He Didn't Mention His Mother

Album: New View (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Friedberger in a sweetly melancholy mood, ruefully recalling an oblique encounter and its lasting effects:

    I so wanted something to happen that day
    And then what I wanted, it happened
    And that just don't always happen that way to me


    Friedberger told The Guardian regarding the song: "That was just purely something that happened. I said it, I remembered it and... that's it. It has to be based in reality, otherwise it doesn't really mean anything to me."
  • The title doesn't appear in the song, but the question remains, why didn't the titular "he" mention his mother? And should the unnamed dude have done so?

    Eleanor Friedberger explained to Mojo: "I had met someone recently, and was thinking about our interactions. I know this sounds like I'm a crazy psycho or something (laughs), but I was writing down a list of things about this person that stuck out. And one was that he didn't mention his mother. Which was neither bad or good, it was just something I noticed. Because most people do. In fact, a lot of people I meet blame a lot of things on their mother."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

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.

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.