Yours & Mine

Album: Historian (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Lucy Dacus was in Europe when chaos erupted on the streets of Baltimore in April 2015 after a 25-year-old Black man named Freddie Gray died of a spinal-cord injury he received while in police custody. Dacus felt helpless as she watched footage of protests and riots on the news, wishing she could be there to join the cause against police brutality, even though she was afraid of getting caught up in the violence. So she did what she does best - she started writing a song: "Yours & Mine." It starts with the confessional refrain, "I'm afraid of pain, both yours and mine, both yours and mine."

    "It's about wanting to be present, but people telling you that it's too dangerous, or even yourself being afraid of the consequences, but knowing that you have to do it in order to feel like you are a contributing member of society," Dacus told 13th Floor in 2018.
  • In the lyrics, Dacus calls out people who turn a blind eye to the unrest as stores and houses are being set on fire: "Have you got nothing to say?" Despite her strong convictions about protesting, Dacus doesn't want anyone to listen to the song and think she's judging them for making a different choice. She said, "It's basically about my decision to protest, and, meanwhile, trying to respect the people that don't decide to do it, because I don't want to judge people for their decisions, and I don't know everyone. Everyone has their reasons for their decisions."
  • This is placed right in the middle of Historian, Dacus' sophomore album that explores themes of love and loss. The singer wanted to take listeners on an uncomfortable journey where joy and pain co-exist. "I wanted to lead people into something difficult to look at, but... you don’t want to drag people - you just want to motion them towards it," she told 13th Floor.
  • In the chorus, she sings, "We've got a long way to go before we get home, 'cause this ain't my home anymore." In a 2018 interview with Newsweek, Dacus recalled her conflicting feelings of wanting to come back home while she was in Europe during the uprising. "I felt like returning to the US wouldn't feel like coming home. I had no pride in my country," she confessed.
  • Prince was also moved by the Baltimore protests, which inspired his 2015 song "Baltimore." Soul singer Leon Bridges also included footage of the revolt in the video for his 2015 track "River."
  • This opens the 2019 series finale of Orange Is The New Black, titled "Here's Where We Get Off."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.