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.
Sarah
Bat for Lashes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Was never gonna be easy)
With an angel tattoo sinking beneath her belt
(Sarah)
And the dirty blonde sea-water
(Sea-water gushing down)
Chewing fingernails in her shit-eating grin
They cut out her heart when
(She was a little girl)
And in the fishing boat she thought
She saw the shadow of God
(Sarah)
He didn't smile at her and she decided
(He never came at all)
And when she died
She was going nowhere, nowhere, nowhere
Sarah, I want to be like you
(Sarah)
You know sometimes I want to live like you
(Sarah)
So I know how it feels not to feel
(Sarah)
Adopting Sarah's heart
(Was never gonna be easy)
Changing from black to blonde
To black to blonde
(Sarah)
But on the dirty tarmac of
(The tarmac of a melting motorway)
Gave me her clothes and told me
To take her place, her place
Sarah, I want to be like you
(Sarah)
You know sometimes I want to live like you
(Sarah)
So I know how it feels not to feel
(Sarah)
Sarah, I want to be like you
(Sarah)
You know sometimes I want to live like you
(Sarah)
So I know how it feels not to feel
(Sarah)
The lyrics to Bat for Lashes' song "Sarah" are a complex and somewhat ambiguous exploration of identity, sacrifice, and longing. The singer seems to be admiring and perhaps idealizing someone named Sarah, who is described as having a "shit-eating grin" and a tattoo of an angel sinking beneath her belt. The singer imagines adopting Sarah's heart, but acknowledges that it was never going to be easy - perhaps suggesting that Sarah herself has gone through some difficult experiences that have shaped her in complicated ways.
The song takes on an almost surreal quality as it describes Sarah's connection to the natural world, with sea-water gushing down and a shadow of God appearing in a fishing boat. The ambiguity continues as the singer seems to suggest that Sarah died, but there is no clear explanation of how or why. The idea of taking Sarah's place is also introduced, with the singer being given Sarah's clothes and instructed to assume her identity.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of yearning and a desire to escape from something - perhaps the singer's own identity or circumstances. By wanting to be like Sarah and to live like her, the singer seems to be searching for a way to experience something different and profound, even if it means taking on someone else's identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Adopting Sarah's heart
Taking on the emotional burden and pain that Sarah carries within her
(Was never gonna be easy)
This is a challenging and difficult thing to do
With an angel tattoo sinking beneath her belt
Sarah is a complex and intriguing individual who wears her heart on her sleeve
(Sarah)
Referring to Sarah as a symbol of something greater
And the dirty blonde sea-water
A metaphor for how Sarah's emotions ebb and flow
(Sea-water gushing down)
Illustrating how Sarah's emotions can be overwhelming
Chewing fingernails in her shit-eating grin
Sarah tries to remain positive even when facing adversity
(Sarah)
Referring to Sarah as a symbol of something greater
They cut out her heart when
Sarah has experienced significant emotional trauma in her past
(She was a little girl)
This trauma happened when Sarah was young
And in the fishing boat she thought
Reflecting on a pivotal moment in Sarah's life
She saw the shadow of God
Sarah's search for meaning and understanding in a seemingly chaotic world
(Sarah)
Referring to Sarah as a symbol of something greater
He didn't smile at her and she decided
Sarah was disappointed and let down by her expectations of a higher power
(He never came at all)
Sarah's loss of faith and disillusionment with religion
And when she died
Sarah's ultimate fate
She was going nowhere, nowhere, nowhere
Sarah felt lost and alone in the world
Sarah, I want to be like you
Expressing admiration for Sarah's strength and resilience
(Sarah)
Referring to Sarah as a symbol of something greater
You know sometimes I want to live like you
Yearning to experience the world through Sarah's perspective
So I know how it feels not to feel
Wanting to understand and empathize with the emotional pain that Sarah carries with her
Adopting Sarah's heart
Taking on the emotional burden and pain that Sarah carries within her
(Was never gonna be easy)
This is a challenging and difficult thing to do
Changing from black to blonde
Sarah's emotional state can shift and change rapidly
To black to blonde
This emotional transformation can happen repeatedly
(Sarah)
Referring to Sarah as a symbol of something greater
But on the dirty tarmac of
Sarah's internal struggles can manifest in her external environment
(The tarmac of a melting motorway)
A metaphor for a chaotic and unstable world
Gave me her clothes and told me
Sarah is passing on her emotional pain and experiences to someone else
To take her place, her place
This person is now responsible for carrying the emotional weight that Sarah once carried
Sarah, I want to be like you
Expressing admiration for Sarah's strength and resilience
(Sarah)
Referring to Sarah as a symbol of something greater
You know sometimes I want to live like you
Yearning to experience the world through Sarah's perspective
So I know how it feels not to feel
Wanting to understand and empathize with the emotional pain that Sarah carries with her
Sarah, I want to be like you
Expressing admiration for Sarah's strength and resilience
(Sarah)
Referring to Sarah as a symbol of something greater
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NATASHA KHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind