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.
In the Bleak Midwinter
Allison Crowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter, long ago
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Angels and archangels may have gathered there
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss
What can I give him, poor as I am
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part
Yet what I can I give him: give my heart
The lyrics of "In The Bleak Midwinter" describes a winter scene that is harsh and unforgiving. The frosty wind is howling, the earth is hard and the water is frozen. The snow has accumulated and continues to fall without a stop. The bleakness of it all is reminiscent of a long-ago memory.
The lyrics then turn to talk about the almighty God, who is too big for heaven and earth to contain. When this God comes to reign, heaven and earth will run away. Despite all this, the God chooses to be born in a stable when there were many other grand places he could have chosen. The stable in the bleak midwinter is, therefore, sufficient for him.
The lyrics then move to imagine a host of angels and archangels, seraphim and cherubim crowding the air around the stable. In the midst of all this, only the mother of Jesus, in her maiden bliss, worships the child with a kiss. The final verse of the song expresses the singer's admiration for the child by asking what he can give despite his own poverty. All he can give is his heart.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan
During the cold and harsh winter, the wind cried out as if in pain
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
The ground was so frozen and hard that it felt like solid iron, while water was frozen solid like a rock
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow
The snow had piled up multiple times, layer upon layer, creating a deep and heavy blanket
In the bleak midwinter, long ago
This happened a long time ago, in the midst of a harsh winter
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain
God is so powerful that even the vast expanse of heaven cannot contain Him, nor can the earth support Him
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
When God comes to reign over the world, everything else will disappear in comparison to His glory
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Even though it was a harsh time and place, a humble stable served as a fitting location for Jesus' birth
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the powerful and divine Lord God who was born in the humble stable of the bleak midwinter
Angels and archangels may have gathered there
There were likely many holy and heavenly beings present at Jesus' birth
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air
Even the highest and most powerful angelic beings were present, filling the air with their presence
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss
Of all the beings present, Mary was the only one to experience the joy of watching her precious son being born
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss
Mary expressed her love and devotion to her son by giving him a kiss as a sign of worship
What can I give him, poor as I am
As a poor and humble person, the singer wonders what they could possibly offer to God
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb
If the singer were a shepherd, they would bring one of their own lambs as a gift to the newborn king
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part
If the singer were one of the wise men, they would do whatever they could to honor and serve the newborn king
Yet what I can I give him: give my heart
Despite their humble circumstances and lack of resources, the artist realizes that the best gift they can offer is their own devotion and love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID FINDLAY, N TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ágúst Valsson
That was beautiful as always, just hope I will sometime get the change to hear your beautiful voice live.
Mama Khiangte
2018.
Still one of my fav. all time Christmas song.
mozartiikodesu
Hi Allison, Your performance is fantastic as usual.
Ali Henrich
Flawless, Allison Merry Christmas from the “other” Alison 🎄. Pls keep me in ur prayers- been living in my car the past few months & there are no resources avail in this area In the 20s (F) at night here ! Christmas is going to be sad this year 😔❄️ ty & God bless u !
Paul Marino
Be still my heart. Missed you. Beautiful!