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.
The Wind
Alela Diane Lyrics
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Put it in an envelope, post it to L.A.
'Cause I'm on the wind, I can't go back
I am a dream on the wind
The organ cried out in the night
A phantom song of notes in time
It is I, pounding out the chords
Cause I'm on the wind, I can't go back
I am a dream on a wind
Too late darling, it was too late
Too late mama, I've gone to the sky
How can we learn, learn to lose
How can we learn, learn to lose
Death is a hard act to follow, ooh
Death is a hard act to follow
Now I give grace to you and yours
From this bright new home of silver moon
Sweet sister, I am with you forever more
La, la la, la la, la, la
La, la la, la la, la, la
In Alela Diane's song "The Wind," the lyrics speak of a woman on an island, who is asked to send light to the singer in Los Angeles through an envelope. The singer is on the wind, and as much as she wants to go back, she cannot. The lyrics describe how she is a dream on the wind, which conveys the idea of her being unable to settle down and grounded in one place. The organ crying out in the night reinforces the sense of longing and loneliness that the singer is experiencing, while the phantom song of notes represents the fleeting and transient nature of dreams. The unknown stillness also reinforces the uncertainty and sense of displacement that the singer is feeling.
The chorus repeats the phrase "cause I'm on the wind, I can't go back, I am a dream on the wind." This repetition reinforces the idea that the singer is unable to go back and is destined to continue moving forward. The singer mourns the fact that it is too late to turn back, and that she has gone to the sky, conveying a sense of finality and an unchangeable fate. The lyrics also speak of the difficulties of learning to lose, implying that the singer has lost something significant or is experiencing the emotional pain of loss. The line "death is a hard act to follow" further emphasises the finality and permanence of loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman of the island, please send me light
Requesting help from someone on the island to send light to fight the darkness that surrounds her
Put it in an envelope, post it to L.A.
Requesting to send the light to Los Angeles via letter or mail
'Cause I'm on the wind, I can't go back
Unable to revisit or fix the past because the wind only moves forward
I am a dream on the wind
She is a mere vision on the wind; dreamlike and fleeting
The organ cried out in the night
The sound of the organ's music seems to be screaming in the darkness
A phantom song of notes in time
A tune lost in time, a melody with no owner
It is I, pounding out the chords
Her pain and grief is translated to the music she is creating
From the still, of the unknown
Creating music from the unknowns that are within her
Too late darling, it was too late
It is too late for the person that the artist is addressing
Too late mama, I've gone to the sky
The singer has passed on and her mother was unable to stop her
How can we learn, learn to lose
The artist is questioning how to learn from the losses that we face in life
Death is a hard act to follow, ooh
Death is hard to accept and difficult to move on from
Now I give grace to you and yours
She hopes to offer her love and condolences to the people who matter to her
From this bright new home of silver moon
The artist has found peace in the afterlife, symbolized as a bright new home
Sweet sister, I am with you forever more
The artist is communicating with her loved ones left behind, promising to be with them forever
La, la la, la la, la, la
A melody sung after sharing an emotional message
La, la la, la la, la, la
A melody sung after sharing an emotional message
Writer(s): Alela Diane Copyright: Emi Music Publishing Ltd.
Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.