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.
Lazy Heart
Boo Hewerdine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't make it do a thing
Won't go to church on Sundays
I've never heard it sing
No matter what I do
Can't make my heart want you
I've got a lazy heart
Sleep through an earthquake
Walk and never run
I don't know what to say
It's always been that way
My lazy heart and I
Are hostage to the moon
And winter's far too long
And summer ends too soon
Goddamn my lazy heart
It's dumb as an ox I know
Won't go to work on Mondays
Just can't make it go
Whatever's to be done?
My heart cannot be won
I'm not the one to blame
So please don't make me choose
Between a living lie
And the I'm so sorry blues
In Boo Hewerdine's song "Lazy Heart," the singer is lamenting the fact that they cannot make their heart want someone they should want. They have a "lazy heart" that just won't cooperate, and they can't force themselves to go to church, run instead of walking, or do anything that goes against their natural inclination. The singer is resigned to this fact, saying that no matter what they do, they can't make their heart want this person. They blame their lack of motivation on their "lazy heart," which is also responsible for their tendency to sleep in, even during an earthquake, and generally take things at a slow pace. The singer and their heart are "hostage to the moon," meaning they are affected by external factors that they cannot control, and they find it hard to get through the long winter and short summer.
The conclusion of the song finds the singer frustrated with their lazy heart and unsure of what to do. Their heart is so uncooperative that it won't even let them go to work on Mondays or make choices about who they want to be with. They feel stuck in this situation, unable to change their lazy heart, but also unable to lie to themselves about their feelings. The final line presents a choice between continuing with the "living lie" of pretending to be with someone they don't love or facing the regret of the "I'm so sorry blues" for hurting the person they should love.
Overall, "Lazy Heart" is a song about feeling unable to control your own heart and the frustration that comes with that. The singer longs for a connection with someone, but their lazy heart just won't let it happen. The song is melancholy and resigned, but it also captures the struggle of trying to force feelings that just aren't there.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a lazy heart
My emotions tend to be stagnant, unwilling to change or move forward.
Can't make it do a thing
I lack the ability to motivate my heart to act in a certain way or feel certain emotions.
Won't go to church on Sundays
I lack enthusiasm for religion or spirituality and feel no desire to partake in traditional religious practices.
I've never heard it sing
My heart has never felt strong emotions, particularly joy or elation, that would make it metaphorically 'sing'.
No matter what I do
Regardless of my efforts, I cannot change the behavior of my heart.
Can't make my heart want you
I am unable to develop romantic feelings for someone despite trying.
Sleeps when the morning comes
My emotions are dormant in the morning and do not awaken until later in the day.
Sleep through an earthquake
My emotions are so unresponsive that they would not even react to the physical sensation of an earthquake.
Walk and never run
I lack enthusiasm or energy for even basic activities and do not actively pursue chances to better myself.
I don't know what to say
I am at a loss when it comes to understanding or articulating my emotions.
It's always been that way
My emotional disengagement has been a long-standing trait that I have never been able to overcome or change.
My lazy heart and I
My emotions and I are inextricably linked and influence each other's behavior.
Are hostage to the moon
My emotions are affected by the phases of the moon or other astrological factors outside of my control.
And winter's far too long
The dreary, dark winter months exacerbate my emotional stagnation and make it more difficult for me to become emotionally engaged.
And summer ends too soon
The brief, fleeting nature of summer exacerbates my tendency to hold onto stale emotions and reluctance to let go and move on.
Goddamn my lazy heart
I am frustrated with myself for being emotionally stagnant and unresponsive.
It's dumb as an ox I know
I am aware that my unwillingness to engage with my emotions is not rational, and it is akin to the lack of intelligence of an animal.
Won't go to work on Mondays
My emotional disengagement affects my motivation and willingness to engage in daily life, such as attending work or other responsibilities.
Whatever's to be done?
There seems to be no solution or strategy that can overcome my emotional stagnation.
My heart cannot be won
I am unable to fall in love or fully connect with someone emotionally.
I'm not the one to blame
I do not see myself as solely responsible or in control of my emotional disengagement and lack of motivation.
So please don't make me choose
I am uncomfortable with being forced to make a decision between two things that both seem flawed or unsatisfactory.
Between a living lie
I do not want to act in a way that is dishonest or disingenuous, even if it means I will continue to struggle emotionally.
And the I'm so sorry blues
I do not want to be in a position where I am constantly apologizing for my emotional distance or lack of motivation, but I also do not want to pretend that everything is okay when it is not.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
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