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.
Moon and Moon
Bat for Lashes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a huntress for a husband lost at sea
If I had you here, we were here together
I'd be boy and you'd be girl, beautiful
Calling moon and moon
Shoot that big bad hand
It'll drag me to your door
When this wild world is a big bad hand
Pushing me on my back do you understand
When I get home being in the jungle
Where's my bear to lick me clean
Feed my soul milk and honey
Calling moon and moon
Shoot that big bad hand
It'll drag me to your door
Now I won't see you no more
I won't see you no more
The lyrics of Bat for Lashes's song "Moon and Moon" seems to be about a longing for a lost lover. The singer is seeking the presence of the lover she lost, who she identifies as her husband lost at sea. When she's with this lover, she sees an opportunity to switch roles and express herself in a new light. She would become the man and the lover would become the woman. She idealizes the relationship in this way and aspires to be with the lover, describing them as "beautiful."
The chorus appears to be a plea to the moon to bring the lover back. The moon is called upon to shoot a big bad hand that would come to take her away. This is perhaps a metaphorical way of saying that bad luck and fate are keeping them apart. The singer begs the moon to bring her lover back to her.
In the second verse, the singer compares the world to a big, bad hand pushing her down. She seeks refuge from this world, where she feels lost and alone, in her lover's embrace. She craves the nurturing and comforting love of her lover, like a bear who would lick her clean. The chorus repeats, emphasizing once again the singer's need for the moon to bring her lover back.
Line by Line Meaning
Lover when you don't lay with me
Without your presence, I am lost and in search of a companion to share my life with.
I'm a huntress for a husband lost at sea
I am looking for a partner who is not just physically present, but also emotionally connected to me.
If I had you here, we were here together
If we were together, we would complement each other like the sun and the moon, as a perfect pair.
I'd be boy and you'd be girl, beautiful
We would be the perfect embodiment of masculinity and femininity, creating something truly beautiful.
Calling moon and moon
I am reaching out to the creative and emotional aspects of my being, to help me find a way out of my present state of mind.
Shoot that big bad hand
I am challenging the negative and toxic aspects of my life and hoping to overcome them with strength and determination.
It'll drag me to your door
I am putting my faith in my inner strength and determination, hoping that I will be able to overcome my problems and emerge stronger than ever before.
Now I won't see you no more
Without your presence, my life has become much harder to navigate and I feel lost and alone.
When this wild world is a big bad hand
When the world seems overwhelming and hostile, it can feel like everything is working against me.
Pushing me on my back do you understand
The weight of the world feels like it is crushing me, making it hard to see a way out of my problems.
When I get home being in the jungle
When I am alone, my mind becomes a chaotic and overwhelming place, like a jungle that is difficult to navigate.
Where's my bear to lick me clean
I am looking for comfort and affection from someone who can make me feel clean and whole again.
Feed my soul milk and honey
I am searching for something that will nourish my soul and make me feel whole again, like a soothing balm that can ease my pain.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NATASHA KHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind