Rochdale-born and Stockport-bred, she combines a European heritage with an earthy northern English sensibility. Her passionate singing/song styling owes a debt to northern soul, opera and jazz - music that informed her early years.
In the late 1970s she became part of the early “alternative cabaret” circuit performing and recording with the cult vocal harmony group The Three Courgettes. Subsequently she enjoyed a fruitful 12 year song-writing and musical partnership with blues guitarist and songwriter Michael Parker with whom she won a Perrier Award. Writing and performing together they released six albums and worked extensively on tour, radio and television with, among others, Julian Clary and Alexei Sayle.
In the early 1990s Jungr created the award winning harmony shows “Hell Bent Heaven Bound”.
Her solo career began in earnest after she recorded “Durga Rising” (1997), with the Bhangra producer and percussionist Kuljit Bhamra. “Bare” was released in 1999 on Irregular Records bringing Barb to the attention of Glasgow-based Linn Records with whom she has now recorded five albums:
2000: “Chanson: The Space In Between” (Linn AKD 167) - new English translations of classic French chansons. 2002: “Every Grain Of Sand” (Linn AKD 230) - a widely acclaimed collection of inspired arrangements of Bob Dylan songs. 2003: “Waterloo Sunset” (Linn AKD 222) – a collection of eclectic, modern standards on the theme of obsessive love. 2005: “Love Me Tender” (Linn AKD 255) – art song-styled re-workings of material recorded by Elvis Presley. 2006: Walking in the Sun (Linn AKD 283) – powerfully sung gospel and blues in stunning new arrangements.
Her own self-penned material also features on her albums.
In 2002 she won the Backstage Award for Best International Artist and now appears regularly in New York, most recently at the 59E59 Theatre and Joe’s Pub in Manhattan. A sell-out residency at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in Australia, during summer 2006, further underlined her fast-growing global reputation as a leading song-stylist.
With singers and friends Mari Wilson and Claire Martin she co-created the sell-out cabaret show “Girl Talk” whose album (Linn AKD 279) was released and launched at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London in 2006.
In 2005/6 Jungr appeared on BBC TV performing for the Tribute to Bob Dylan Concert alongside Odetta, KT Tunstall and Billy Bragg. In July 2006, she contributed to a BBC 1 documentary Queens of Heartache – a programme about iconic female singers.
Jungr continues to write extensively, contributing the lyrics to Birmingham Stage Company’s sellout version of The Jungle Book, her own musical, and essays and articles for various books and publications.
In 2007, she tours the UK with Walking In The Sun, premiering her new show Barb Jungr Sings Bob Dylan in New York at the Metropolitan Room and she returns to Australia, she will also appears at The Queen Elizabeth Hall in June in collaboration with the composer Mark Anthony Turnage with the London Siinfonietta.
=
Not Dark Yet
Barb Jungr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've been here all day
It's too hot to sleep
And time is runnin' away
Feel like my soul has
Turned into steel
I've still got the scars
There's not even room
Enough to be anywhere
It's not dark yet
But it's gettin' there
Well my sense of humanity
Is goin' down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing
There's been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter
And she wrote it so kind
She put down in writin'
What was in her mind
I just don't see
Why I should even care
It's not dark yet
But it's gettin' there
And I've been to London
And I've been to gay Paris
I've followed the river
And I've got to the sea
I've been down on the bottom
Of a whirlpool of lies
I ain't lookin' for nothin'
In anyone's eyes
Sometimes my burden
Is more than I can bear
It's not dark yet
But it's gettin' there
I was born here and I'll die here
Against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin'
But I'm standin' still
Every nerve in my body
Is so naked and numb
I can't even remember what it was
I came here to get away from
Don't even hear
The murmur of a prayer
It's not dark yet
But it's gettin' there
The song "Not Dark Yet" by Barb Jungr is a cover of Bob Dylan's original song found on his album "Time Out of Mind." The song speaks of a person who has been going through life's difficulties but is still hanging on, feeling like their soul has turned into steel, hurt and scarred by the sun. The lyrics suggest that they have been in the same place all day, with shadows falling, finding it too hot to sleep, and time running away from them. They feel like they don't have any space to be alone, and despite the dim light right now, the darkness is approaching slowly.
The lyrics also convey a sense that the person has lost touch with humanity, and they feel like they're moving away from people rather than towards them. There's an underlying sense of isolation, and they feel like the world has turned against them. The mention of a letter from someone who was kind to them shows that they are still capable of experiencing kindness, but they don't understand why they should even care anymore. The song continues to detail the singer's travels around Europe and the feeling of being lost while following a river and experiencing fake relationships ("whirlpool of lies").
The bridge of the song speaks of a burden that becomes too heavy to carry, feeling naked and numb, and the inability to remember what they came there to escape. The song ends with the singer not hearing the murmurs of a prayer and the darkness slowly approaching. Overall, it is a bittersweet song that speaks of the person's struggle to keep their head up amidst life's difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
Shadows are fallin'
The sun is setting, and darkness is slowly taking over.
And I've been here all day
The singer has been in this place for a long time now.
It's too hot to sleep
The weather is uncomfortable, making it hard for the singer to rest.
And time is runnin' away
The artist feels like they don't have enough time to complete everything they need to do.
Feel like my soul has
The artist's emotions are compared to the material composition of steel.
Turned into steel
The singer's emotions have become hardened and unyielding, like steel.
I've still got the scars
The singer is still carrying emotional wounds from past experiences.
That the sun didn't heal
The passage of time has not made these emotional scars go away.
There's not even room
The space the artist is in feels cramped and suffocating.
Enough to be anywhere
The space feels too small to provide any sense of freedom or escape.
It's not dark yet
Despite the difficulties the singer is facing, things have not reached their lowest point yet.
But it's gettin' there
Things are continuing to get worse, and the future looks uncertain.
Well my sense of humanity
The singer is losing their connection to other people and the world around them.
Is goin' down the drain
The singer is losing hope and becoming increasingly hopeless.
Behind every beautiful thing
The singer ponders the idea that all beautiful things come with a hidden cost.
There's been some kind of pain
The beauty that surrounds us often comes at the cost of pain and suffering.
She wrote me a letter
The artist received a letter from someone important to them.
And she wrote it so kind
The letter was written with a gentle and caring tone.
She put down in writin'
The letter was a tangible way for the other person to express what was on their mind.
What was in her mind
The letter expressed the other person's thoughts and feelings.
I just don't see
The artist is struggling to find meaning or purpose in their current situation.
Why I should even care
The artist is questioning why they should try to care or put effort into anything when things seem so bleak.
And I've been to London
The singer has traveled to London in their lifetime.
And I've been to gay Paris
The artist has traveled to Paris, known for its romantic and lively atmosphere.
I've followed the river
The singer has taken a journey along a river, perhaps metaphorically or literally.
And I've got to the sea
The singer has reached the ocean, a vast and intimidating expanse.
I've been down on the bottom
The singer has experienced the depths of despair.
Of a whirlpool of lies
The artist has been caught up in a complicated and deceitful situation.
I ain't lookin' for nothin'
The artist is not currently seeking anything, be it love or even just answers to their problems.
In anyone's eyes
The singer is not looking to others for validation or help at this time.
Sometimes my burden
The singer is carrying a heavy emotional weight or responsibility.
Is more than I can bear
The heaviness of the artist's current situation is overwhelming.
I was born here and I'll die here
The artist is resigned to living and dying in this place.
Against my will
The artist feels trapped in this place, without any other options or paths available to them.
I know it looks like I'm movin'
The singer's physical actions may make it seem like they are making progress or trying to escape their situation.
But I'm standin' still
Despite appearances, the artist is not making any significant progress or moving forward in their life.
Every nerve in my body
The singer is feeling physically and mentally overwhelmed.
Is so naked and numb
The singer feels exposed, vulnerable, and numb to their surroundings.
I can't even remember what it was
The singer is struggling to remember the initial reasons or motivations for their current situation.
I came here to get away from
The artist chose this place as a refuge or escape from some other aspect of their life.
Don't even hear
The artist is numb to their surroundings and their senses are dulled.
The murmur of a prayer
The singer is incapable of hearing even the quietest of religious expressions, conveying a significant amount of detachment from faith.
It's not dark yet
Although the singer is struggling, they hope that this is not the darkest point.
But it's gettin' there
The artist is concerned that their situation may continue to worsen.
Contributed by Madison D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.