Allison Crowe (born 16 November 1981) is a singer-songwriter, producer, arr… Read Full Bio ↴Allison Crowe (born 16 November 1981) is a singer-songwriter, producer, arranger, pianist, guitarist and fiddler born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada who's made her home in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada.

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.

Skeletons and Spirits
Allison Crowe Lyrics

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Skeletons and Spirits

Words & Music by Allison Crowe

Take your sympathy and shove it
as for the pain,
well, I love it
I'll eat your words

I'll devour your soul
I will laugh like a lemur
as you crawl back into your hole

I won't deny you,
but I'll pay you no heed
And, if you keep stabbing me,
I will probably bleed
But, I'll pretend I'm a cloud
and my rain will surround you
And if you keep hurting me
I'll eventually drown you

And, yes I know
I'm a little bit off

But, you, you can't leave, you can't open the door
you think you're unique but I've seen you before
so run, run away from the fires that burn
you will do this again and again
but you will never learn

So keep looking down
as you crush me keep smiling
'cause I will get up
and there's no denying
that I am one of your punching clowns
you can keep on striking
but you can't keep me down

You always think that you
are fearless and right
but I think that you
are afraid in the night
of the ghosts, of the spirits
that crawl into your head
of the skeletons that'll haunt you
until you're dead

but, now, you can't leave, you can't open the door
you think you're unique but I've seen you before
so run, run away from the fires that burn
you will do this again and again and again and again

but, now, you can't leave, you can't open the door
you think you're unique but I've seen it all before
so run, run away from the fires that burn
but you will never learn

you will never learn
you will never learn

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Skeletons and Spirits" are intense and reveal the strength and resilience of the singer in the face of adversity. She proclaims that she does not need sympathy or pity from anyone, and that the pain she feels is something she loves. Additionally, she is not afraid of being hurt because she sees herself as powerful, and despite her ability to be wounded, she can still use her metaphorical "rain" to surround her foes.

The song also talks about the transience of life, the inevitability of death, and the complexity of human emotions that often hold us back. The lines that say, "of the skeletons that'll haunt you / until you're dead" speaks to the fact that we all have our demons that we need to face and overcome in order to live better lives. The singer acknowledges her own flaws, admitting she is "a little bit off" in a way that signals that she accepts herself for who she is.

In summary, "Skeletons and Spirits" is about strength, resilience, self-acceptance, and the battles people face against their inner demons.

Line by Line Meaning

Take your sympathy and shove it
I don't need your pity or your concern.

as for the pain, well, I love it
The pain I feel only makes me stronger and more determined.

I'll eat your words
Your words won't affect me because I am tough and resilient.

I'll devour your soul
I won't let anyone drag me down or damage me emotionally.

I will laugh like a lemur as you crawl back into your hole
I won't be affected by your negativity, and I'll even find it amusing when you try to bring me down.

I won't deny you, but I'll pay you no heed
I am not denying your existence, but I won't let your negativity affect me.

And, if you keep stabbing me, I will probably bleed
Continual negativity can still have an effect on my emotions and wellbeing.

But, I'll pretend I'm a cloud and my rain will surround you
I will keep up a positive facade, and my positivity will surround those who try to bring me down.

And if you keep hurting me I'll eventually drown you
Negativity only breeds more negativity and will lead to your own downfall.

And, yes I know I'm a little bit off
I recognize that I am not like everyone else, and that's okay with me.

But, you, you can't leave, you can't open the door
Those who judge others are often trapped in their own cycle of negativity and can't escape it.

you think you're unique but I've seen you before
I recognize that those who try to bring me down are not special or different from others who have tried before.

so run, run away from the fires that burn
Those who continue to be negative and hurtful will eventually face the consequences of their actions.

you will do this again and again but you will never learn
People who continue to act negatively will never learn from their mistakes or change their behavior.

So keep looking down
Those who judge others are not looking at themselves or their own issues.

as you crush me keep smiling
Those who try to bring me down only do so because it makes them feel better about themselves.

cause I will get up and there's no denying
No matter how much negativity I face, I will always get back on my feet and keep going.

that I am one of your punching clowns
Those who try to bring me down are only using me as a way to feel better about themselves and their own situation.

you can keep on striking but you can't keep me down
I won't let negativity defeat me, and I will always rise above it.

You always think that you are fearless and right
Those who judge others often have an overinflated sense of self-confidence and righteousness.

but I think that you are afraid in the night
Those who judge others are often masking their own insecurities and fears.

of the ghosts, of the spirits that crawl into your head
Those who are negative and judgmental are haunted by their own inner demons.

of the skeletons that'll haunt you until you're dead
Continual negativity and judgment will lead to a lifetime of inner turmoil and regret.

Contributed by Landon A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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