Charlotte Hatherley (born 20 June 1979, London, England) is an English guit… Read Full Bio ↴Charlotte Hatherley (born 20 June 1979, London, England) is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. She is also known as the former guitarist and backing vocalist in the rock band Ash. Currently she's performing under the alias Sylver Tongue.

Before her days in Ash, Hatherley was playing in the obscure punk rock band, Nightnurse, from the age of 16. They received moderate success, and Ash frontman Tim Wheeler was present at one of their gigs. She was later recruited as the fourth and final member. Her first album with the group was 1998s Nu Clear Sounds where she provided lead guitar for all tracks and also wrote the song WildSurf which appears on the album.

Apart from this, Hatherley mainly contributed to Ash with soulful guitar and some backing vocals, co-writing the odd song with Wheeler. The title track from Hatherley's first solo album, Grey Will Fade had previously been featured as a B-side to one of Ash's singles. The rest of the band had liked the song, yet felt it wasn't consistent with Ash's sound, and supported Hatherley when she decided to record her own album. This debut album, relased in 2004, has more than proved her songwriting ability. The three singles, Bastardo, Kim Wilde and Summer all received high praise from critics, as well as the album itself.

The videos to the tracks Bastardo and Summer were directed by her ex-boyfriend, Edgar Wright, who is best known as the director of the film "Shaun Of The Dead", which incidentally featured two tracks from Ash's fourth album proper Meltdown, the title track and Orpheus.

On January 20th 2006, she announced her departure from Ash, to pursue her solo career further.

Her first material since her departure from Ash came in the form of the Behave EP which featured tracks from her second album and was released on December 18 2006 on two formats - 7" vinyl and digital download. The EP featured the title track Behave as well as other tracks from her second album including Cousteau and Mr Ed.

Her second album, The Deep Blue, was released in March 2007 on her own label Little Sister Records which was founded by Charlotte together with her manager Ann-Marie Shields. Between this and the release of her 2009 third solo effort, New Worlds, she played with Bat for Lashes as a touring guitarist, and has played bass with Client since December 2007.

Down
Charlotte Hatherley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where is the sign?
Been waiting all this time
And the thought that comes to mind
Maybe there's nothing to find

Where is the light?
So far out of sight
Maybe there's nothing to be found

And all I am right now

Is down, down down down down down down down down
Down down down down down

Where are my dreams?
And where is my sign?
There must be something to be found
'Cause all I am right now

Is down, down down down down down down down down
Down down down down down

I am not who you are
You are on higher ground
Not sure what to say
Won't make a sound
I am not who you are
You are on higher ground
Not sure what to say
I am feeling down

Oh I am tired
I'll stay in for a while
I'm not so good to have around
'Cause all I am right now

Is down, down down down down down down down down
Down down down down down

Overall Meaning

In Charlotte Hatherley's song "Down", the lyrics express a sense of confusion, frustration, and feeling lost. The first verse poses questions of looking for signs and light but finding nothing, concluding with the feeling of being down. In the chorus, the repetition of the word "down" emphasizes the feeling of being stuck and the inability to move forward, in relation to the search for dreams or any form of guidance. The second verse, "I am not who you are, you are on higher ground," can be interpreted as feeling inadequate in comparison to others who seem to have it all figured out or doing better in life. The final verse, "I am tired, I'll stay in for a while, I'm not so good to have around," highlights the weight of feeling down, causing the singer to seclude themselves and have doubts about their worth.

Overall, the song conveys the theme of feeling lost and hopeless, whether it be about finding direction in life or finding solutions to personal problems. The lyrics suggest that it's okay to feel down as it's a part of life and that it's important to acknowledge these feelings and to take time to rest.

Line by Line Meaning

Where is the sign?
Wondering where the guidance is.

Been waiting all this time
Longing for a sign for a considerable amount of time.

And the thought that comes to mind
A realization dawns.

Maybe there's nothing to find
The possibility of finding nothing through this quest.

Where is the light?
Asking where the hope is.

So far out of sight
The hope is not visible currently.

Maybe there's nothing to be found
The probability of finding no hope through this quest.

And all I am right now
Current emotional state.

Is down, down down down down down down down down
Feeling very low and depressed.

Where are my dreams?
Searching for one's aspirations.

And where is my sign?
Yearning for guidance in reaching one's aspirations.