He especially admired the purity of those untouched expanses after a snowfall.
“It was nice just to be able to see out across this landscape and have just kind of a spiritual awareness of how small you are,” Burkhart says. At the same time, he realized how much impact his environment was having on him.
Now nostalgic for his time on the farm, Burkhart often uses those memories to make music.
Despite an impressive repertoire — 20 albums uploaded to his Bandcamp page since 2012 — Burkhart didn’t begin writing music seriously until he was in his early 20s.
Graduating from Hempfield High School in 2007, he took a year off to figure out his next move. He attended HACC sporadically before studying social work at Millersville University, where he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
During this transitional period, Burkhart wrote music, using a microphone his brother Clark gave him. He had played piano and guitar throughout his youth, hobbies encouraged by his musically inclined parents.
“I think it was just kind of a way to find my voice and figure out a little more about who I was as a person,” Burkhart says.
While he is not on the farm anymore, his environment is still of utmost importance to how he creates.
Burkhart self-records all of his music in his Lancaster city bedroom. And he embraces what others may perceive as imperfections when they seep into his recordings.
“I love music that sounds honest,” Burkhart says. “I like when I hear a song and I can hear a door shutting or something in the background. It feels like you’re in the room with that person, and they’re sharing this with you.”
Burkhart’s music is often described as lo-fi dream pop. He often utilizes his experience from years of classical guitar lessons with Lancaster instructor Rob Perlis.
“He was very gentle and introspective and creative,” Perlis says of his student.
“When I was listening to some of his songs, I can hear a lot of those influences: classical influences, and we touched on open string voicings,” Perlis says.
Burkhart says he goes back and forth between instruments and styles when creating music.
“I have a heart for classical music and softer acoustic music, but I also enjoy putting together the full band stuff,” Burkhart says.
Burkhart began performing his music with a full band in the summer of 2015. Now, his band consists of his brother Clark Burkhart on drums and friends Anthony Galati and Derek Riley on bass and guitar, respectively.
Interest in Burkhart’s music picked up after an unknown YouTube user uploaded “Just How I Love You,” a song from his September album, “Marianne.” The video has more than 94,000 plays.
“That was wild,” Burkhart says. “I started getting emails from people in other countries too, and that just, like, that was really moving to me, that people could connect to just the stuff that I was sharing.”
Burkhart worked with U.K. label Hail Hail Records to release cassette tapes overseas. But, he’s deeply appreciative of the music community in his own backyard.
“It’s a very independent kind of community, and it’s tightknit,” Burkhart says.
Burkhart frequently works on new music, dedicating two to six hours every week to improving his craft when he’s not on the job as a case worker.
“I’ve always experienced life through the lens of music,” Burkhart says.
“So now, to be able to contribute to that world and write from a personal place and then to hear that people can relate to it — that’s something that I really value.”
tylerburkhart.bandcamp.com/
Marianne
Tyler Burkhart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You just sink there alone inside, on the stairs
Your heavy-footed gate, coming down
I still heart it
Though it's all you have
You want better things than things you left behind
It makes you sad, I bet
You want better things than things you left behind
Staring into the void of life
Marianne, I love the silent fight
In your eyes and I still see it
Though it's all you have
You want better than things you left behind
It makes you sad, I bet
You want better than things you left behind.
The lyrics to Tyler Burkhart's song "Marianne" delve into the struggles of a person who is dealing with the aftermath of leaving their past behind. The first stanza presents an image of a person sinking into their own thoughts about their past mistakes and regrets. They are heavy-footed and weighed down by the baggage they carry from their past, but despite this, the singer still hears the sounds of their footsteps coming down the stairs. The repetition of the phrase "though it's all you have" indicates that the person is struggling to move on and find better things in their life. The singer acknowledges the sadness that the person experiences as a result of the things they left behind and how they want better for themselves.
The chorus of the song reveals that the person has been living in a state of resignation for five long years, staring into the void of life. The singer expresses their admiration for Marianne's silent fight, suggesting that despite her struggles, she is still determined to find something better for herself. The repetition of "though it's all you have" in the chorus emphasizes that the person is still carrying the weight of their past with them and is struggling to move on. The song ultimately recognizes the difficulty of leaving one's past behind, but also the importance of fighting for something better.
Line by Line Meaning
And when it comes to mind
Whenever you think about it
You just sink there alone inside, on the stairs
You feel isolated and trapped in your thoughts
Your heavy-footed gate, coming down
Your footsteps sound heavy and slow
I still hear it
I can still hear your footsteps
Though it's all you have
Even though it's the only thing you possess
You want better things than things you left behind
You desire better things than what you previously had
It makes you sad, I bet
I imagine it makes you unhappy
You want better things than things you left behind
You aspire to better things than what you left in the past
Five long years resigned
You've accepted your situation for five years
Staring into the void of life
Gazing into the emptiness of existence
Marianne, I love the silent fight
I appreciate how you persevere even though it's a private struggle
In your eyes and I still see it
I can still see the determination in your eyes
Though it's all you have
Despite it being the only thing you possess
You want better than things you left behind
You desire something greater than what you had before
It makes you sad, I bet
I imagine it makes you unhappy
You want better than things you left behind
You strive for something superior to what you left in the past
Contributed by Harper J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Isadora Rodrigues
Que saudades dele... uma pena as coisas não terem dado certo novamente.
Phoenix Rosen
I miss being wanted.
It was something I didn't know I craved with every fiber of my being, and now that it's gone again I'm left stumbling on what may as well be a phantom limb.
I'll know I'll feel it again, I know I'll be just fine but I wish I could feel it now.
Marianne Domeneghetti
amei <3
Algor Mortis
A broken heart and I found Tyler Burkhart. Can't complain
;;Anxther다른
I'm In Love With This Song;)
realienation.
Hi
;;Anxther다른
hello
Tika Traub
hi
Marianne H
I love that sooong
Marianne Pastran
Tabs pls :,)