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.
Sea of a Million Faces
Allison Crowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel so alone
I only have you
To hold on to
So please don't go, don't go.
And so I walk through the moonlit streets
But the light evades me
I am cold and I'm afraid
And I wish that I could see
You this way too
In a sea of a million faces
I feel so alone
I only have you to hold on to
So please don't go, don't go
I would have crawled for ten thousand days
Just to get back to you
With dirty knees and a wind torn face
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
And I don't ever want
To see you this way
The lyrics to Allison Crowe's song Sea of a Million Faces express feelings of loneliness and isolation in a world that seems overwhelmingly populated with strangers. The singer feels lost in the midst of a sea of faces, but finds solace and comfort in the presence of a single person she can hold onto. She pleads with this person not to leave her, as she is afraid of being left alone in the darkness of the night.
The images painted in the lyrics are vivid and emotional, with the singer describing herself as feeling cold and afraid. She longs to be reunited with her loved one, even if it means crawling on her hands and knees for days to make it happen. The hauntingly beautiful melody and piano accompaniment add to the sense of longing and desperation that pervades the song. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but seem to be a plea for human connection and a reminder of the importance of having someone to hold onto in a world that can often feel cold and lonely.
Line by Line Meaning
In a sea of a million faces
Despite being surrounded by countless people, I am feeling deeply isolated and disconnected from all of them.
I feel so alone
My solitude is consuming me, and I'm overwhelmed by a sense of anxiety and fear.
I only have you
You are the only one who has ever provided me with a sense of comfort and belonging, and I rely on you heavily for emotional support.
To hold on to
Your presence represents a lifeline for me, something to cling to in the midst of my emotional turmoil.
So please don't go, don't go.
I am so afraid of losing your companionship that I cannot bring myself to contemplate it.
And so I walk through the moonlit streets
I am wandering aimlessly through the city, in search of some sense of direction or meaning.
But the light evades me
Despite my best efforts, I am unable to find any source of illumination or clarity in my life at present.
Lost in the darkness of endless nights
My ongoing existential struggles have left me feeling trapped and hopeless, with no clear path out of my despair.
I am cold and I'm afraid
My mental and emotional state is causing me to physically manifest feelings of discomfort and fear.
And I wish that I could see
It is hard for me to grasp a sense of hope or optimism, and I'm struggling to visualize a better future for myself.
You this way too
I hope that you are not feeling similarly lost or disconnected, and that my emotional struggles have not impacted our relationship negatively.
I would have crawled for ten thousand days
I am willing to do almost anything in order to reconnect with you and mitigate my sense of isolation.
Just to get back to you
Returning to your side represents the only feasible solution to my emotional turmoil at present.
With dirty knees and a wind torn face
My journey towards emotional healing will be long and arduous, and I will face numerous challenges and setbacks along the way.
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
Despite my willingness to fight for my emotional well-being, I remain at a loss regarding how to overcome my struggles and move forwards with my life.
And I don't ever want
I am so deeply invested in our relationship that I cannot bear the thought of losing you, whatever the circumstances.
To see you this way
I am actively trying to shield you from my own emotional distress, and spare you from the burden of responsibility to help me work through it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Marino
Love it Allison! =]