After building up a reputation with his gigs across the UK, Howard was eventually asked to sign to Island Records. His first album, Every Kingdom, was released on October 3, 2011 and debuted at #7 on the UK album chart. It sold in excess of 1 million copies globally, received a Mercury Music Prize nomination, and was the catalyst for Ben picking up two Brit Awards in 2012 for British Breakthrough and British Solo Male Artist.
The follow up, 'I Forget Where We Were' was released on 20th October 2014 through Island Records. It was produced by Ben and his drummer Chris Bond at Start Point Farm Studios in Devon.
www.benhowardmusic.co.uk.
All Is Now Harmed
Ben Howard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not scared of the flood of the creek
And the thud inside your chest
Clearly calm and keeping terrorized
The ageless pull of winter along the by your side
Here in light on the soft divide?
The middle curtain all?
Here at all, here at all
Here in light I thought I said comes home
I cant do this alone
Sleepless light I was born to lie?
Now prove me wrong, prove me wrong
What is in your nature, looms inside your blood
Hold me in harms wake baby, all is now harmed
What is in your nature, looms inside your blood
Hold me in harms wake baby, all is now harmed
As a child he was not there,
Not scared of the flood of the creek
And the thud inside your chest
Clearly calm and keeping terrorized
The ageless pull of winter along the bayou side
Here in light I thought I said comes home
(What is in your nature, looms inside your blood)
I cant do this alone
(Hold me in harms wake baby, all is now harmed)
Sleepless light I was born to lie?
(What is in your nature, looms inside your blood)
Now prove me wrong, prove me wrong
(Hold me in harms wake baby, all is now harmed)
What is in your nature, looms inside your blood
Hold me in harms wake baby, all is now harmed
What is in your nature, looms inside your blood
Hold me in harms wake baby, All is now harmed
The lyrics to Ben Howard's song All Is Now Harmed explore the idea of a person grappling with their inner demons and trying to understand the inherent nature of themselves. The opening lines "As a child he was not there, / Not scared of the flood of the creek / And the thud inside your chest" set a melancholic tone, describing a past that's been elusive and uninvolved. The following line "Clearly calm and keeping terrorized / The ageless pull of winter along the bayou side" further adds to this tone, painting imagery of a person who might appear outwardly serene, but is struggling internally.
Moving on to the second verse, the lyrics begin with the lines "Here in light on the soft divide? / The middle curtain all?" which suggest a moment of introspection, as if the singer is reflecting on past experiences and trying to make sense of them. They question their own existence, wondering "Pull me down was I born to lie / Here at all, here at all / Here in light I thought I said comes home / I cant do this alone / Sleepless light I was born to lie? / Now prove me wrong, prove me wrong" Essentially, the person is grappling with their own inner demons and questioning who they truly are.
The chorus repeats the lines "What is in your nature, looms inside your blood / Hold me in harms wake baby, all is now harmed" which seems to suggest that whatever inner turmoil a person is grappling with is an inherent part of themselves and is inescapable. The repeated line "All is now harmed" further emphasizes this point, suggesting that the singer believes there may be no escape from this turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
As a child he was not there,
He was not present in his own childhood.
Not scared of the flood of the creek
He was not afraid of the dangerous situations that surrounded him.
And the thud inside your chest
He was not worried about the feeling of anxiety that one gets.
Clearly calm and keeping terrorized
He was calm on the surface, but deeply affected by fear.
The ageless pull of winter along the bayou side
The pull towards feelings of winter, sadness and loneliness is always present in his life.
Here in light on the soft divide?
He feels stuck in between two emotions, unsure of which to follow.
The middle curtain all?
Is he truly in the middle, unsure of which direction to go?
Pull me down was I born to lie
He feels helpless and stuck, questioning if he was meant to deceive others.
Here at all, here at all
Is he even meant to be here in the first place?
Here in light I thought I said comes home
He thought he found a sense of belonging, but it was not what he expected.
I cant do this alone
He needs help to get through his struggles.
Sleepless light I was born to lie?
He feels like he was meant to live a life full of deceit and dishonesty.
Now prove me wrong, prove me wrong
He wants to be proven wrong about his negative self-perceptions.
What is in your nature, looms inside your blood
Your inherent qualities and traits are a part of you and cannot be changed.
Hold me in harms wake baby, all is now harmed
He wants someone to be there for him even though everything seems to be falling apart.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BENJAMIN JOHN HOWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind