recollection

The rain fell, in sweet November and
It rained during the lovely November

Be careful who you fall in love with, 'cause someone somewhere won't approve
Be cautious with the choice of who you love since someone somewhere might not yield approval

And the prettiest girls always seem to keep their eyes on you
The most beautiful girls tend to have their focus on you

'Cause they're breaking you down, breaking me down
They're wrecking your spirit and mine as well

Breaking me down, down, down, down, down
Deconstructing me repeatedly

So come on break me
Please, go ahead and crush me

I dare you
I challenge you to do it

Break me I swear
I'm so sure of it, kindly shatter me

Breakin' me down, down
Demolishing me again and again

So come on break me down, down, down...
Then kindly continue with the disintegration process

Contributed by Eva A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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