Khan graduated Brighton University, in music and visual arts, where her experimental multi-media / installation / animation / performance art's influences spanned tape loop / effects pioneer Steve Reich and installation / performance artist Susan Hiller. Afterwards, when working as a nursery school teacher, she began writing for her début. "Whenever I'm writing music it's a very visual place in my mind," she said, "It has a location full of characters and colours and landscapes, so those two things really complement each other, and they help the other one to blossom and support the other. They are like brother and sister." Bat for Lashes music has been likened to that of Björk (who herself attended Khan's early gigs), Kate Bush, PJ Harvey, Annie Lennox, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple.
"The Wizard" was primarily released on 7-inch from Khan's own She Bear label and subsequently Fur and Gold on Echo. In 2007, she was honoured with a ASCAP Vanguard Award and selected to open the prestigious ASCAP Presents… 2007, 14 Mar in Austin, TX, USA (an industry showcase, within SXSW 2007). Later, via a small Manimal Vinyl Fur and Gold pressing (May 2007), Bat for Lashes transferred to Parlophone. She appeared at Glastonbury 2007 (23 June).
In July 2007, Fur and Gold, Joe's Pub, NYC, on 1 May 2007 recordings and a Plaid remix, yielded EP What's A Girl To Do? (7 Jul 2007, EMI). Then on the 17th, the album's 2007 Mercury Prize nomination was announced - despite being a UK media favourite to win, it lost to Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future. 25 Jul 2007, at Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY was the fist gig of a three month North American tour, interrupted only by European festival appearances.
In 2008, Bat for Lashes was nominated for Brit Awards ('Best British Breakthrough Act' and 'Best British Female'), her distinctive What's a Girl to Do? video brought her to prominence and, starting with Malahide Castle, Dublin, IE, on 6 Jun 2008, she toured with Radiohead for a month, opening more than a dozen European shows. Perfect As Cats: A Tribute to the Cure (Oct 2008, Manimal Vinyl), included her cover of A Forest.
The lead single for her second album was "Daniel" and released in March. On 23 February, Khan revealed in an interview on radio station XFM that the cover for the single had been shot on Brighton beach, near her home. She also designed a limited edition cover for Fact Magazine which coincided with an interview she did for them. Bat for Lashes released her second album Two Suns in April 2009, which received comparisons to the work of Stevie Nicks, Dolores O'Riordan and Fleetwood Mac.
Bat for Lashes live backing during the Two Suns tours, as March 2009, included among others: Ben Christophers, Charlotte Hatherley and Sarah Jones (drums - of New Young Pony Club). She appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. She performed an acoustic version of the single, "Daniel," and also covered "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. Her first appearance on US broadcast television was 1 May 2009 on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing the song "Daniel". On May 15, 2009 she appeared on NPR (World Cafe) where she performed "Daniel", "Moon and Moon (piano only) and Prescilla".
On June 13, 2012 Bat for Lashes announced the title of her upcoming third studio album "The Haunted Man" to be released in October. The album was produced, as with Fur And Gold and Two Suns, by Faultline. While not performing as well in Europe as Two Suns, The Haunted Man was her highest charting album in the US to date, at #64. Singles "Laura", "All Your Gold", "A Wall", and "Lilies" followed.
Daphne
Bat for Lashes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so, in my house I've built a shrine
8, 7, 6, 5
But I have dreamt he's still alive
4, 3, 2, 1
In the lands of light his voice is sung
Row row row row
Bloom the night in all her darkness
Daphne froze in her white night gown
Cotton be around your body
The sea is calling me down
The sea is calling me down
Bloom the night in all her darkness
Daphne froze on the precipice
Years of tears absolved her body
And she cried nevermore
And she cried nevermore
1, 2, 3, 4
For you, my love, I'll wait no more
5, 6, 7, 8
Lay your kisses to rest at the garden gates
9, 10, 11, 12
Because I've got to save myself
Row row row row
The time is right for you to go
The lyrics to Bat for Lashes's song Daphne depict a story of mourning, loss, and acceptance. The countdown from twelve to one that frames the beginning and end of the song, acts as a narrative device that signals the progression of time, culminating in a moment of clarity for the singer. The opening lyrics reveal that the singer has created a shrine to honor the memory of someone who is now gone. However, in the next stanza, we discover that the singer has had dreams that this person is still alive in a far-off land. The counting numbers serve as a temporal marker, indicating that the singer has been waiting and counting the days since the person's departure.
The song's title, Daphne, and the references to "cotton" and "garden gates" evoke classical Greek mythology. In the myth, Daphne was a nymph who was transformed into a laurel tree by the god Apollo to protect her from his unwanted advances. Here, Daphne is the singer who stands at the precipice, frozen in her white nightgown, a symbol of purity and innocence. The sea that calls to her could be interpreted as a metaphor for death or transformation, as Daphne attempts to reconcile with the loss of her loved one.
The song’s chorus, “Bloom the night in all her darkness,” is hauntingly beautiful and could be interpreted in many ways. It could mean to embrace the darkness, to let go of the past, or to find peace with their grief. The song's message seems to be that one must accept the inevitability of loss and not get caught up in the past. The counting numbers act as a reminder to the singer to let go and move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
12, 11, 10, 9
Counting down, the singer suggests that her time is running out.
And so, in my house I've built a shrine
The singer has created a sacred space in her home to honor someone who has passed away.
8, 7, 6, 5
The singer reveals that she still dreams of the person she's honoring, as if he's still alive.
But I have dreamt he's still alive
The artist reveals that she still dreams of the person she's honoring, as if he's still alive.
4, 3, 2, 1
The artist reveals that in another world or dimension, the person she's honoring is still heard.
In the lands of light his voice is sung
The singer reveals that in another world or dimension, the person she's honoring is still heard.
Row row row row
The singer repeats a chant, perhaps to psych herself up for something.
The time is right for us to go
The artist suggests that it's time for her and someone else to move on.
Bloom the night in all her darkness
The artist describes the night as a time of growth and beauty in spite of its darkness.
Daphne froze in her white night gown
The artist references Daphne, who is frozen and stuck in time.
Cotton be around your body
The singer possibly wishes to be clothed in cotton or something soft and comforting.
The sea is calling me down
The artist feels drawn to the ocean, perhaps as a place of solace or escape.
Bloom the night in all her darkness
The singer repeats the earlier line, emphasizing the idea of growth and beauty in difficult times.
Daphne froze on the precipice
The singer again references Daphne, who is stuck on the edge of something or caught between two worlds.
Years of tears absolved her body
The singer implies that Daphne has been crying for years, and feels that this has cleansed or purified her in some way.
And she cried nevermore
Daphne has stopped crying, perhaps indicating a sense of peace or acceptance.
For you, my love, I'll wait no more
The artist declares that she will no longer wait for someone she loves.
Lay your kisses to rest at the garden gates
The singer asks someone to leave behind something (kisses) at the entrance to her home or property.
The time is right for you to go
The singer repeats an earlier line, perhaps to emphasize the importance of moving on and letting go.
Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ShadowArtist
<3 this song should been on the main album, not a bonus track, it's far more in-line in to her awesome songs in Fur & Gold
Xavier Ancarno
ShadowArtist
ah ok my Bad, i tought it was a classical hidden tracks 😉😉😉
ShadowArtist
Xavier Ancarno
um I think you misunderstand. I wish this song was on the CD. It would of been fine if it was "hidden" at the end of the CD.
It sadly was not, or was it on there as a hidden track?
I do not like when a bonus track is part of an iTunes digital album purchase.
Xavier Ancarno
ShadowArtist I strongly disagree...
I grownup in the CD-era and i remember friends discovering bonus track after ~6-7 minutes
Of the album ending, always a pleasant surprise
You have to earn it.. but nowadays with all "iTunes and streaming" artists gave up on "bonus hidden track"
Sorry for my Frenglish.. I'm not native speaker 😌
Gucci Rush
Koliko je dobra!
avedic
Indeed...very good. :)
Chisom A.
Still so beautiful
M.
One of her best songs
Axel9403
Goosebumps...
Bat for Lashes
My queen