In the beginning, Columbia Records signed Carlile in late 2004 on the strength of songs she'd been recording periodically at home. Released in 2005, Brandi Carlile showcased those early songs along with several newly recorded tracks. Shortly after the release of Brandi Carlile, she left her home in Seattle and set out with the Hanseroth brothers, with whom she'd worked on her earliest recordings and independent regional tours. The tightly knit trio, which forms the core of her band today, spent the better part of two years on the road honing the songs that would later become part of her album "The Story".
In 2005, she was featured on Rolling Stone's "10 Artists to Watch in 2005" list. By the end of 2006, Carlile had embarked on several headlining tours and supported a variety of artists including Ray LaMontagne, The Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.
Her second album, The Story, was released in April 2007. It was produced by T Bone Burnett and includes a collaboration with the Indigo Girls on "Cannonball." The album was recorded in an eleven-day-long session with Carlile , the twins (Tim and Phil Hanseroth) and drummer Matt Chamberlain to capture the raw intensity of Carlile's live performances. The crack in Carlile's vocals during the title track, "The Story", came out by accident and was a direct result of the way the album was recorded. Carlile herself describes the vocals as "technically wrong but emotionally right."
Carlile was exposed to a wider audience when ABC's Grey's Anatomy showcased three of her songs: "Tragedy," "What Can I Say," and "Throw It All Away". In April 2007, Grey's Anatomy debuted a version of the video for the single The Story interspersed with footage from the show. On May 3, 2007, a special two-hour episode of "Grey's Anatomy" featured Carlile's song "Turpentine" during footage of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off, "Private Practice".
Losing Heart
Brandi Carlile Lyrics
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If my heart don't beat and the sun don't shine
They'll get theirs
You'll get yours and I'll get mine
It used to be that everything was easy
But now it's lost and nobody believes me
Am I losing heart?
Am I pushing too hard?
Have I started to forget?
I'm alright
Am I made of steel?
Am I locked up tight?
I'm human
But I'm wide awake and afraid to fight
It used to take nothing to amaze me
But now I'm older and it doesn't even phase me
Am I losing heart?
Have I frozen it? Oh yeah
Am I pushing too hard?
Have I started to forget?
It used to be that everything was easy
Now it's lost and nobody believes me
Am I losing heart?
Have I frozen it? Oh yeah
Am I pushing too hard?
Have I started to forget?
In Brandi Carlile's song "Losing Heart," she sings about feeling disconnected from her emotions and unsure of where her heart lies. The opening lines suggest a sense of resignation to fate and a lack of control over one's life. The phrase "They'll get theirs/You'll get yours and I'll get mine" implies a sense of justice, that everyone will eventually receive what they deserve. However, the lack of reference to the singer's own well-being suggests a feeling of being lost and perhaps even forgotten.
The verses that follow explore the singer's sense of detachment from her own feelings. She asks herself if she has "frozen" her heart and become too hardened to feel anything deeply. She also wonders if she is pushing too hard in some areas of her life, or if she has started to forget something important. The refrain "Am I losing heart?" suggests that she is struggling to understand her own emotional state and fears that she may be losing something essential to herself.
The song's title is a play on the phrase "losing heart," which can mean both giving up or becoming discouraged, as well as experiencing a weakening of the heart muscle. Both interpretations suggest a sense of feeling beaten down or defeated. The song's wistful melody and slow tempo underscore its melancholy tone, with Carlile's voice conveying a sense of world-weariness and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mind
I am okay with the possibility that things may not work out as expected
If my heart don't beat and the sun don't shine
Even if life does not seem to have its usual energy and excitement, I will still be okay
They'll get theirs
Those who deserve justice will eventually receive it
You'll get yours and I'll get mine
Everyone will get what they deserve in the end
It used to be that everything was easy
Things were once simpler and more straightforward
But now it's lost and nobody believes me
Things have become more complicated and difficult, and no one seems to understand my struggles
Am I losing heart?
Am I losing my motivation and passion for life?
Have I frozen it? Oh yeah
Am I inadvertently suppressing my emotions and creativity?
Am I pushing too hard?
Am I exerting too much effort and energy in pursuit of my goals?
Have I started to forget?
Am I beginning to lose my memory or sense of self?
I'm alright
I am currently okay or coping with my challenges
Am I made of steel?
Am I incredibly strong and impervious to emotional pain?
Am I locked up tight?
Am I tightly regulating my emotions or experiences to the point of constriction?
I'm human
I am vulnerable to pain and struggle, like any other person
But I'm wide awake and afraid to fight
I am alert and aware of my situation, but hesitant to engage in conflict or struggle
It used to take nothing to amaze me
I used to be easily impressed or awed by things
But now I'm older and it doesn't even phase me
As I have grown older, it takes more to impress, surprise, or affect me
Now it's lost and nobody believes me
The simplicity and ease of the past has disappeared, and those around me are unable to empathize with or support me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brandi M. Carlile, Phillip John Hanseroth, Timothy Jay Hanseroth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind