Ali Eskandarian’s transnational upbringing makes him a prescient voice for … Read Full Bio ↴Ali Eskandarian’s transnational upbringing makes him a prescient voice for our era. The Iranian-American troubadour draws upon influences as discrete as American folk, rock and traditional Persian music to craft songs about love, travel, politics and loneliness. The results have earned him comparisons to greats like Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley. Ali was born in Pensacola, FL, on September 11, 1978, to a father who was an officer in the Iranian Air Force. Growing up in Tehran, Iran during the Iranian Revolution, Ali found strength in music. “I was always around music,” he explains. “It’s hard to find an Iranian party without dancing and singing. The Islamic revolution has not been successful in trying to stop people from having a good time.” After the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, the family was granted political asylum in Germany. After two years, they relocated to Dallas, Texas, where Ali experienced an arts-filled adolescence. After attending college in Plano, Ali moved to New York in 2003 to pursue his dream. He said, “I eventually realized how much music meant to me and that I could be a musician.” Buzz has built around Ali’s live performances, which include shows at the Living Room, the Rockwood Music Hall and a summer residency at Washington, D.C.’s the Red and the Black. Ali’s highly anticipated debut album, Nothing to Say, is slated for a March release on Wildflower Records. Produced by Rob Friedman, whose work was featured on Dan Zane’s Grammy-winning album Catch That Train!, Nothing to Say exhibits diverse sources of musical inspiration. Standout track “Memphis” is motivated by the Americana of Willie Nelson, telling the story of a wanderer who is persistently drawn back to this mystical American city. Meanwhile, “Eastern Fancy” reveals the Persian influence of singers like Farhad and Dariush, with Ali’s powerfully austere voice front and center against an acoustic guitar background. Ali’s intensely personal blend of East and West is an adventurous, politically compelling addition to the musical landscape of 2008.

Heather
ALI ESKANDARIAN Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Your mother left you when you were a baby
Oh your father, you ignored me
Never did surrender to your heart darling
Even though he was much older and wiser
You never thought a blink of an eye could do damage to you
You never did, never careful enough to go hiding away

No I don′t talk about you enough

No I don't talk about the one no more
No more
No I don′t talk about your mother
No I don't talk about your father no more
No more

Yeah can human bless the surrounded everybody
You never care
You never careful enough
You go hidding
Hidding away
Oh Heather

Heather, Heather, Heather, Heather
Heather, Heather, Heather, Heather

Overall Meaning

In ALI ESKANDARIAN's song "Heather," the lyrics seem to describe a person who has a troubled past with their family. The opening lines suggest that the person's mother left when they were a baby, and their father didn't seem to care much either. The singer references that this person never surrendered to their heart, probably meaning that they never let themselves become vulnerable.

The third line seems to be directed at the father, saying that he was older and wiser but still didn't try to connect with his child. Despite this, the person never thought anything could harm them, and they were not careful enough to hide away from whatever danger was coming towards them.

Towards the end, it seems that the singer is speaking directly to "Heather" and saying that they don't talk about her or her father anymore. The ending chants her name over and over, possibly representing the unresolved emotions tied to this person.

Overall, the lyrics of "Heather" seem to delve into the complexity of familial relationships and how they can shape a person's life. The song highlights that even though family members should care for one another, sometimes they are incapable of doing so, leading to a lifetime of hurt in a child's life.

Line by Line Meaning

Your mother left you when you were a baby
You were abandoned by your mother at a very young age.

Oh your father, you ignored me
You didn't pay attention to me and my feelings, just like how you ignored your father.

Never did surrender to your heart darling
You never fully let yourself feel and express your emotions.

Even though he was much older and wiser
Even though your father was older and had more life experience than you, you still didn't listen to his advice.

You never thought a blink of an eye could do damage to you
You didn't realize how small actions, like a blink of an eye, could have a negative impact on you.

You never did, never careful enough to go hiding away
You were never careful enough with your actions to avoid needing to hide away from the consequences.

No I don't talk about you enough
I don't mention you as much as I should.

No I don't talk about the one no more
I don't talk about the person who used to be important to me anymore.

No more
I'm not going to talk about it anymore.

No I don't talk about your mother
I don't talk about your mother, who left you when you were little.

No I don't talk about your father no more
I don't talk about your father anymore, whom you ignored.

Yeah can human bless the surrounded everybody
It's possible for a person to be a blessing to those around them.

You never care
You don't care enough about others.

You never careful enough
You're not cautious enough with your actions.

You go hidding
You tend to retreat and hide away from problems.

Hidding away
You consistently hide away from your problems.

Oh Heather
Oh Heather, the person this song is likely written about.

Heather, Heather, Heather, Heather
Repeatedly mentioning Heather's name in the song, emphasizing the significance of this person.