Alela Diane Menig (born April 20, 1983, Nevada City, California, USA) is an… Read Full Bio ↴Alela Diane Menig (born April 20, 1983, Nevada City, California, USA) is an American singer and songwriter. She grew up singing with her musician parents and performing in the school choir. She taught herself guitar, and began writing songs which blend tense, trance-like arpeggios with warm vocals and meditative lyrics about family and nature. Her first recordings were self-released in 2003 as Forest Parade. Her first solo public appearances were at the invitation of fellow Nevada City native Joanna Newsom. She also did a stint in the Nevada City slow grass band Black Bear before continuing with her solo pursuits.

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.

Heartless Highway
Alela Diane Lyrics

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One thing loosened in the sky trailing by
Nowadays distant place [Incomprehensible] pouring change
This is a heartless highway
This is a heartless highway

So long, long gone, so long, long gone
So long, long gone, so long, long gone

Listless in the morning, I'm aloof too soon
Take me in the open, stare at these dark rooms
This is a heartless highway
This is a heartless highway

So long, long gone, so long, long gone, long gone
So long, long gone, so long, long gone

But I got to get back, I got to get back
I got to get my feet back on the ground
I got to get back, I got to get back home

Oh, I got to get back, I got to get back
I got to get my feet back on the ground
I got to get back, I got to get back home

So long, long gone, so long, long gone
So long, long gone, so long, long gone

Take me to the water
Take me to the girl

Take me, won't you take me
Before I'm good as gone?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Alela Diane's song Heartless Highway evoke a sense of distance and detachment from the world around her. The opening lines suggest that something significant has been lost or left behind, represented by "one thing loosened in the sky trailing by." The singer's surroundings are described as "distant" and constantly changing, representing the transient and impersonal nature of the world. Diane emphasizes the theme of detachment with the repetition of "so long, long gone," suggesting a sense of abandonment or neglect.

Despite the bleakness of the surroundings, there is a desire to return to a familiar and grounding place. The lines "I got to get my feet back on the ground" and "Take me, won't you take me before I'm good as gone" suggest a need for stability and connection. The final lines, "Take me to the water, take me to the girl" suggest a longing for simplicity and a return to a natural state.

Overall, Heartless Highway is a melancholy song that explores themes of detachment and longing for connection.

Line by Line Meaning

One thing loosened in the sky trailing by
Something detached and floating in the sky, gradually moving away

Nowadays distant place [Incomprehensible] pouring change
A faraway location whose identity is unknown, transforming rapidly

This is a heartless highway
The road ahead is cruel and without mercy

So long, long gone, so long, long gone
I have been absent for a significant amount of time

Listless in the morning, I'm aloof too soon
I wake up feeling unmotivated and disinterested too early

Take me in the open, stare at these dark rooms
Bring me outside where I can look at the darkness within myself

But I got to get back, I got to get back
I must return to where I was before

I got to get my feet back on the ground
I need to become grounded and stable again

I got to get back, I got to get back home
I must return to my place of comfort and familiarity

Take me to the water
Bring me to a place of cleansing and renewal