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.
midnight
Allison Crowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I say,
"Hey, well why don't you just go and see what happens then?"
And I don't know exactly what it is I'm trying to prove
All I know
Is this is just what works for me right now
And you're already gone
And I know that I can be cruel
And I don't always have a reason for it
You could ask me over and over again, and all I'd say is
"Nothing"
But I guess you saw me sitting on the road
In the middle of a rain-storm crying
And I still don't know why
It seemed like a good idea at the time
In my soul
Is water earth and air and fire
All the things that make us whole
And fuel all of your desire
But water can drown
And earth can quake
And fire can burn you out
And I guess you know that, well
I know you know that
Wind
Can blow you away
The lyrics to Allison Crowe's song Midnight are full of complex emotions and contradictions. The opening line of the song is "At midnight I open up my door and I say, 'Hey, well why don't you just go and see what happens then?'" This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which seems to be about the singer's internal struggle between wanting to indulge in their whims and fearing the consequences of their actions.
The singer admits to not knowing exactly what they're trying to prove with this behavior, but at the same time, they assert that it's what works for them right now. However, there's a sense of regret and sadness when the singer returns to find that the person who was with them has already left. The second verse implies that the singer can be harsh and sometimes cruel, without any logical reason behind it. This leads to the idea that the singer is conflicted between their desires (represented by the four elements mentioned in the chorus – water, earth, air, and fire) and their fear of being destructive with those desires.
The last verse, which is also the chorus, brings the song to a close and solidifies its central theme. The elements that make us whole can also destroy us, and it's the singer's recognition of this fact that keeps them tethered to reality. The final line of the song, "wind can blow you away," is a cautionary note that even though indulging in one's desires can be liberating, it can also lead to catastrophic consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
At midnight I open up my door
At the stroke of midnight, I unlock my door and disengage my lock.
And I say,
I express aloud.
"Hey, well why don't you just go and see what happens then?"
I advise that you embark on an experiment to uncover the unknown.
And I don't know exactly what it is I'm trying to prove
I have no concrete understanding of what I'm attempting to demonstrate.
All I know
The sole thing that's certain is
Is this is just what works for me right now
This is the method that acts for me currently.
But then I come back down, maybe in a minute, or two
Instantaneously after, I descend, possibly after a brief moment.
And you're already gone
You've already departed.
And I know that I can be cruel
I am conscious that I can be unkind.
And I don't always have a reason for it
Often, I have no justification for it.
You could ask me over and over again, and all I'd say is
You can question me multiple times, but my response will always be
"Nothing"
"I've got nothing to offer as an explanation."
But I guess you saw me sitting on the road
However, I suppose you witnessed me seated on the path.
In the middle of a rain-storm crying
While it was raining intensely, I was bawling my eyes out.
And I still don't know why
And to this day, it's still unclear to me.
It seemed like a good idea at the time
At that moment, it appeared to be a sound concept.
In my soul
Inside of me
Is water earth and air and fire
Exist water, earth, wind, and fire
All the things that make us whole
All the factors that allow us to be complete
And fuel all of your desire
Additionally, they power your aspiration.
But water can drown
Unfortunately, water can cause one's suffocation.
And earth can quake
Regrettably, earth could tremble and subsidence is possible.
And fire can burn you out
Also, fire could exhaust and render one burned out.
And I guess you know that, well
And I assume you were already aware, well
I know you know that
I'm aware that you know that.
Wind
Wind
Can blow you away
Can blow you away abruptly.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Marino
Great job Allison. You're heart for music is beautiful. Keep it up <33
Paul Marino
Yes! It's gonna be a hit! Excellent work Allison. What a smokin band too. Keep it up and please keep posting.
Ágúst Valsson
That was great just keep giving us more...