She appeared in the September edition of Now! Magazine. She also appeared on the LOLA 2007 line-up, using her lush instrumental back-ups to accompany her reedy voice. Her first album has been hailed in the Exclaim! monthly newspaper and on several online publications.
Basia was nominated in 2010 for a Polaris Music Prize and nominated in 2011 for a Juno in the Best New Artist category.
Five Four
Basia Bulat Lyrics
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Seems as though I should have stopped it
Oh, all these things, we'd done before
Been so many years since I was alone here
Lakeshore is glowing
Oh, all these things we'd done before
Was it an accident? Was it an offering?
Oh, was it yours?
First five, now four
First five, now four
Dark
Eyes in the dark
Looking for what?
Yours
Anything yours, anything ours
All I own
I don't want, can't be sold
Slow river to cross
Steady us all
Young world in your heart
Rivers I know
All I own
I don't want, can't be sold
Been so many years since I was alone here
Lakeshore is glowing
Oh, all these things we'd done before
Was it an accident? Was it an offering?
Oh, was it yours?
First five, now four
First five, now four
First five, now four
First five, now four
All I own
I don't want, can't be sold
I don't want, can't be sold
I don't want, can't be sold
The lyrics to Basia Bulat's song "Five Four" speak about a path that was taken, potentially by the singer and others, and how it wasn't necessarily the right choice. The singer questions whether it was an accident or an intentional offering that led down this path. There is a sense of reminiscence as the singer reflects on all the things they had done before, and how it has been years since they were alone on the lakeshore, which is now glowing. The repetition of "first five, then four" creates a sense of counting down, potentially representing the change or loss that has occurred.
The second half of the song delves into a more personal reflection on the singer's possessions and what truly matters in life. The singer claims that all they own is not something that can be sold, implying that its value cannot be measured in material wealth. The slow river to cross could represent a metaphorical journey or transition in life, while the young world in the heart could represent hope for the future. The lyrics end with the repetition of "I don't want, can't be sold," emphasizing the importance of valuing things that cannot be bought or sold.
Line by Line Meaning
Long before I knew the path we were going
I was unaware of the direction our journey would take
Seems as though I should have stopped it
Perhaps I should have tried to alter our path
Oh, all these things, we'd done before
Our actions were not new or original
Been so many years since I was alone here
It has been a long time since I was last in solitude in this place
Lakeshore is glowing
The shoreline next to the lake is illuminated with light
Was it an accident? Was it an offering?
I am questioning whether our situation was a coincidence or intentional
Oh, was it yours?
I ponder if our situation belonged to you
First five, then four
The quantity of something has dwindled from five to four
Dark
The surroundings are void of light
Eyes in the dark
There are eyes present in the darkness
Looking for what?
I question what the eyes are searching for
Yours
The eyes may be looking for something that belongs to you
Anything yours, anything ours
There may be possessions that belong to you or both of us
All I own
Everything I possess
I don't want, can't be sold
I have no desire to sell what I own
Slow river to cross
There is a leisurely river that needs to be crossed
Steady us all
The river crossing requires us to stay balanced and composed
Young world in your heart
You possess a youthful and spirited heart
Rivers I know
I am familiar with the rivers we must navigate
Been so many years since I was alone here
It has been a long time since I was last in solitude in this place
Lakeshore is glowing
The shoreline next to the lake is illuminated with light
Oh, all these things we'd done before
Our actions were not new or original
Was it an accident? Was it an offering?
I am questioning whether our situation was a coincidence or intentional
Oh, was it yours?
I ponder if our situation belonged to you
First five, now four
The quantity of something has dwindled from five to four
First five, now four
The quantity of something has dwindled from five to four
First five, now four
The quantity of something has dwindled from five to four
All I own
Everything I possess
I don't want, can't be sold
I have no desire to sell what I own
I don't want, can't be sold
I have no desire to sell what I own
I don't want, can't be sold
I have no desire to sell what I own
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.