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.
Touch
Alice Phoebe Lou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want a touch, no, it's never enough
I heard his voice then had a crush
Made me remember all the reasons were
I wanna give you all I've got
Until I'm not even a thought
You've been hangin' out in my head
I've been imaginin' you in my bed
But my imagination can only go
Only go so far, only go so far
I want the real thing, I want it bad
Want you to hold me like you never had
Can our bodies meet again
Like it's the first time, like there's no ties?
I wanna give you all I've got
Until my body begins to rot
You've been hangin' out in my head
I've been imaginin' you in my bed
But my imagination can only go
Only go so far, only go so far
I want the real thing, I want it bad
Want you to hold me like you never had
Can our bodies meet again
Like it's the first time, like there's no ties?
In Alice Phoebe Lou's song "Touch", the lyrics revolve around a deep desire for physical touch from someone the singer is deeply attracted to. Loneliness is highlighted in the opening lines, and the need for touch to fill the void of this loneliness is emphasized. The lyrics suggest an infatuation with someone whose voice the singer has heard, and it has sparked a crush that has brought to mind all the reasons why they desire touch in the first place.
As the song progresses, the lyrics grow more intense and desperate, expressing a longing for the touch to be real, not just in the singer's imagination. The desire for physical connection is so strong that it's almost as if the singer's body will begin to rot until they receive the touch they crave. The chorus repeats the idea that the imagination can only go so far, and what is needed is the real thing that the singer wants so badly. The end of the song poses a question - can their bodies meet again like it's the first time with no ties?
The song is a powerful expression of human intimacy and desire for physical touch, and the lyrics reveal the depths of loneliness that can overwhelm our lives when we are not connected with those we desire. "Touch" is a contemplative and evocative song that showcases Alice Phoebe Lou's incredible talent as a songwriter and performer.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been lonely since I woke up
I have been feeling lonely and isolated since I woke up from sleep
I want a touch, no, it's never enough
I desire physical touch from someone, but my yearning is never satisfied
I heard his voice then had a crush
When I heard his voice, I immediately developed a strong feeling of romantic attraction towards him
Made me remember all the reasons were
His voice reminded me of all the reasons why I am attracted to him
I wanna give you all I've got
I want to give my all to him
Until I'm not even a thought
I want to give him everything until I am completely consumed by our relationship - until I no longer have a separate identity or thought process
You've been hangin' out in my head
I have been constantly thinking about him
I've been imaginin' you in my bed
I have been picturing him as my sexual partner
But my imagination can only go
However, my imagination has its limits
Only go so far, only go so far
It can only take me so far before I need a real physical connection
I want the real thing, I want it bad
I crave a genuine physical relationship with him
Want you to hold me like you never had
I want him to embrace me as if he has never done so before
Can our bodies meet again
Is it possible for our physical selves to be together again?
Like it's the first time, like there's no ties?
Can we experience the excitement and passion of our first encounter, without any strings attached?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Alice Phoebe Lou, Ziv Yamin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AlicePhoebeLouMusic
I've been lonely since I woke up
I wanna touch no it's never enough
I heard his voice and had a cry
made me remember all the reasons why
I wanna give you all I've got
until I'm not even a thought
you've been hanging out in my head
I've been imagining you in my bed
but my imagination can only go
only go so far
only go so far
I want the real thing I want it bad
want you to hold me like you never have
can our bodies meet again
like it's the first time
like there's no time
I wanna give you all I've got
until my body begins to rot
you've been hanging out in my head
I've been imagining you in my bed
But my imagination can only go
only go so far
only go so far
I want the real thing I want it bad
want you to hold me like you never have
can our bodies meet again
like it's the first time
like there's no time
@AlicePhoebeLouMusic
I've been lonely since I woke up
I wanna touch no it's never enough
I heard his voice and had a cry
made me remember all the reasons why
I wanna give you all I've got
until I'm not even a thought
you've been hanging out in my head
I've been imagining you in my bed
but my imagination can only go
only go so far
only go so far
I want the real thing I want it bad
want you to hold me like you never have
can our bodies meet again
like it's the first time
like there's no time
I wanna give you all I've got
until my body begins to rot
you've been hanging out in my head
I've been imagining you in my bed
But my imagination can only go
only go so far
only go so far
I want the real thing I want it bad
want you to hold me like you never have
can our bodies meet again
like it's the first time
like there's no time
@FerchoBF
Que lindo lo que trámites!!!! 🐚🌅🌎
@stephenscoleman
Great lyrics. Stay safe 🌈
@suthe7797
Te adoro
@APB520
Would love to hear this without the band production...keep it simple luv.
@weedhopp
Fabulous
@YourMom-fz1ow
I can wait for the day I get to listen to Alice’s songs thinking about someone
@mohamedkorena
I expect to hear this all over indie movies in the next couple of years!
@thomasconboy2885
One can hope!
@paulkevorkian2685
I have listened to this song over 200 times. Absolutely beautiful