Briolette Kah Bic Runga (born 13 January 1976) is a New Zealand singer-song… Read Full Bio ↴Briolette Kah Bic Runga (born 13 January 1976) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter whose first solo album, Drive, debuted at number one in the New Zealand charts, and has since become one of the highest-selling New Zealand artists of our time. Runga has also found success internationally in Australia and the UK. Her fourth album, Belle, was released in New Zealand on 14 November 2011. Songfacts reports that "Hello Hello", the first single from Belle, was made available for fans to download for a limited time on September 8, 2011, and made available to purchase from digital music stores in New Zealand four days later. Bic wrote it with Dann Hume, who is the drummer of Melbourne, Australia based indie rock band Evermore.

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)

Heal
Bic Runga Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't forget me
Bring me down
Don't let me promise you
Things I cannot do
This infection adds to my collection
Hoard my pain
And show it to you one day
You alone indeed

You sing so adamantly
And it fills my mind with thoughts so fine
Don't ask too much of me oh

Heal me now, heal me now
Heal me now, heal me now

Don't erase me
Cut me out replace me
I'm still here
I'm not going anywhere
You alone indeed
You sing so adamantly
Let it free what ever's locked inside
Don't ask too much of me

Heal me now, heal me now
Heal me now, heal me now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bic Runga's song "Heal" explore themes of vulnerability, isolation, and the desire for healing. The singer is admitting their own limitations and insecurities while asking for help from a loved one. The opening line, “Don’t forget me, bring me down,” suggests that the singer may be afraid of being left behind or forgotten, and they are willing to be brought back down to earth if it means they won’t be left behind. The next lines, "Don't let me promise you/Things I cannot do,” hint at the singer’s fear of not living up to expectations or making promises they can't keep.

The verse, "This infection adds to my collection/Hoard my pain/And show it to you one day" suggests that the singer is holding on to their emotional wounds, perhaps out of fear or a lack of trust in others. The chorus, however, is a plea for emotional healing: "Heal me now, heal me now." The repeated use of this phrase emphasizes the singer’s desperation for help and illustrates the urgency of the situation.

The second verse, "Don't erase me/Cut me out replace me/I'm still here/I'm not going anywhere," acknowledges the fear of being replaced or forgotten, but emphasizes the singer's determination to persevere. The final lines of the song, "Let it free what ever's locked inside/Don't ask too much of me," suggest that the singer is attempting to open up emotionally but still feels hesitant and vulnerable.

Overall, "Heal" is a powerful portrayal of the complexities of emotional healing and the need for support and connection in difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't forget me
I hope you won't neglect me

Bring me down
Lower my ego, my pride I shroud

Don't let me promise you
Don't let me commit to you

Things I cannot do
Things outside my purview

This infection adds to my collection
My lingering problems contribute to my rarefied melancholy

Hoard my pain
I hold on to my grief

And show it to you one day
I am ready to be vulnerable

You alone indeed
You're the only one who understands me

You sing so adamantly
You express yourself without reservation

And it fills my mind with thoughts so fine
You inspire me in ways that I can't define