Waxahatchee, named after Waxahatchee Creek in Alabama where Crutchfield grew up, began in 2010 during the breakup of P.S. Eliot. Crutchfield released her first music as Waxahatchee as a split cassette with Chris Clavin on Plan-It-X Records. Her bedroom-recorded debut album, American Weekend, was released on Don Giovanni Records in 2012.
On June 11, 2012 "Be Good" was the song of the day on NPR as well as one of the best 50 songs of 2012. Her debut album, "American Weekend," was named a top album of 2012 by Dusted magazine.
Subsequent albums include Cerulean Salt (2013), Ivy Tripp (2015), Out in the Storm (2017), Saint Cloud (2020), and the upcoming Tigers Blood (out March 22, 2024)
Brother Bryan
Waxahatchee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our habits secrete to the sidewalk and street, our civic hell
And we covet the dark, share a cab to the park
And you'll let me speak of bearings undone, silver hair in the sun
We are only 30% dead and our parents go to sleep early
We destroy all of our esteem and the sunlight starts to shine through the trees
And the noise on this block keeps my mind interlocked and unfastened
My sister's eyes flood like rivers of wine in your absence
So we echo each song to which you'd sing along
A circuit hymn and we'll sing it again
And we'll smoke til our pockets are empty
A person cannot live without sleep
And you can't hold up a story so heavy
We tell it so rarely
And in this place I think about you
The spirits and veins that you run through
And in this place I think about you
The lyrics of Waxahatchee's "Brother Bryan" are a haunting depiction of loneliness, addiction, and disconnection from society. The song opens with the singer admitting to their vulnerability and lack of wellness, setting the tone for the rest of the track. The following lines about secreting habits onto the streets and coveting darkness suggest that the singer is living a life of secrecy, possibly related to substance abuse. The mention of silver hair in the sun and being only 30% dead juxtapose youth and vitality with feelings of death and decay.
The singer then laments the noise and struggle of their environment, portraying the world as a place that traps and suffocates them. The mention of a sister's absence and flooding eyes further adds to the sense of loneliness and longing for connection. The chorus of the song then uplifts the mood with a message of bonding through shared music and smoking, though the line about a heavy story hints at the underlying complexities and trauma of the singer.
In the final verse, the singer seems to find solace in thinking about someone, whose "spirits and veins" run through them, possibly indicating a personal connection or past relationship. Overall, "Brother Bryan" is a poignant and introspective take on the struggles of addiction, isolation and human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I said to you on the night that we met, "I am not well"
When I first met you, I was in a bad place emotionally and mentally and I was upfront about it
Our habits secrete to the sidewalk and street, our civic hell
Our daily routines are mundane and unfulfilling, making our lives feel like a living hell
And we covet the dark, share a cab to the park
We are drawn to the darkness and find comfort in it, often going to secluded places together
And you'll let me speak of bearings undone, silver hair in the sun
You listen to me talk about my problems and flaws, and we enjoy simple moments like silver hair shining in the sunlight
We are only 30% dead and our parents go to sleep early
We still have a lot of life remaining, but our parents are aging and go to bed early
We destroy all of our esteem and the sunlight starts to shine through the trees
We have low self-esteem and negatively impact ourselves, but sometimes the beauty of nature breaks through and brings us solace
And the noise on this block keeps my mind interlocked and unfastened
The constant noise in our environment makes it hard to think clearly and complicates things
And the struggle sheds skin, heavy breath is a deadly assassin
The difficulties we face can be exhausting and take a physical and emotional toll on us
My sister's eyes flood like rivers of wine in your absence
My sister is deeply affected by your absence and her tears seem to flow endlessly
So we echo each song to which you'd sing along
We share memories and honor you by singing the songs that remind us of you
A circuit hymn and we'll sing it again
We have a ritual of singing the same songs and keeping the memories alive
And we'll smoke til our pockets are empty
We'll continue to smoke cigarettes despite the cost and how it affects our health
A person cannot live without sleep
Sleep is essential to life and functioning
And you can't hold up a story so heavy
Some stories are hard to bear and can be overwhelming
We tell it so rarely
We don't often share these heavy stories and keep them to ourselves
And in this place I think about you
This place reminds me of you and brings back memories
The spirits and veins that you run through
You are still with me and intertwined in my life, like a part of my spirit and veins
And in this place I think about you
My mind continues to wander to you and the memories we shared here
Contributed by Ella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Wise
I don't know what this is about, but there's a heavy, poetic feel to it that I lvove.
Henry Martin
I love this
TransRoofKorean
I always thought the lyrics were "and surrogate him": in Bryan's missed absence is imagined a replacement.
Oh, "a circuit hymn"
yeah it's definitely a different upbringing