As a child she was always singing. Edale, in Derbyshire, was the ideal place to nurture this natural ability, with an abundance of communal song. Having played the fiddle a small amount at school, Bella attended a Folkworks Youth Summer School in Durham age 13. Motivated by the number of young people playing folk music, she was inspired to begin working on folk fiddle. She also met many of her great friends and musical companions.
Some of these new friends arranged to meet up again, and on New Year's Day a year later The Pack was formed. Initially The Pack was a way for this group of people to get free tickets to festivals. The spirited performances and complex arrangements of the 12 piece band proved a resounding success, and they went on to play many of the scene's greatest stages, including Cambridge Folk Festival main stage in 2003. In 2002, the only Pack album 12 Little Devils was released, with fRoots calling it "... a genuine feel good album. Get yours now!".
Hardy released her debut solo album Night Visiting in 2007, to critical acclaim. Mojo gave her a 4* 'Brilliant' rating, fRoots wrote "Bella Hardy is more than a new generation folk revivalist... Her potential is massive", and Taplas Magazine noted "...her debut CD solo album is a piece of wondrous beauty and inventive incisiveness". In 2008 she was nominated for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. She was also nominated for Best Original Song the same year with Three Black Feathers, which Jim Moray went on to record on his 2008 album Low Culture.
Hardy released her second solo album In The Shadow of Mountains in 2009 at the Cambridge Folk Festival. Again it gained critical acclaim. English Dance and Song Magazine wrote "It's astounding and somewhat daunting to realise this is only Bella's second album... Surely no-one has any right to be writing songs with the sophistication of 'Sylvie Sovay', so early in their career..."
Awake Awake
Bella Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Traditional. The tune and first verse were half-remembered from the singing of Elizabeth LaPrelle; the words are from Maggie Boyleās singing of Silver Dagger.
Awake awake, you drowsy sleeper
Awake awake, it's almost day
How can you sleep, my lovely creature
Since you have stolen my heart away
Don't sing love songs, you'll wake my mother
She's sleeping here, right by my side
And in her hand, is a silver dagger
She says that I can't be your bride
All men are false, so says my mother
Theyāll tell you wicked, loving lies
And then theyāll go and court some other
They'll leave you ere the sun does rise
Go home, go home to your fatherās garden
Go home, go home, return no more
No other man may come a-courting
No other lover may cross my door
Awake awake, you drowsy sleeper
Awake awake, it's almost day
How can you sleep, my lovely creature
Since you have stolen my heart away
In Bella Hardy's song "Awake Awake," the singer begins by pleading with her lover to wake up from their slumber. She expresses her frustration that the person she loves has stolen her heart, yet remains asleep and unaware of her feelings. The urgency in the lyrics can be interpreted as the singer's longing for reciprocation and a desire for their love to be acknowledged.
The second verse introduces an obstacle to their love - the presence of the singer's mother who is sleeping nearby. The mother possesses a silver dagger, symbolizing her protectiveness and warning against the consequences of pursuing a relationship with the singer. The mother's stance reflects a belief that all men are untrustworthy and will eventually deceive and abandon the singer. She advises the lover to leave and never return, reinforcing the idea that their love is forbidden.
The final verse reiterates the plea for the lover to awaken and acknowledge the singer's love. She implores them to go back to their own home, indicating a sense of resignation and acceptance of the lover's departure. The singer declares that no other man will be welcomed into her life, as her heart has already been claimed by the person who remains indifferent and asleep.
Overall, "Awake Awake" portrays unrequited love and the obstacles faced in pursuing a forbidden relationship. The lyrics evoke feelings of longing, frustration, and resignation, capturing the complex emotions involved in unreciprocated affection.
Line by Line Meaning
Awake awake, you drowsy sleeper
Hey, wake up from your slumber, sleepyhead.
Awake awake, it's almost day
Wake up, it's almost sunrise.
How can you sleep, my lovely creature
Why are you able to sleep so peacefully, my beautiful one?
Since you have stolen my heart away
Because you have captivated my heart and taken it with you.
Don't sing love songs, you'll wake my mother
Please refrain from singing love songs as it might wake my mother.
She's sleeping here, right by my side
She is currently sleeping beside me.
And in her hand, is a silver dagger
In her hand, she holds a silver dagger.
She says that I can't be your bride
According to her, I am not allowed to marry you.
All men are false, so says my mother
My mother believes that all men are deceitful.
Theyāll tell you wicked, loving lies
They will deceive you with sweet but dishonest words.
And then theyāll go and court some other
Afterwards, they will pursue someone else romantically.
They'll leave you ere the sun does rise
They will abandon you even before the break of dawn.
Go home, go home to your fatherās garden
It's better for you to return to your father's garden.
Go home, go home, return no more
Leave and do not come back again.
No other man may come a-courting
No other man is allowed to court me.
No other lover may cross my door
I won't entertain any other suitor.
Awake awake, you drowsy sleeper
Hey, wake up from your slumber, sleepyhead.
Awake awake, it's almost day
Wake up, it's almost sunrise.
How can you sleep, my lovely creature
Why are you able to sleep so peacefully, my beautiful one?
Since you have stolen my heart away
Because you have captivated my heart and taken it with you.
Lyrics Ā© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Traditional, Bella Hardy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@timrich2911
Fantastic, and one of my favourite bees too!
@andyshield9710
Love the song. I had tree bumblebees nesting in one of the bird boxes in my garden last summer. Fascinating to watch them coming and going.
@abdallahradi2551
noisy music š©