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..."
Sleeping Beauty
Bella Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I sigh to my sister, I'd rather be sleeping
Last night I dived in the deep blue sea with a man that loved me
Why couldn't I stay Sleeping Beauty?
In the broad light of day how the ugly shows in me
With my soft eyes closed I was his perfection
The day has turned sour and it's only 10.30
I'm flighty and I'm lusty, and as she said, hell's murky
We go out and we live and we roam, and then we bring the worst of ourselves home again
Wars, they are lost before they're begun
For battles, they never go to plan
I'm a disappointment from the moment I rise to the moment I close my eyes
But here I stand before you now with my eyes wide open
Beware those who want their women to be roses without thorns
For life's as much in kisses as it is in blood and grit
Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it
The song "Sleeping Beauty" by Bella Hardy explores the contrast between the idealized version of ourselves we see when we step into dreams and the realities of everyday life. The first verse describes the singer's frustration at waking up to reality, with ghosts by the bed symbolizing the remnants of the unconscious mind that dart away as soon as one opens their eyes. The line "I'd rather be sleeping" represents the longing for the comfort of dreams, where there's an absence of ugliness and imperfections. The second verse delves deep into the singer's desire to be the perfect partner, represented in the line "last night I dived in the deep blue sea with a man that loved me." This suggests the desire to be loved unconditionally without any flaws or imperfections. The singer wishes to stay Sleeping Beauty, not deal with the complications of reality.
Yet, the day has turned sour and the ugliness within the singer comes to light. The line "with my soft eyes closed I was his perfection" implies that it's only in dreams where the singer feels perfect, and not in reality. The later line "I'm a disappointment from the moment I rise to the moment I close my eyes" emphasizes the pain within the singer, that no matter how hard she tries, she will never be enough. The repeated chorus "But here I stand before you now with my eyes wide open" represents the singer's resignation to reality and their readiness to face it with eyes wide open.
The final verse uses the imagery of flowers and serpents to explain how our idealized notions of ourselves are often just surface level. The singer warns against those who want women to be without thorns and upholds the notion that life is not just in kisses but also blood and grit. The song "Sleeping Beauty" is a haunting and introspective exploration of the dichotomy between dreams and reality, and how we can never truly reconcile the two.
Line by Line Meaning
Ghosts by my bed I see when I'm waking
I have nightmares and can't escape them even when I wake up.
And I sigh to my sister, I'd rather be sleeping
I communicate my desire for peace and rest to my sister.
Last night I dived in the deep blue sea with a man that loved me
I had a dream about being deeply in love and happy.
Why couldn't I stay Sleeping Beauty?
I long for the simplicity of being asleep and not having to face reality.
In the broad light of day how the ugly shows in me
I am exposed and vulnerable in the light of day, and I don't like what I see.
With my soft eyes closed I was his perfection
In my dream state, I was able to be exactly what my partner wanted.
But here I stand before you now with my eyes wide open
I am no longer hiding or dreaming, I am confronting my reality head-on.
The day has turned sour and it's only 10.30
My day is already going poorly and it's barely even started.
I'm flighty and I'm lusty, and as she said, hell's murky
I am fickle and ruled by my desires, and life is confusing and uncertain.
We go out and we live and we roam, and then we bring the worst of ourselves home again
We venture out into the world, have experiences, and then come home and confront our flaws and shortcomings.
Wars, they are lost before they're begun
Conflict is often futile and never turns out how we want it to.
For battles, they never go to plan
Even if our intentions are good, things often go awry in the midst of conflict.
I'm a disappointment from the moment I rise to the moment I close my eyes
I feel like I am constantly failing, no matter what I do or how hard I try.
But here I stand before you now with my eyes wide open
Once again, I am facing my reality and refusing to hide or pretend.
Beware those who want their women to be roses without thorns
Be wary of those who want their partners to be perfect and without flaws.
For life's as much in kisses as it is in blood and grit
Life is both beautiful and gritty, and it's important to accept both aspects.
Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it
Appearances can be deceiving, and sometimes it's necessary to be cunning and strategic to get what you want.
Writer(s): Bella Hardy
Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.