Regarding the pronunciation of "Bic": "You say it Bec, rather than Bic", she explains. "It's Chinese, it's a strange vowel sound which doesn't seem to translate in English. It means the colour of jade, which I suppose is just green."
Runga was born in Christchurch. Her mother, Sophia Tang, was a Chinese Malaysian lounge singer in Malaysia when she met Joseph Runga, a Māori soldier on leave from Vietnam. They both moved to New Zealand to live.
Runga grew up in Hornby, Christchurch surrounded by a musically-inclined family, and started recording songs with her sisters, Boh and Pearl, when she was only four years old. Runga's older sister Boh is now a vocalist in the New Zealand rock group Stellar*, while Pearl is a session singer.
She learned how to play drums at the age of eleven, and guitar at about fourteen. Runga also learnt to play the keyboard at around this time. She attended Cashmere High School, joining high school bands and performing with local jazz groups by her mid-teens.
Singles
* "Bursting Through" (1996)
* "Sway" (1997) #10 Australia (re-issue Ireland in 2004 went to #26)
* "Suddenly Strange" (1997)
* "Roll into One" (1997)
* "Hey" (1998)
* "Sorry" (1999)
* "Get Some Sleep" (2002) #75 United Kingdom #3 New Zealand #27 Ireland
* "Something Good" (2002) #4 New Zealand
* "Listening for the Weather" (2003) #14 New Zealand
* "Winning Arrow" (2005) #23 New Zealand
* "Say After Me" (2006)
Gravity
Bic Runga Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We would all go flying
And I'll meet you somewhere in the milky night
Away past the satellites
The breeze is dressed so lightly
And it breathes onto this fire escape
Where all our secrets melt like ice
Night will close us down
And change the view
And I'll promise you what I can
I forget myself when I'm with you
Please remind me who I am
Dancing like a landslide
Swinging round the living room
We fall like sudden rain from sullen skies
Singing to the radio's tune
Say my name aloud
And make it new
And I'll promise you what I can
I forget myself when I'm with you
Please remind me who I am
Day so soon, hear all the traffic move
The sirens all fill this room till we both have to shout
From the road, watching the stars explode
You and I breathe so slow
How strange the sound
Bic Runga's song Gravity speaks about longing and desire in a relationship that seems to be bound by the force of gravity. The opening lines express the desire to break free from the constraints of the physical world and meet somewhere in the "milky night," beyond the realm of satellites. The imagery of flying alludes to the feeling of weightlessness that comes with transcending the constraints of the everyday world. The second verse describes the couple's hidden secrets that melt away on a fire escape, leaving only water. The night, with its change in perspective, is a metaphor for the transformative power of love. In the chorus, Runga sings about losing oneself in the presence of the other, and in the bridge, she asks her partner to remind her of who she is. The final verse reflects on the fleeting nature of time and the ephemeral beauty of the universe.
Overall, Bic Runga's Gravity is a deeply emotional and introspective song that explores the complexities of love and relationships. It speaks to the desire to transcend the physical world and connect with something deeper, as well as the fear of losing oneself in the process. The song's evocative imagery and haunting melody capture the essence of these conflicting emotions and make it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
If gravity let us go
If the force of gravity ceased to exist
We would all go flying
We would be propelled into the air
And I'll meet you somewhere in the milky night
And I'll find you in the dark sky filled with stars
Away past the satellites
Far beyond the artificial objects that orbit the Earth
The breeze is dressed so lightly
The wind is gentle and soft
And it breathes onto this fire escape
And it blows onto the metal staircase used for escape from a burning building
Where all our secrets melt like ice
Where all our hidden feelings disappear like melting ice
Leaving only water
Only raw emotions remain
Night will close us down
The darkness will engulf us
And change the view
And alter the way we perceive things
And I'll promise you what I can
And I'll commit to doing what I am capable of
I forget myself when I'm with you
When I'm with you, I lose track of who I am
Please remind me who I am
Please help me remember my own identity
Dancing like a landslide
Dancing with such abandon and enthusiasm, like a geological phenomenon
Swinging round the living room
Swinging around the room where we live
We fall like sudden rain from sullen skies
We drop rapidly, like rain from a gloomy sky
Singing to the radio's tune
Singing along to the music on the radio
Say my name aloud
Speak my name out loud
And make it new
And give it a fresh perspective
Day so soon, hear all the traffic move
Morning arrives quickly, and we hear the sounds of cars moving outside
The sirens all fill this room till we both have to shout
The blaring sirens outside become so loud that we have to raise our voices to hear each other
From the road, watching the stars explode
Observing stars burst into light from the street
You and I breathe so slow
You and I breathe in a calm, relaxed manner
How strange the sound
The situation seems unusual and surreal
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BIC (BRIOLETTE KAH) RUNGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind