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..."
Heart Hill
Bella Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I catch a glimpse of a lover’s mark
A forest of trees in the shape of a heart
I heard an RAF went down, in his plane aflame
On the hillside not far from his fiancé
In her grief she planted seedlings on that naked hill
You can see it still
There’s a heart upon the hill
If I left now would you mourn me still?
When I drive my thoughts are clear
And I think of you
We avoid conversation so perfectly
The pilot in the plane what if that had been me?
It's easier to love one gone
To love an absent partner
No shattered wordsm no cleaning up after
But the heat that's in your body it's worth fighting for
It's enough to stop a war
There’s a heart upon the hill
There’s a heart upon the hill
If I left now would you mourn me still?
A silhouette heart made of trees
That love was meant to be
Deep green against the yellow grass
This love was meant to last, this love was meant to last
There's no such thing as perfect love, but I've seen perfect sorrow
And I've seen the strength of a woman's hand
Half a century ago she made her mark on this land
Now what about us, do you think, that our love will fade in time?
Or can we change that age old paradigm?
Unlike this English couple we are both alive
We have the chance to try
There’s a heart upon the hill
There’s a heart upon the hill
If I left now would you mourn me still?
"Heart Hill" by Bella Hardy describes a journey in the North of England that is taken by the singer. While driving on the motorway, the singer sees the lover's mark, a heart-shaped forest in honor of a Royal Air Force (RAF) officer whose plane went down on the hillside close to his fiancé. The woman, in her grief, planted seedlings to create the heart-shaped forest that remains visible to this day. The singer ponders on love and its complexities, including the fact that it is often easier to love an absent partner than one who is present. The intensity of passion is worth fighting for, and it can stop a war. The song also focuses on the concept of perfect love versus perfect sorrow, and the singer wonders if their love will stand the test of time, or fade away like many others.
Line by Line Meaning
Speeding down the motorway in the north of England
Driving quickly on a highway in northern England
I catch a glimpse of a lover’s mark
Noticing a symbol of love
A forest of trees in the shape of a heart
Seeing a heart made of trees
I heard an RAF went down, in his plane aflame
Learning that a Royal Air Force plane crashed
On the hillside not far from his fiancé
Near his fiance's location
In her grief she planted seedlings on that naked hill
Planting trees on the hillside in mourning
You can see it still
The trees are still visible today
There’s a heart upon the hill
The symbol of love is still present
If I left now would you mourn me still?
Asking if their partner would still grieve if they were gone
When I drive my thoughts are clear
Having clear thoughts while driving
And I think of you
Thinking of their partner
We avoid conversation so perfectly
Avoiding conversation effectively
The pilot in the plane what if that had been me?
Reflecting on the possibility of being in the same situation
It's easier to love one gone
Finding it easier to love someone who is no longer present
To love an absent partner
Loving someone who is not physically there
No shattered words, no cleaning up after
Avoiding arguments and mess
But the heat that's in your body it's worth fighting for
Believing that their partner is worth fighting for
It's enough to stop a war
Their love is strong enough to prevent conflict
A silhouette heart made of trees
A heart-shaped shadow created by trees
That love was meant to be
Believing their love was fated
Deep green against the yellow grass
The contrast of tree leaves and grass colors
This love was meant to last, this love was meant to last
Repeating the belief that their love was meant to be enduring
There's no such thing as perfect love, but I've seen perfect sorrow
Acknowledge that no love is perfect, but perfect sadness exists
And I've seen the strength of a woman's hand
Witnessing the power of women
Half a century ago she made her mark on this land
Referring to the woman who planted the trees
Now what about us, do you think, that our love will fade in time?
Asking if their love will diminish over time
Or can we change that age old paradigm?
Wondering if they can break away from traditions
Unlike this English couple we are both alive
Comparing their situation to that of the couple in the story
We have the chance to try
Believing they have the opportunity to make their love last
Contributed by Riley C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.