Currently based in Brooklyn, NY, USA, van Etten débuted with single Much More Than That (2007, Abaton Book Company). Her album Are We There was released on 14 May 2014 on Jagjaguwar).
van Etten moved to Tennessee to attend Middle Tennessee State University, where she discovered a variety of influential music. After moving back home to New Jersey, she was encouraged by Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio to pursue a career in music.
van Etten undertook her first UK tour with Meg Baird in Jan 2008. She toured with Great Lake Swimmers on their European tour in May 2009, kicking it off with a show in London with Beirut and Shearwater. She again toured with them in September/October 2009.
On May 26th, 2009, she released her "Because I Was in Love" single on 12" vinyl, CD and MP3 on Language of Stone.
She was the first artist to record in 2010 for the Weathervane Music's Shaking Through video series.
On September 21, 2010, her sophomore album, "Epic" was released on Ba Da Bing. The powerful 7-track album featured much more instrumentation than her first, primarily-acoustic affair. The evolution of her sound proved that she is much more than a traditional folk singer-songwriter.
The release of Epic coincided with a difficult break-up of a relationship. She busied herself with touring for the record, but when the singer completed her schedule a year later, she found herself homeless in New York. After a period of sleeping on friends' couches, recovering from her heavy touring schedule, she hooked up the National's guitarist Aaron Dessner to record her third album, Tramp, which was released on February 7th, 2012.
May 2014 brought about the release of Van Etten's fourth record, Are We There, on Jagjaguwar. Van Etten self-produced the record with Stewart Lerman, with the guidance of bandmate and manager Zeke Hutchins. Most of the recording was done at Hobo Sound Studios in Weehawken, New Jersey, with piano tracks being recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The record features musicians Zeke Hutchins, Doug Keith, Heather Woods Broderick, Dave Hartley, Adam Granduciel, Marisa Anderson, Stuart D. Bogie, Mickey Free, Mary Lattimore, Little Isidor, Jacob Morris, Torres' Mackenzie Scott, Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg, Lower Dens' Jana Hunter, and Efterklang touring member Peter Broderick.
In 2015, the EP I Don't Want to Let You Down was released on Jagjaguwar. It is composed of the songs that did not make it onto Are We There.
On October 2, 2018, Van Etten released a new track entitled "Comeback Kid" and announced her next album Remind Me Tomorrow, which was released on January 18, 2019. On February 28, 2019, Van Etten appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to perform the single "Seventeen".
Sites: MySpace
Peace Signs
Sharon Van Etten Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was somewhat afraid I was something
Peace Signs
I told you I could no longer see
I was right in the fire I was on my knees
Peace Signs
Take it back I felt no longer used
I had nothing to do I was so you
Peace sign I was already you
Peace sign I was already you
No lie I was no longer wrong
I had questions in mind why you were strong
Hit back it was already too
Hit back it was already soon
Hit back it was already too...
I still dream that I think of you
In the calm of the night and I don't know what to do
Peace Signs
When I woke up I was already me
And I am not afraid I am something
Peace Signs
The opening lines of Sharon Van Etten's song, Peace Signs, provide a sense of dissociation and fear as she wakes up to find that she is already herself, indicating that she had lost a sense of herself and her identity. She then proceeds to mention "Peace Signs" which seem to act as a metaphorical representation of her desire to find peace in her own life, despite feeling overwhelmed or lost. The repetition of the phrase throughout the song could also represent a way for her to convince herself that she is on the right path, that she is already at peace or that she needs to keep searching for peace.
The second stanza delves deeper into the concept of identity as she mentions being "on my knees" which can be interpreted as feeling helpless or hopeless. The phrase "I was already you" indicates that she may have been trying to please or become someone else's idea of who she should be. However, the repeated refrain of "Peace Signs" throughout the song suggests that despite feeling lost or trapped, Sharon is continually striving for inner peace.
The final stanza is a reflection of how Sharon is finding peace within herself; she is no longer afraid and is content with who she is. The song is a journey from fear and despair to acceptance and inner peace as she realizes that the "Peace Signs" were always within her.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up I was already me
I realized that I am who I am as soon as I opened my eyes.
I was somewhat afraid I was something
I had a fear that I was someone else than what I thought I was.
Peace Signs
A sign of peace to all chaos in the world.
I told you I could no longer see
I informed you that I no longer had the ability to see things as they were.
I was right in the fire I was on my knees
I was trapped in a difficult situation and begging for help.
Take it back I felt no longer used
I pleaded for someone to take back what they said or did to me, as I felt worthless.
I had nothing to do I was so you
I had nothing going on in my life, I was just living for someone else.
Peace sign I was already you
I had become so much like you that I was almost indistinguishable.
No lie I was no longer wrong
I spoke the truth and no longer felt like I was at fault.
I had questions in mind why you were strong
I was curious as to why you had such a strong hold on me and my thoughts.
Hit back it was already too
I tried to retaliate, but it was already too late to make a difference.
Hit back it was already soon
I wanted to fight back, and it would be happening soon.
I still dream that I think of you
Even in my dreams, I am still consumed with thoughts of you.
In the calm of the night and I don't know what to do
During the peaceful night, I am unsure of what action to take.
And I am not afraid I am something
I am no longer afraid and I know that I am someone.
Peace Signs
A sign of peace to all chaos in the world.
Contributed by Riley R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Anika says "hi"
on A Crime
Sharon, if you ever read this ... thank you.