Olivia Hyde- Vocals, Piano
Nikki Kontinen- Bas… Read Full Bio ↴Bad Pollyanna are:
Olivia Hyde- Vocals, Piano
Nikki Kontinen- Bass, Programming
Stephen Kilpatrick- Guitar
Valerian Adore- Drums
As their oxymoronic name suggests, Bad Pollyanna enjoy combining beauty and darkness. Fronted by the eccentric and theatrical Olivia Hyde the band draw influences from Anime/ Manga and gothic science fiction as well as cutting edge alternative rock and electronica. Through the mediums of music, film, art and performance, Bad Pollyanna explore and indeed celebrate the duality of love, sex and the human condition.
The songs and accompanying videos of debut album "Monstrous Child" tell the story of an innocent young woman who falls victim to a crazed scientist's desperate attempts to reincarnate his lost love and, against her will, is transformed into a beautiful but deadly monster. As she looks at herself and her old life through new eyes she can see how she had been conditioned by the world around her to be afraid and subservient. With rage and lust coursing through her powerful new body but her memories intact, she faces a brutal battle between holding onto her humanity and her desire to avenge a lifetime of powerlessness.
With Olivia bringing the character to life both onstage and in their visuals as well as on the record itself, Bad Pollyanna haven't just created an album but a whole world in which their fans can immerse themselves.
Awake Now
Bad Pollyanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleeping here to keep me dreaming
My denial starts to fade
To the sound of someone screaming
In the shadow of my waking
I'll be facing the truth
……
In a sweat I start to shake
Awake now
Freezing heart beats again
Knowing I am not afraid
I'm awake now
I didn't think, I didn't try
Cos all I wanted was some peace & quite
But cross my heart & hope to die
An angel came & dragged me up into the light
If the silence turns to violence
Won't be closing my eyes…No
……
In the dark I awake
In a sweat I start to shake
Awake now
Freezing heart beats again
Knowing I am not afraid
I'm awake now
Am I awake or am I still dreaming now?
……
In the dark I awake
In a sweat I start to shake
Awake now
Freezing heart beats again
Knowing I am not afraid
I'm awake now
Awake now
Awake now
Awake now
I'm awake now
Awake now
Awake now
Awake now
Awake now
The lyrics of Bad Pollyanna's "Awake Now" evoke the feeling of being trapped in denial and how the truth can come crashing down on you like a ton of bricks. The singer of the song is lying in a bed that they have made for themselves, trying to keep themselves in a state of perpetual dreaming. But then suddenly, they hear someone screaming and their denial starts to fade away. They realize that they have been living in the shadow of their own denial and must now face the truth.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "In the dark I awake", which emphasizes the feeling of being jolted out of a peaceful slumber into the harsh reality of the waking world. But the singer realizes that they are not afraid anymore and that they are now "awake". They know that they cannot go back to denying what they know to be true and must face the consequences of their actions.
The song overall is about facing the reality of your own life and coming to terms with the truth. It's a powerful and emotional song that resonates with anyone who has ever struggled with denial and the fear of facing the truth.
Line by Line Meaning
In a bed that I had made
Starting in a place of comfort and familiarity
Sleeping here to keep me dreaming
Using sleep as an escape from reality
My denial starts to fade
Gradually coming to terms with the truth
To the sound of someone screaming
Through the pain and loudness of reality
In the shadow of my waking
As I begin to see things clearly
I'll be facing the truth
Confronting my reality head on
In the dark I awake
Roused from my peaceful slumber
In a sweat I start to shake
Overcome with anxiety and fear
Awake now
Fully present and alert
Freezing heart beats again
Heart racing with nervousness
Knowing I am not afraid
Confident and unafraid in the face of truth
I'm awake now
Completely conscious and aware
I didn't think, I didn't try
Avoiding confrontation and difficult truths
Cos all I wanted was some peace & quite
Preferring a false sense of calm and security
But cross my heart & hope to die
Swearing to a commitment towards change
An angel came & dragged me up into the light
Finding a way towards truth and openness
If the silence turns to violence
Reacting to the dangers of ignoring problems
Won't be closing my eyes…No
Determined to face reality and stay awake
Am I awake or am I still dreaming now?
Questioning the reality of the situation
Awake now
Fully grasp the implications of reality
Awake now
Living in the truth and being honest
Awake now
Truly present in the moment
Awake now
Committed to remaining conscious and aware
Awake now
Living authentically and courageously
Awake now
Fully awake to the realities of life
Contributed by Gabriel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tank 1711
love this band so much, shame they're not really known :(
TonyAintheUSA
I have bought 2 of their albums and a 12" single from Bandcamp. I predict this group will be big in a year or so. Music is strong bordering on Metal, but has a good Rock vibe too. Great vocal range from their lead singer Marie Fredkinson.
Bad Pollyanna
Hi hon, thank you so much for the comment. However, Marie Fredkinson is the lead singer of Roxette who recently died. My name is Olivia Hyde. Weird thing though...my favourite singer growing up was Ms Fredrickson! X
Tony Armstrong
So sorry, I had cut and paste the wrong name! I love your voice Olivia and the sounds of you and the band are simply great. Please produce more vinyl - I have the 12" single on it and two of your CDs. Keep the music coming..