Bertie first stepped onto the scene with ‘Headway’ (2004), her folk-inspired debut album. The single ‘Favourite Jeans’ became Bertie’s radio breakthrough and saw her dubbed “Australia’s underground queen”. On her second album, ‘Black’ (2006) Bertie returned armed with an electric guitar delivering a sexier, gritty rock sound. Bertie continued to develop her sound on ‘Secrets and Lies’ (2009) blending electronic influences with her signature vocal style and brutally honest lyrics in a modern exploration of pop music with the assistance of Sydney based UK producer Lee Groves (Goldfrapp, Gwen Stefani) and Francois Tetaz (Gotye, Architecture in Helsinki.)
The album Secrets and Lies was released on May 8, 2009 on Forum 5 Recordings and was presented as a Triple J Feature album. The album’s first single 'heart' was released in March 2009 and added to high rotation on Triple J and across the board on commercial radio network Nova. Altogether 'heart' was the 4th most added song on Australian radio in its premiere week of release. In April 2009 ‘heart’ was also one of the Australia’s most downloaded iTunes Singles of the Week of all-time. The album’s second offering ‘Thump’ was met with instant rotation on MTV Video Hits, Rage and Channel V who nominated Bertie for [V] Oz Artist of 2009. Hot off the heels of a 15-date sold out Australian tour Bertie released her intoxicating third single ‘Byrds of Prey’ and embarked on Parklife 2009, and extensive summer festival dates including Falls Festival, Sunset Sounds and Southbound.
In November Bertie entered a new international chapter in her young career, travelling to the UK for a promo tour sparking radio play on BBC 1, BBC 2 and XFM ahead of the UK release of Secrets and Lies. Upon her return Bertie was awarded the ultimate in Australian music industry accolades: an AIR Award for BREATHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF 2009 and an ARIA Award for BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE 2009.
In February 2010 Bertie returns to the UK for a string of showcase dates in London including a headline performance at Club NME. March 2010 sees Bertie returned to Australian soil for national dates as the main support act for La Roux’s Australian tour and the release of her new single Peek-A-Boo a cover of Siouxsie and The Banshees 1988 classic.
The Storm
Bertie Blackman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said to a bird perched on the highway
On it's way home
Do you like our urban skies?
Would you fly there all alone?
But you said la la la...
But I could only hear you in my sleep
I could only hear you in my sleep
Oh for I am your queen lost at sea
Wrecked in my heart a boat sinks so easily
'Cause I have rowed ten thousand miles
And sailed for a thousand years
Where's my love to come and rescue me?
Did you know I am constantly haunted by the moon?
She follows me into this late noon time
The nights here they sing
Like diamonds in the sky
And the sound here weaves me like cotton
It weaves me like this
Oh for I am your queen lost at sea
Wrecked in my heart a boat sinks so easily
'Cause I have rowed ten thousand miles
And sailed for so long
Where's my love to come and rescue me?
I need my love to come
Darling where's my love to rescue me?
Sometimes the heat yeah it gets to me
Sometimes my thoughts are too much to be with
So I will wait with open wings until that you see
My desert is not too plain to carry me here
My desert is not too plain to carry me here
Oh for I am your queen lost at sea
Wrecked in my heart a boat sinks so easily
'Cause I have rowed ten thousand miles
And I've sailed for so long
Where's my love to rescue me?
I need my love to come
I need you
Darling where are you to rescue me?
Bertie Blackman's song The Storm describes the singer's feelings of loneliness and longing for someone to rescue her, using metaphors of being lost at sea and stranded in a desert. The opening lyrics express a sense of aimlessness and disconnection from the world around her, as she addresses a bird and questions its preferences for urban living, before the bird's response fades into indiscernible sounds. This sets a dreamlike tone for the song, suggesting that the singer's desires and hopes may exist more in her imagination than in her reality.
The central metaphor of being lost at sea is elaborated throughout the song, with the singer describing herself as a stranded queen who has traveled thousands of miles in search of love and comfort. She also references being haunted by the moon and feeling overwhelmed by her own thoughts, suggesting that she is struggling to find stability in her own mind and emotions. The repeated plea for rescue underscores her vulnerability and need for connection, but the song ends without resolution, leaving the question of whether or not she will find what she is looking for unanswered.
Overall, The Storm is a beautiful and evocative song that captures the complexities of human emotion and the struggle for connection and meaning in life. Its dreamlike quality invites the listener to reflect on their own experiences of longing and uncertainty, and the haunting melody and poetic lyrics make it a truly memorable and moving piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
And I feel like a lazy day
I feel relaxed and laidback
I said to a bird perched on the highway
I spoke to a bird sitting on the road
On it's way home
The bird was heading back to its nest
Do you like our urban skies?
Do you enjoy the city skyline?
Would you fly there all alone?
Would you like to explore the city by yourself?
But you said la la la...
The bird didn't respond to me with words but with its song
But I could only hear you in my sleep
I could only hear the bird's song in my dreams
Oh for I am your queen lost at sea
I am lost and alone
Wrecked in my heart a boat sinks so easily
My heart is broken and fragile
'Cause I have rowed ten thousand miles
I have traveled a great distance
And sailed for a thousand years
I have been searching for a long time
Where's my love to come and rescue me?
Where is the person who will save me?
Did you know I am constantly haunted by the moon?
I am always affected by the moon's presence
She follows me into this late noon time
The moon is visible during the daytime
The nights here they sing
The nights are full of music
Like diamonds in the sky
The stars shine brightly
And the sound here weaves me like cotton
The music makes me feel relaxed and comfortable
Sometimes the heat yeah it gets to me
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the hot weather
Sometimes my thoughts are too much to be with
Sometimes my mind feels cluttered and busy
So I will wait with open wings until that you see
I will be patient until someone notices me
My desert is not too plain to carry me here
I am strong enough to handle any hardship
Oh for I am your queen lost at sea
I am still lost and alone
Wrecked in my heart a boat sinks so easily
My heart is still broken and fragile
'Cause I have rowed ten thousand miles
I have faced many challenges
And sailed for so long
I have been searching for a long time
Where's my love to rescue me?
Where is the person who will save me?
I need my love to come
I need someone to help me
Darling where's my love to rescue me?
I am still searching for someone to save me
I need you
I need someone to love me
Darling where are you to rescue me?
I am still searching for someone to love me and rescue me
Contributed by William B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.