Hewerdine (born Mark Hewerdine) moved to Cambridge as a child, but returned to London in his late teens, and worked in a record shop. Suffering from agoraphobia, it was not a happy time of his life, and he was fired from his job after being wrongly accused of theft. Returning to Cambridge, he teamed up with a friend with similar experiences and started to write songs. They formed the short-lived Placebo Thing, later renamed The Great Divide. They were heard by Mike Scott of The Waterboys, who recommended them to Ensign Records, where they cut two commercially unsuccessful singles. In 1985 Hewerdine, working once again in a record shop in Cambridge, formed The Bible, recruiting jazz drummer Tony Shepherd. They released an album of songs through the independent Norwich label Backs Records called Walking The Ghost Back Home.
The Bible became a fairly successful independent band, with a cult following spread mostly through word of mouth and live performances. Two tracks from the first album, Graceland and Mahalia were released as singles, but did not achieve very significant sales. The album however was very well received by music pundits, and this brought the band to the attention of Chrysalis Records. Signing to Chrysalis, Graceland and another track, Honey Be Good were (re)released as singles, and reached the lower end of the UK singles chart. A new album, Eureka followed, but failed commercially. In 1988, Hewerdine decided to leave the group and pursue solo projects. Calum MacColl and Neill MacColl from the group went on to form Liberty Horses.
At around this time Hewerdine met US "new country" singer Darden Smith, and this set him off in a new direction. Working together, he and Smith released a collaborative album, Evidence. Hewerdine also worked simultaneously on new solo songs, largely based on his earlier traumatic experiences in London. Eventually these were distilled down to produce the Ignorance album, released in 1992. Invited by Tori Amos to play support promoting these songs, Hewerdine managed to find a new audience and Ignorance and a single from the album, History, did relatively well commercially.
As Hewerdine's star rose, he started to write for other artists, among them Eddi Reader, Clive Gregson and Christine Collister. The Bible reformed for a tour in 1994. Further solo album releases followed, such as 1996's Baptist Hospital and 1999's Thanksgiving. Meanwhile Hewerdine was asked by long-time friend Nick Hornby to contribute music to the soundtrack for the movie version of his book High Fidelity, whose subject (working in a record shop) was also very close to Hewerdine's experiences.
Hewerdine continues to write and perform his own songs. Harmonograph, released on MVine/Red Grape Records in February 2006, is a collection of his songs written for other artists such as Eddi Reader and Hepburn, recorded by Hewerdine for the first time. 2008 saw two mini CD releases - Toy Box 1 and Toy Box 2 with art work by Hewerdine's grandmother. Hewerdine continues to tour regularly, playing a set featuring songs from through out his career from The Bible to Toy Box.
Hope Is A Name
Boo Hewerdine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something she'll carry with her in this world
All of the things that you never had
All of the loves that you never loved
Hope is a name that we give to a girl
She'll wear it for dancing she'll sway and she'll swirl
She'll turn when she hears it in whispers and sighs
Oh still it goes on
Oh still it goes on
It's always been the same
You're no one until they give you a name
Hope is a name I would pass down to you
Part of the blueprint in all that you do
All of the things that I never did
All of the loves that I never loved
In "Hope Is A Name," Boo Hewerdine speaks about the significance of the name 'Hope' and how the name carries not only a person's identification but also the weight of unfulfilled dreams and emotions. Hewerdine alludes to the name being passed down from one generation to the other, signifying a legacy. The lyrics depict the hopes and desires of a parent for his child - they want their child to have a life that they could never experience. The name represents the aspirations of the singer for his child to experience all the love and joy that he never got to experience.
The tone of the song emphasizes that the name 'Hope' is significant as it is something that lasts forever, and it can never be taken away from the person. "Hope Is A Name" emphasizes the importance of parents curating a legacy that will outlast them; the hope that their child will have hopes and dreams that are fulfilled.
Line by Line Meaning
Hope is a name that you give to a girl
Hope is a name given to a girl to carry with her in the world
Something she'll carry with her in this world
Hope is a name that will always be with her throughout her life
All of the things that you never had
Hope represents things the giver wished they had but never got
All of the loves that you never loved
Hope encapsulates the love the giver never experienced
Hope is a name that we give to a girl
Hope represents a girl's identity that she cherishes
She'll wear it for dancing she'll sway and she'll swirl
Hope is part of her identity which brings her joy and makes her move with grace
She'll turn when she hears it in whispers and sighs
Hope is a name that can catch her attention in any situation
She'll smile as it crosses her first lover's lips
Hope is a name that can evoke a happy memory or feeling
Oh still it goes on
Hope has always been around and will always exist
Oh still it goes on
Hope is part of the continuation of the human race
It's always been the same
Hope is a constant in an ever-changing world
You're no one until they give you a name
A name gives identity and meaning to an individual
Hope is a name I would pass down to you
Hope is something the giver wants to pass down from one generation to another
Part of the blueprint in all that you do
Hope is an essential element in a person's character and actions
All of the things that I never did
Hope represents the giver's unfulfilled desires and aspirations
All of the loves that I never loved
Hope captures the love the giver never received or gave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BOO HEWERDINE, CLIVE GREGSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind