The songs for her album, 'The Pirate’s Gospel', were written on a trip to Europe. They were recorded in her father’s studio and were initially self-released in 2004, in paper and lace sleeves with hand lettering. The album was issued in revised form by Holocene Music in October 2006, and received widespread critical acclaim.
A new song, "Dry Grass and Shadows", was issued on a compilation of Nevada City artists, and five more new songs were issued on a limited-edition 10" vinyl pressing, Songs Whistled Through White Teeth, released in the UK in October 2006. The Pirate's Gospel was released in the UK on Names Records in April 2007, garnering favorable reviews in The Times and NME.
Alela Diane has toured in the USA both solo and with Tom Brosseau, and has also opened for the Decemberists, Akron/Family and Vashti Bunyan. She performed in the UK in April and August 2007. According to a relatively recent interview, her second album is to be expected shortly. She now lives in Nevada City, California.
She toured Europe (UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany) in March, April and May 2008.
Hazel Street
Alela Diane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When i knocked upon the door
That august afternoon
Through the kitchen, down the stairs
I found you waiting there
Your hair had grown
On Hazel street, On Hazel street
Colored blankets for your walls
A dirty bed upon the floor
You were not mine
Then the girl called down to you
I had a feeling that she knew
I'd be the one to see you through
On Hazel street, On Hazel street
Late that night behind the bar
We surely knew how to play the part
Of lovers, it was nothing new
I woke up drunk on that basement floor
And then you asked how i would read the score
If you asked me to marry you
On Hazel street, On Hazel street
I headed south on the highway 5
My head was pounding, I was bleary eyed
That august afternoon
You went and broke the young girl's heart
You said we'd have a brand new start
I'd be the one to see through
The song Hazel Street by Alela Diane tells a story of a woman visiting her lover in his basement on Hazel Street. As she navigates through the kitchen and down the stairs, she finds him waiting for her. The mention of his hair having grown could be interpreted in a few different ways; it could be a telling detail about his character, perhaps suggesting that he's let himself go, or that he's retreated from society. When the girl calls down to him, the singer feels like she knows that she's the one who will help see him through his troubles. Later that night, they pretend to be lovers, but by morning, he's asking her if she'd marry him. She leaves him that day, heading down Highway 5 with a pounding head and bleary eyes.
Overall, the song seems to be about a relationship that never quite works out. While the two people seem to have a connection, there are many challenges facing them, particularly the man's reluctance to engage with the world outside his basement on Hazel Street. The woman sees something in him that others don't, and there's a sense of sadness or regret in the fact that she eventually decides to leave him behind.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it's a metaphor for addiction. The man could represent someone struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues, and Hazel Street symbolizes a place of refuge or escape from the outside world. The woman visiting him could be seen as a representation of hope or support, but ultimately, she is unable to fix the problems he's facing.
Line by Line Meaning
She said you were in the basement
The singer was informed that the person she was looking for was in the basement of the house.
When i knocked upon the door
The singer knocked on the door, presumably to get inside the house.
That august afternoon
The specific time period when the singer went looking for the person in the basement.
Through the kitchen, down the stairs
The path the artist took to find the person, which involved going through the kitchen and down the stairs to the basement.
I found you waiting there
The person the artist was looking for was there in the basement.
Your hair had grown
The person's appearance had changed in some way, specifically their hair had grown.
On Hazel street, On Hazel street
The location where the events in the song took place, which is on Hazel street.
Colored blankets for your walls
The person's living conditions involved having colored blankets for walls inside the basement.
A dirty bed upon the floor
The living conditions the person was in included a dirty bed on the floor.
You were not mine
The person was not in a romantic relationship with the artist.
Then the girl called down to you
Another person, specifically a girl, called down to the person in the basement.
I had a feeling that she knew
The artist had a suspicion that the girl knew something or had some connection to the person in the basement.
I'd be the one to see you through
The singer believed that she would be able to help the person and be with them through whatever difficulties they faced.
Late that night behind the bar
The singer and the person she was looking for were together behind a bar sometime later that night.
We surely knew how to play the part
The singer and the person were able to successfully pretend to be in a romantic relationship when they were behind the bar.
Of lovers, it was nothing new
Pretending to be in a romantic relationship was not a new experience for the artist and the person.
I woke up drunk on that basement floor
The artist woke up feeling drunk on the floor of the basement where the person was living.
And then you asked how i would read the score
The person asked the singer how she would react or respond to a particular situation.
If you asked me to marry you
The hypothetical situation that the person was asking about was related to marriage.
I headed south on the highway 5
The artist traveled south on Highway 5 as she left the location where the person was living.
My head was pounding, I was bleary eyed
The artist was feeling unwell, possibly due to being drunk or emotional.
You went and broke the young girl's heart
The person did something that caused emotional pain to the young girl who called down to him in the basement earlier.
You said we'd have a brand new start
The person made a promise or suggestion that they would be able to start fresh.
I'd be the one to see through
The artist believed that she would be able to see through any positive or negative change that the person promised or suggested.
Writer(s): Alela Diane Copyright: Emi Music Publishing Ltd.
Contributed by Grace W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheSebP
this will soon be huge, would like to say I found it early!
@Anhorish
It is brilliant, as is she.
@dumena
Well, time has proved you wrong. Global consensus of the past seven years having gone erratic like it did, I'd be the last to blame you. I'd love to wake up in a November of 2020 in which Alela Diane is well known and people buy CDs instead of listening to you tube for free. Maybe we all can build a November of 2027 that feels a bit like that?