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.
Valentine
Bertie Blackman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wind it blows
The wind it seems to always know
I can taste it
That I′ve found
You
My mouth is drowning in you
The edge is hurling at you
Baby I′m upside down
Would you be my Valentine?
I'll paint you red
Like friends of mine
And would you be my Valentine?
I know I'm not perfect
But it′s raining down
And I′m lying on the ground
And all my windows are fogged
I'm cutting up every thought I have
It′s sharp here where I stand
And I misbehave
On every command
Oh but I don't want to hurt you
I just want to keep you
Rattle and touch you
Cause I don′t belong
Baby I don't belong
Would you be my Valentine?
I′ll paint you red
Like friends of mine
Oh would you be my Valentine?
I know I'm not perfect
And it's raining down
And I′m lying on the ground
In Bertie Blackman's song "Valentine," the wind symbolizes the singer's emotions and thoughts. She is lost and uncertain, and the wind seems to know more about what's happening inside her. The lyrics suggest that she has found someone special and is overwhelmed by the intensity of her feelings. The line "My mouth is drowning in you" suggests that she is consumed by this person and cannot get enough of them.
The chorus reveals the singer's vulnerability as she asks her lover to be her Valentine, admitting that she's not perfect. She promises to paint them red, like her friends, a symbol of love and passion. The second verse describes her current state of mind - her windows are fogged, which may represent a lack of clarity or understanding, and she's cutting up her thoughts. The singer seems to be distressed or struggling with her feelings, as the line "And I misbehave on every command" suggests that she is not in control.
The song ends with the singer pleading to keep her lover, hinting that she doesn't feel like she belongs without them. Despite her uncertainty and vulnerability, she wants to hold onto this person and keep them close.
Line by Line Meaning
Outside
The setting of the song.
The wind it blows
The wind is blowing.
The wind it seems to always know
The wind is all-knowing.
I can taste it
The wind's effect is palpable.
That I've found
The singer has found someone/something.
You
The person who was found.
My mouth is drowning in you
The singer is overwhelmed with passion.
The edge is hurling at you
The situation is intense.
And I'm upside down
The singer's world has been turned upside down.
Baby I'm upside down
The repeated line of the chorus emphasizes the singer's disorientation.
Would you be my Valentine?
The singer is asking for the person to be their Valentine.
I'll paint you red
The singer will shower the person with love.
Like friends of mine
The singer has done this before for their friends.
And would you be my Valentine?
The singer is asking again.
I know I'm not perfect
The singer acknowledges their imperfections.
But it's raining down
The mood is melancholic.
And I'm lying on the ground
The singer is feeling low.
And all my windows are fogged
The world seems blurry and unclear.
I'm cutting up every thought I have
The singer is dissecting their thoughts.
It's sharp here where I stand
The situation is intense.
And I misbehave
The singer's actions may not be perfect.
On every command
The singer is under pressure to please someone.
Oh but I don't want to hurt you
The singer cares about the person.
I just want to keep you
The singer wants to hold onto the person.
Rattle and touch you
The singer wants to make the person feel alive.
Cause I don't belong
The singer feels out of place.
Baby I don't belong
The repeated line of the chorus emphasizes the singer's feelings of not belonging.
Writer(s): Lee Austin Groves, Bertie Blackman
Contributed by Levi O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
blackie 2000
Great song and performance.
Armando Vargas
Absolutley amazing!
Fred Fungus
I always wonder why more music does not emphasize the use of the echo chamber...It brings another dimension to music ...I love when a trumpet uses echo .. Something mystical is added.....
Musicasitshould
thanks for uploading this...