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..."
I Think of You
Bella Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bella Hardy. Written for the Doncaster 1914-1918 project ‘War & Peace’ with Findlay Napier and Greg Russell, 2019. There’s a beautiful collection of silk postcards from WWI at Doncaster Museum, including the one mentioned in this song.
In my dream it is summer
The train leaves the station
I stand on the platform, his face fades
in the mists of the steam that is billowing
The years fall away
They are shot, shelled and shrapnelled
They are scraped, swabbed and sutured
They are patched up and parcelled back
to the front line
They are patched up and fed
to machine gun lions
A single silk postcard
Three violets in purple
‘I Think of You’
I will not admit that I watch for the telegram boy
I don’t want to, but I do
In my dream it is summer
In the steam that is billowing
his face fades
and the years fall away
The lyrics of Bella Hardy's song "I Think of You" evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia, painting a vivid picture of a dream-like scene during World War I. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about a summer day as they stand on a train platform. They watch as a train leaves the station, and amidst the billowing steam, the face of their loved one slowly fades away. This imagery symbolizes the passage of time and the emotional distance between the singer and their beloved.
The following lines describe the harsh reality of war, contrasting with the dreamlike setting. The soldiers are depicted as being subjected to violence and suffering, as they are shot, shelled, and patched up to be sent back to the front line. The lyrics emphasize the sacrifice and bravery of these individuals who are sent to face the dangers of the battlefield.
The mention of a single silk postcard with three violets in purple becomes a poignant symbol of connection and longing. The words written on the postcard, "I Think of You," convey the singer's unspoken feelings for their loved one on the front line. They admit to secretly watching for the telegram boy, hoping for news from their beloved despite their reluctance to confess it. Through this simple gesture, the song captures the complexity of emotions experienced by those left behind during wartime.
Overall, "I Think of You" by Bella Hardy explores themes of love, longing, and the impact of war on personal relationships. It combines vivid imagery and emotional depth to evoke a sense of both nostalgia and the harsh realities of a war-torn era.
Line by Line Meaning
In my dream it is summer
Within the realm of my imagination, it is a season of warmth and vitality
The train leaves the station
The locomotive departs from the platform, embarking on its journey
I stand on the platform, his face fades
I position myself on the platform while his visage gradually diminishes in clarity
in the mists of the steam that is billowing
Amidst the vaporous clouds produced by the billowing steam
The years fall away
The passage of time recedes and becomes inconsequential
They are shot, shelled and shrapnelled
They experience being targeted, bombarded, and wounded by deadly projectiles
They are scraped, swabbed and sutured
They undergo the process of having their wounds cleansed, treated, and stitched
They are patched up and parcelled back to the front line
They are provided with makeshift repairs and sent back to the battlefront
They are patched up and fed to machine gun lions
They receive hasty mending and are subsequently sent to face the relentless gunfire
A single silk postcard
An individual card made of delicate silk
Three violets in purple
Three flowers of violet hue
‘I Think of You’
The sentiment expressed on the postcard, conveying remembrance
I will not admit that I watch for the telegram boy
I refuse to acknowledge my anticipation for the arrival of the courier with messages
I don’t want to, but I do
Although undesirable, I cannot suppress the impulse to do so
In my dream it is summer
Once again, within the realm of my imagination, it is a season of warmth and vitality
In the steam that is billowing
Inside the vaporous clouds produced by the billowing steam
his face fades
His countenance gradually loses its prominence
and the years fall away
Simultaneously, the passage of time recedes and becomes inconsequential
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Bella Hardy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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