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.
Seal Jubilee
Bat for Lashes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sharks they howled along with me
And birds they flew into the wind
The whale he roamed the lonely sea
And I dived into you
I dived into you
And on this ocean hue
The lighthouse dog lifted his brow
The crippled trees bent low to growl
And swans, they wrestled with lifetime's grasp
In hopefulness they nestled the past
Teachers and travelers made their mark
They dined and feasted on whale and shark
And so the ocean lost its depths
And boredom rained as the ocean wept
Birds they raised their young for dead
And ladies used feathery pillows for bed
And black snow came and black snow stayed
And froze the ocean out of love, out of love
I lay quiet next to you
Transformed a whole, transformed anew
No longer diving into
But lying quiet next to you
In "Seal Jubilee," Bat for Lashes paints a vivid portrait of the ocean and its inhabitants. The seals, sharks, birds, whale, and even the lighthouse dog all seem to be in a state of jubilation, crying and howling in unison. Yet, beneath this joyful facade lies a sense of despair and longing. The ocean has lost its depth and become boring, causing it to weep. The swans nestle in the past, hoping for a better future. The lyrics hint at the destructive practices of humans, like the feasting on whale and shark, which have caused the ocean's decline. The reference to black snow and the freezing of the ocean suggests the effects of climate change.
But amidst this gloom, the singer finds solace in a connection with another person. "And I dived into you," she sings, describing a transformative experience of becoming whole and new. No longer diving into the depths of the ocean or seeking its elusive mysteries, she finds peace in the stillness of lying quietly next to her loved one.
Overall, "Seal Jubilee" is a hauntingly beautiful song that speaks to the fragility of the natural world and the importance of human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
The seals they cried in jubilee
The seals were rejoicing with excitement and making joyful cries
The sharks they howled along with me
The sharks were also making sounds of joy while the singer too expressed her delight
And birds they flew into the wind
The birds were soaring high with the wind, enjoying the present moment
The whale he roamed the lonely sea
The whale was moving freely in the vast, uninhabited sea
And I dived into you
The singer took a deep plunge into her emotions towards the person she loves
I dived into you
Repeating the previous line with emphasis for heightened effect
And on this ocean hue
Referring to the vastness of her emotions, which are as deep and blue as the sea
'Cause I dived into you
Reiterating the idea of how the singer has given herself completely to her lover
The lighthouse dog lifted his brow
The dog was observing the surroundings and raised its head in curiosity
The crippled trees bent low to growl
The trees seemed to be in agony and contorted as they struggled to survive
And swans, they wrestled with lifetime's grasp
The swans were wrestling with their mortality, fighting against the inevitable death that awaits them
In hopefulness they nestled the past
The swans were trying to find comfort in their memories of better times gone by
Teachers and travelers made their mark
People who had come and gone had left behind their imprint on the world
They dined and feasted on whale and shark
People resorted to consuming whale and shark meat as there was no food left in the ocean
And so the ocean lost its depths
The ocean was more than just a physical entity, it had lost its essence and meaning
And boredom rained as the ocean wept
The ocean was crying in sadness and its tears fell as drops of boredom
Birds they raised their young for dead
The birds were preparing their young ones to die, accepting mortality as part of life
And ladies used feathery pillows for bed
In the absence of living birds, people used their feathers for comfort and warmth
And black snow came and black snow stayed
Metaphorically representing the darkness and decay that had come and persisted
And froze the ocean out of love, out of love
The ocean was frozen over and devoid of life, just as a heart can grow cold from lack of love
I lay quiet next to you
The singer is now at peace, resting with her lover in contentment
Transformed a whole, transformed anew
Being with her lover has transformed her and made her feel complete once more
No longer diving into
She no longer needs to dive into her emotions as she has found solace and harmony with her lover
But lying quiet next to you
Resting and being close to her lover is all that she desires now
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NATASHA KHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
arubybluebird
wow, I think I might be drunk right now. okay, so I don't think, I know I am. It is 1:16 am and I'm a little bit drunk, and this song is so nice, so sad, so lovely. and I'm really content to be listening to it. it's giving me this subtle urge to cry, and I welcome it. I want it to happen. I am no longer afraid to feel it all, even through song. I want to feel feelings until I myself become a feeling, until everything I am disintegrates into a word, a single word. until I fill up with so much to feel that my human body cannot handle it, and I explode, turning to dust, my rooted form.
Silvie Ray
I shed tears, words can't describe how beautiful this is.
mindxcircus
Every time I listen to this song, I hear the earth whispering its heart's contents. Every piece speaks for mother earth. The song is like straight from Her heart, crying in pain that we human too busy to listen to. but take everything from her..It's very very sad. :(
LaGuerre19
this is an ancient memory transmuted into sound. this is beautiful.
str33tjatt
The beauty of this song is that I feel heartbroken even when I'm not.
indescribable909
this sounds amazing... especially when you close your eyes
Holly Villa
this is one of my fav songs, this song makes me feel like wind blowing threw the earth!
0TAKE99
Thanks for uploading this. It's probably my favorite song off of "Fur and Gold." The picture fits the song perfectly too.
TheAwesometasticism
This song breaks my heart a little every time I hear it.
FreedomBeats
Ace song, lyrics are amazing