Her independent approach to her music has given the singer-songwriter a creative confidence that shines through in her captivating vocals and stripped back music. Having developed her bluesy, folk sound busking on the streets of Berlin, she has caught the ears of a community of music lovers the world over with her honest storytelling and raw, beautiful voice.
She grew up on a mountainside in South Africa listening to her parent's records and indulging her love of theatre, arts and music at a local Waldorf school; a formative time that nurtured her independence and desire to experience music of all styles. This multi-faceted creative upbringing mixed with Alice's natural wanderlust and in 2010, 16-year-old Alice made her first journey to Europe during her summer break from school. Inspired by watching fire dancers in Paris, she began to perform likewise to get enough money to fund her travelling.
That summer she roamed between Paris and Amsterdam; experiencing the highs and lows of street performances' underbelly. This vagabond lifestyle was a creative inspiration and gave her an enduring taste for the immediacy of street crowds. After returning to South Africa to complete her studies, her path led her back to Europe and she made her way to the German capital - Berlin. The freedom of the city was intoxicating and she immersed herself in the creative world there.
She began busking across Berlin with just her guitar, a small amplifier on a trolley and her mesmerising voice. Her natural talent and captivating delivery started to garner a cult street following with people coming to see her busk and buy her records. The uncompromising creative community of Berlin also helped Alice grow musically and she collaborated with acoustic, jazz and electronic musicians; including multi-instrumentalist Matteo who quickly became Alice's live performance companion. Soon she self-released her first body of work - the Momentum EP - her first collaborative effort recorded between Berlin and Cape Town with five different producers. Although by now interest was sparked with several major labels, her desire to maintain the creative freedom she had fostered kept her focus on growing her digital community of loyal fans and imagining ever more interesting settings for her intimate live shows
Now having spent two years playing intimate gigs across Europe and South Africa, and supporting established like-minded artists like Rodriguez, 2016 saw her releasing her first full length studio album. Orbit comprises nine jazz-influenced, eclectic tracks recorded between Cape Town and Berlin that encapsulate the freshness of her live style, vagabond spirit and showcase her distinctive, soprano voice. Produced by Matteo and Kyson, the album is a testament to Alice's collaborative way of writing and features musicians from South Africa and Europe lending their musical skills and different visual artists producing art works to match each track. The result is an intricately woven pattern of soul, blues and jazz: scattered with retro, beatnik melodies; soothing vocal harmonies and sleazy brass flourishes.
Grey
Alice Phoebe Lou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and unclenge your firts
I cant see you through
the mist
How did it come to this?
Whipe the tears from
inside your head
dead
Was it something I said?
Take back those words
I'm not as strong as I
look
It's my soul that you
shook
and my heart that you
took
Leave me in my misery,
hopefully I'll forget you
some day
I cant stay, I have to stop
my soul's decay
You've taken all my
dignity
It's clear to me that this
aint child's play
I'll be on my way
Before my world turns
gray
Hey, hey you, yes you
standing there
Is this is pain, would you
give me care?
Hey, hey you, yes you
with the smile
Would you take me
under your wing for a
while
The lyrics of Alice Phoebe Lou's song "Grey" are a passionate outcry of a heartbroken and emotionally exhausted person who is hoping to move on from the pain inflicted upon them by someone they once cared about deeply. In the first stanza, the singer urges their former lover to calm down and let go of their anger, so they can communicate more clearly. The singer is overwhelmed by the mist, which can be seen as a metaphor for the confusion and uncertainty they feel in the relationship.
In the second stanza, the singer perceives the look in their former lover's eyes as one of hopelessness and despair. They wonder if something they said caused this reaction or if it is a result of the general emotional turmoil of the relationship. The singer also asks their former lover to take back their words, as they are not as strong as they appear. It is not their physical strength but their emotional resilience that has been tested.
In the third stanza, the singer acknowledges that their former lover has taken away their dignity and that the pain is not something to be taken lightly. They decide to leave and hope to forget the person someday, as they cannot bear to stay and let their soul decay. Finally, the singer addresses a passerby, possibly a stranger, and asks for their help and care. They seek comfort and protection from someone new, someone who will take them under their wing and provide them with the support they need to heal.
Overall, the lyrics of the song "Grey" convey intense emotions of anger, sadness, and despair. The singer seeks relief from their pain and suffering and looks to a stranger for comfort and care.
Line by Line Meaning
Calm the fuck down
and unclenge your firts
I cant see you through
the mist
How did it come to this?
Please calm down and release your tight fists. I can't see you clearly through the confusion of our past. How did our relationship come to this point?
Whipe the tears from
inside your head
your eyes are looking
dead
Was it something I said?
Wipe the imaginary tears from your mind because your eyes have lost their spark. Was it something I did or said that caused this distance between us?
Take back those words
I'm not as strong as I
look
It's my soul that you
shook
and my heart that you
took
Please take back the hurtful words you said. I may seem strong on the outside, but inside, you really shook my soul and took a piece of my heart.
Leave me in my misery,
hopefully I'll forget you
some day
I cant stay, I have to stop
my soul's decay
Let me be in my sadness because I hope one day that I can forget you. I can't let myself continue down this path of heartbreak and misery.
You've taken all my
dignity
It's clear to me that this
aint child's play
I'll be on my way
Before my world turns
gray
You've robbed me of my pride and respect. I understand that this is not a game, but real life. I have to leave before my world completely falls apart.
Hey, hey you, yes you
standing there
Is this is pain, would you
give me care?
Hey, hey you, yes you
with the smile
Would you take me
under your wing for a
while
Hello, to the person standing there. Do you understand the pain I am going through? Can you show me some kindness? Hello, to the person with the smile. Could you offer me some support during this difficult time?
Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gabs Pasten
Calm the fuck down
and unclenge your fist
I cant see you through the mist
How did it come to this?
Whipe the tears from inside your head
your eyes are looking dead
Was it something i said?
Take back those words Im not as strong as I look
its my soul that you shook
and my heart that you took
Leave me in my misery,
hopefully i'll forget you some day
I cant stay, I have to stop my soul's decay
You've taken all my dignity
its clear to me that this aint child's play
I'll be on my way
Before my world turns gray
Hey, hey you, yes you standing there
Is this is pain, would you give me care?
Hey, hey you, yes you with the smile
Would you take me under your wing for a while?
@juangregori1606
LYRICS:
Calm the fuck down
And unclench your fists
I can't see you through the mist
How did it come to this?
Wipe the tears
From inside your head
Your eyes are looking dead
Was it something I said?
Take back those words
I'm not as strong as I look
It's my soul that you shook
And my heart that you took
Leave me in my misery
Hopefully I'll forget you someday
I can't stay
I have to stop my soul's decay
You've taken all my dignity
It's clear to me that this ain't child's play
I'll be on my way
Before my world turns grey
Hey! Hey you!
Yes, you standing there
Is this fair?
Or would you give me care
Hey! Hey you!
Yes, you with the smile
Would you take me under your wing
For a while?
Hey! Hey you!
Yes, you standing there
Is this fair?
Or would you give me care
Hey! Hey you!
Yes, you with the smile
Would you take me under your wing
For a while?
@keithpurtell1213
Holy smoke, her aesthetics are ... beautiful. So glad she avoided the conventional path. What a gift.
@aaronarrow3620
Alice Phoebe Lou ist so different, real authentic, experimental, ... Alice Phoebe Lou is Alice Phoebe Lou! She never copy a style and no one can copy she!
@yammyxoxesfan3113
Agreed.
@Stereofox
Glad you like it! Check out this playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7tQ0OLQRj1EXwTsszg1BZr?si=59b124f3d3c44f6e ;)
@ahzaashley3643
Her vulnerability, her sound, her vibes.. it makes me feel fragile, sad, yet I enjoy it so much. I am having goosebump, singing along.. you're so beautiful Alice.
@HeartYukitty
"Take back those words, im not as strong as I look" sums up my life perfectly
@studiocelestedesign
Aside from the gorgeousness that is the music and the musicians, who is the one filming? This is a masterful light capture and film quality. Bravo.
@Stereofox
It's our crew, we were 3 people on set that day! Sadly we didn't record much videos back then as it was tough time and financially but we an still put you in touch with the camera guy/producer
@jppoulin7807
Such a masterpiece, I’ll be forever in love with this song