Vanessa's sixth studio album, Love Is An Art, releases on March 27th, 2020 through Dine Alone Records.
Vanessa's fifth studio album, Liberman, was released on October 23 2015, through Dine Alone Records. It marks her first release since signing with Dine Alone Records. The title of the album comes from an oil painting made by Carlton's late maternal grandfather, whose given surname was "Liberman".
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Vanessa Carlton first began playing the piano as a toddler, continuing on an artistic road with her attendance at the School of American Ballet in New York, a path she would eventually abandon in favor of songwriting. She re-embraced the piano and began performing in bars and clubs across Manhattan. While studying at Columbia University, Carlton was signed to Interscope Records, but made her formal debut on A&M under veteran producer Ron Fair.
Her debut album in April 2002, Be Not Nobody, resonated with audiences of all ages world-wide, especially the hit piano single “A Thousand Miles,” which reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart, #1 in Australia, and Top 10 in the UK. Carlton went on to earn 2003 Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist (“A Thousand Miles”). The album witnessed global success, reaching Gold status in over 10 countries, and Platinum status in Asian territories, such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
Her second album Harmonium (2004), which yielded the single “White Houses,” continued to inspire an increasingly loyal global fan base and garnered some the best reviews of her career.
Her record release in 2007, Heroes & Thieves “might be my first thematic record,” Carlton says, adding that the songs reveal themselves like chapters in a book, one that fans can crack open (Vanessa has often explained during her live shows that the second single from "Heroes & Thieves" entitled "Hands On Me" is the second chapter to the album). Paying homage to the area of Manhattan where most of its songs were written, the first single off of the 2007 record, appropriately dubbed “Nolita Fairytale,” is a syncopated, upbeat piece that paints a dramatic musical landscape. “ That song is really about finding joy in unexpected environments. How sometimes losing things makes you realize what you have, which is like a quasi fairytale,” says Carlton. Heroes & Thieves was recorded in the San Francisco studio of Third Eye Blind founder Stephan Jenkins and the Los Angeles studio of producer/songwriter Linda Perry.
Vanessa's fourth studio album, "Rabbits On The Run" was released on July 26th, 2011. Material for this album was produced by Steve Osborne (U2, B-52’s, KT Tunstall), and was recorded in the UK at Peter Gabriel's well-renowned Real World Studios.
Speaking with Songfacts about the lead single Carousel in a 2011 interview, Carlton explained that she wrote the song in a dream where the "da na na na na" tune was floating around.
Other facts:
Vanessa's uncle is jazz musician Larry Carlton.
In 2003, Vanessa portrayed Dusty Springfield on the television show "American Dreams" on Heartache (episode #1.14) and performed a cover of the song "Wishin' And Hopin'".
One of Vanessa's touring guitarists, Ari Ingber, (other than being credited as a group vocalist on "More Than This) is the lead vocalist/guitarist for the band The Upwelling. Ari also co-wrote the song "About to Break" from Third Eye Blind's "Ursa Major".
One of Vanessa's touring bassists, Jon Evans, (other than being credited as bassist on Heroes & Thieves and bass guitarist on Third Eye Blind's "Ursa Major") is part of the band Redfish, Bluefish and has also performed with Tori Amos.
One of Vanessa's touring guitarists, Mark Beauchemin, (other than performing with Vanessa on the song "More Than This (Campfire Take)" for the album "Songs For Tibet - The Art of Peace") used to be part of the band SR-71 and currently has his own band.
Besides having Stevie Nicks do backing vocals on her song "The One" and Stephan Jenkins (of Third Eye Blind) do backing vocals on select songs on Heroes & Thieves, Vanessa has made several contributions to works of other artists and bands including: Vocals on the song Big Yellow Taxi with Counting Crows; backing vocals on the song Moving On by Kimya Dawson; piano on the song Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime by Zucchero; vocals on the song M A K E L O V E T O M E with 7 Aurelius; co-writing 3 songs with The Matrix; Providing vocals on the various artist compilation song "Put A Little Love", created for a Gap clothing company campaign which also featured Al Green, Melissa Etheridge, Kelly Rowland, Stephan Jenkins, Ginuwine, Musiq, Heather Headley and Gavin DeGraw; Providing vocals and piano on the various artist compilation song "Love Revolution", a cover of Lenny Kravitz's song, created for a Kohl's clothing company campaign which also featured Avril Lavigne, Lenny Kravitz, Plain White T's and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; Performing live with artists/bands including a cover of Elton John's song "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" with Elton John's band, duets with Shlomo, Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra, Stevie Nicks, Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows and backing vocals on select songs with Counting Crows.
Vanessa is credited with providing piano on the track "Company" and backing vocals on "Faster" from Third Eye Blind's album "Out of the Vein".
Vanessa is also credited as being a performer on The Upwelling's debut album "An American Stranger" which Stephan Jenkins also produced.
A Thousand Miles
Vanessa Carlton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walkin' fast, faces pass and I'm homebound
Starin' blankly ahead, just making my way
Makin' a way through the crowd
And I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder
If I could fall into the sky
Do you think time would pass me by?
'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles
If I could just see you tonight
It's always times like these when I think of you
And I wonder if you ever think of me
'Cause everything's so wrong and I don't belong
Living in your precious memory
'Cause I'll need you
And I'll miss you
And now I wonder
If I could fall into the sky
Do you think time would pass me by?
Oh 'cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles
If I could just see you tonight
And I, I don't wanna let you know
I, I drown in your memory
I, I don't wanna let this go
I, I don't
Makin' my way downtown
Walkin' fast, faces pass and I'm homebound
Starin' blankly ahead, just making my way
Makin' a way through the crowd
And I still need you
And I still miss you
And now I wonder
If I could fall into the sky
Do you think time would pass us by?
'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles
If I could just see you
If I could fall into the sky
Do you think time would pass me by?
'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles
If I could just see you
If I could just hold you
Tonight
Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" is an emotional ballad about missing someone and wishing to be with them. The song starts with the singer walking downtown, surrounded by people but feeling alone and lost. She longs to be with someone, thinking of how much she misses them and wondering if they feel the same way. She wishes she could fall into the sky and be with that person. The pain of being separated from them is overwhelming and she feels like she doesn't belong without them. Despite this, she doesn't want to let go of the memories they share and still needs and misses them. She ends the song still walking through the crowd, still hoping to see that special someone.
This song is a poignant and bittersweet ode to the pain of missing someone. It expresses the universal feeling of longing for a loved one, no matter how far away or unattainable they may be. The "thousand miles" mentioned in the chorus represent the distance between the singer and the person she misses. The lyrics paint a powerful picture of loneliness and heartbreak, but also of hope and determination to keep going. The melody is upbeat and catchy, which creates an interesting contrast to the emotional lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Makin' my way downtown
I'm walking in the busy city center
Walkin' fast, faces pass and I'm homebound
I'm in a hurry, passing by many people and heading back home
Starin' blankly ahead, just making my way
I am lost in my own thoughts as I walk
Makin' a way through the crowd
I am pushing through the group of people on the street
And I need you
I feel a deep need for your presence
And I miss you
I long for you to be near me
And now I wonder
I am questioning what could happen
If I could fall into the sky
If I could escape reality and soar above everything
Do you think time would pass me by?
Would time move on without me noticing?
'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles
I would go to great lengths to see you
If I could just see you tonight
Seeing you is all that matters to me right now
It's always times like these when I think of you
In moments of loneliness, I reflect on you
And I wonder if you ever think of me
I question if you have ever thought about me like I have thought about you
'Cause everything's so wrong and I don't belong
I am struggling and feel out of place without you by my side
Living in your precious memory
I am holding onto the fond memories I shared with you
And I still need you
My need for you has not faded
And I still miss you
My yearning for you has not gone away
If I could fall into the sky
I wish I could escape reality and be close to you
Do you think time would pass us by?
If we were together, would time fly by quickly?
If I could just see you
The only thing that matters is being able to see you
If I could just hold you
The only thing that would make everything better is being able to hold you in my arms tonight
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Vanessa Carlton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind