Allison Crowe began performing professionally in 1996, at age 15, doing regular sets in the coffee-houses and bars of Vancouver Island. She began touring internationally in 2001. The artist settled in Canada's Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador at the end of 2005.
"I love singing for people," says Crowe. "It's a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don't take one second for granted."
Today, Crowe's reach is global. The audience for her music videos and song downloads numbers more millions each year.
"Allison Crowe has a voice to fall in love with," says UK music industry journal Record of the Day. "She is from Vancouver Island in Canada, descended from Scottish, Irish and Manx stock. She's exactly the sort of artist who can make serious headway on her own label and that's just what she's doing."
With Ani DiFranco as a model of integrity, Crowe created her own label. Since 2001, Rubenesque Records Ltd has released a series of critically and commercially successful albums: Lisa's Song, Secrets, Tidings, Live at Wood Hall, This Little Bird, Little Light, Spiral, Tidings Concert, Newfoundland Vinyl, Heavy Graces, Songbook, Souling, Newfoundland Vinyl II, Songbook, Souling, Newfoundland Vinyl 3, and Introducing / Heirs + Grievances.
Through recording and touring Allison Crowe has achieved broad popularity, featured by BBC Radio, MOJO magazine and acclaimed Hollywood director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch). In 2013, Allison Crowe appears in "Man of Steel" - an epic science fiction movie adventure featuring Superman. In this blockbuster film, Crowe cameos as a singer/musician in Cassidy's Bar where Clark Kent is working incognito. She performs "Ring of Fire", a song penned by June Carter and Merle Kilgore and made legendary by 'The Man in Black'. “I’m a big Johnny Cash fan. And I’m a big Allison Crowe fan. So the combination to me seemed like an awesome opportunity if we could make it happen,” explains MoS Director Zack Snyder.
"The first thing you notice about Allison Crowe is her voice. Rich and dark, it seems to come from a place most singers can only dream of accessing. Then there are the songs. Filled with raw passion and accompanied by Crowe's eloquent piano playing," writes Clodagh O'Connell (The Courier). Hers is a joyous sound: "Elton John meets Edith Piaf."
A sensation at the UK's John Lennon Northern Lights Festival, "Canadian angel Alison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments," says The Scotsman newspaper. Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Crowe as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", noting her performance "put hairs on the back of your neck! She brought the house down."
"Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don't fret the missed opportunity. There's no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe," says Robert Reid in The Record.
"Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit," says Ross Hocker, long-time public broadcaster with NPR affiliate WGTE. Hocker, whose musical taste embraces Thelonious Monk, Bela Bartok and Charles Gounod, calls Allison Crowe's live performance "the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life."
"In an entertainment world that increasingly genuflects at the altar of instant fame, Crowe seems an anomaly, building her career slowly and carefully," notes Adrian Chamberlain, of Canada's Times Colonist newspaper.
"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make," says Allison Crowe.
Effortless
Allison Crowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Words & Music by Allison Crowe
I'm trying not to try so hard,
Makes me wonder if it's really effortless,
Or if I'm fooling myself?
'Cause if I have to put so much of me
Into trying not to care,
I'm lying.
And do you see the way I walk away?
I never really know what I should say,
So it comes out wrong,
If it comes out at all.
So I straighten myself out,
I bring me back down,
"Don't be ridiculous,
You are so wrong."
But then I'm drifting,
On a wave of thought.
I get lost in the tides,
And I can barely recognize myself.
I don't mind,
'Cause do you see the way I walk away?
I never really know what I should say,
So it comes out wrong,
If it comes out at all.
So I try to act the way I would
If I was someone that wasn't me.
But you wipe that away, don't you?
And I am falling down,
I am tripping on words,
I am out of my mind.
You know, this is not like me.
I'm not usually happy, I swear.
And do you see the way I walk away?
I never really know what I should say
So it comes out wrong.
And I turn my back
And I don't look back.
I am unafraid...
...but really I'm just kidding.
I'm terrified,
And I think I like it.
And I don't care if I look ridiculous,
Trying to be effortless
In "Effortless," Allison Crowe reflects on the struggle to appear carefree and unbothered in difficult situations. She questions whether her efforts to seem effortless are worth it, especially if she has to put so much effort into it. She wonders if anyone truly perceives her as effortlessly confident or if they can see through her act. Ultimately, she admits that she is terrified of appearing vulnerable and ridiculous but also enjoys the rush of letting go and not caring about how she appears to others.
Crowe uses vivid imagery to create a sense of disconnect between herself and the world around her. She describes getting lost in a wave of thought and barely recognizing herself. The chorus highlights Crowe's sense of uncertainty and disengagement: "I never really know what I should say / So it comes out wrong, if it comes out at all." She concludes by acknowledging the cost of appearing effortless: "And I don't care if I look ridiculous / Trying to be effortless."
"Effortless" is a haunting and introspective song that captures the complex emotions of trying to appear cool and collected in difficult situations. Crowe's powerful vocals and emotive piano playing underscore the depth of feeling in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm trying not to try so hard,
I'm attempting to appear effortless by not putting too much effort into a situation, and trying to make things appear effortless is actually difficult.
Makes me wonder if it's really effortless,
The challenge of appearing effortless causes doubt about whether it’s truly effortless.
Or if I'm fooling myself?
This feeling of constantly questioning the authenticity of one's actions and thoughts for the sake of being effortless is unsettling.
'Cause if I have to put so much of me
Into trying not to care,
Where am I then?
If I must put in a lot of effort in appearing effortless, where do I end up then?
I'm lying.
Amidst all the confusion, it is inevitable that things go wrong and one may end up lying.
And do you see the way I walk away?
I never really know what I should say,
So it comes out wrong,
If it comes out at all.
I struggle to express myself, so I often say the wrong thing or nothing at all, leading to my withdrawal from the situation.
So I straighten myself out,
I bring me back down,
'Don't be ridiculous,
You are so wrong.'
Trying to convince myself that I'm not being ridiculous, and that everything will be alright, sometimes works to mitigate feelings of self-doubt and anxiety.
But then I'm drifting,
On a wave of thought.
I get lost in the tides,
And I can barely recognize myself.
Nevertheless, it's easy to get lost in my thoughts and feel that I'm floundering in my life, so much so that I don't even recognize myself anymore.
I don't mind,
'Cause do you see the way I walk away?
I never really know what I should say,
So it comes out wrong,
If it comes out at all.
This behavior is not new to me. I'm relatively okay with it and don't even mind since it's not out of the ordinary for me.
So I try to act the way I would
If I was someone that wasn't me.
Trying to pretend and act as if I were someone else is my attempt at being effortless.
But you wipe that away, don't you?
And I am falling down,
I am tripping on words,
I am out of my mind.
However, when someone acknowledges my true identity, it causes me to feel vulnerable, leading to speaking incoherently and losing one's mind.
You know, this is not like me.
I'm not usually happy, I swear.
This behavior isn't something typical of me, and I'm usually not happy; however, the presence of the person in the situation causes positive emotions to emerge.
And do you see the way I walk away?
I never really know what I should say
So it comes out wrong.
Even as I walk away, I still struggle to find the right words or even form a coherent sentence.
And I turn my back
And I don't look back.
I am unafraid...
I appear unafraid and confident as I walk away.
...but really I'm just kidding.
However, it's a false sense of bravery, and I'm not really unafraid.
I'm terrified,
And I think I like it.
Despite feeling fear, there's something thrilling about it too, creating an odd mix of emotions.
And I don't care if I look ridiculous,
Trying to be effortless
Even though I may look foolish, trying to appear effortless is part of who I am, and it's my way of dealing with life.
Contributed by Callie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
English with Sam
Absolutely Beautiful +.+ I love her voice , and the song :)
Kasia Zapaśnik
her voice's just amazing!
cardassia77
amazing voice....
Sophie Buch
I don't know if I should smile or cry...it's just so beautiful :)
Ryan Scott
Lovely. Hew voice is amazing.
brinzybabe
Beautiful.
Lennart Gabrielsson
Fantastic
Andrew McQueen
Majestic.
nicolas renou
je t'ecoute assez souvent bravo car c t'une jolie chanson et une superbe voix une fan française kissss
Sullivan Montesino Espinosa
I don't know what is she saying.. but i feel that she is sninging whit his hearth... Now, i can know what is a person singing, without knowing the letter.. I'm a Spanish boy, and my English ins't very good, but it son i feel that she is singing in Spanish! Thank you!(L)