Martin got her start singing opera while attending Eastern Illinois University in the late '90s. Her father was a respected professor in the music department, and naturally Martin followed his footsteps. She began playing piano when she was a little girl and her childhood was surrounded by music.
While attending school, Martin experienced "real life," from living with her goth roommate and dealing with typical college-like drama to the tragic suicides of two close friends. Martin turned to music for solace. She desperately wanted to make music into a career; therefore, a whirlwind move to Los Angeles seemed like the right thing to do.
Martin eventually made a record, One Girl Army, with producer Tom Rothrock (Badly Drawn Boy, Beck, Elliott Smith), but it was never released. Before 2002 came to a close, Martin got her own studio and recorded a new batch of songs with Ken Andrews (Air, Pete Yorn). The melodic dreamscapes of In Parentheses arrived in August 2003 and Martin's bright voice drew comparisons to Fiona Apple and Kate Bush. Dates with Howie Day and Damien Rice also coincided with the release of the EP.
On Your Shore followed in 2004. Unfortunately, Martin's relationship with RCA proved creatively trying as the singer/songwriter continued writing and recording new material. A decision to leave the major label in 2005 allowed Martin to accomplish her creative goals, thus reconnecting with Test-Drive Records to issue the Veins and Darkest Hour EPs before the year's end. Additional support dates around North American followed into the fall, and Martin rounded out the Veins tour with her first DVD recording, the limited-edition Something Like a DVD.
She also married her long-time collaborator and co-producer, Ken Andrews (Pete Yorn, Year of the Rabbit, Failure), in the midst of recording her second album, Stromata. The album arrived on Martin and Andrews' own Dinosaur Fight label in September 2006.
In 2009, Martin released the instrumental album Piano Trees, a collection of improvised piano songs.
In 2011, Martin released her album, Dancing on Needles.
In 2014, Martin released Water Breaks Stone.
On October 5, 2018, Martin released the second of her instrumental piano albums (after Piano Trees), entitled Clear Blue Sky. The following year, in 2019, two more albums in a similar vein were released: Monotonous Night on March 8 and Dawn on December 27.
http://www.charlottemartin.com
Something Like A Hero
Charlotte Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got directions to the bombshell factory?
And a bowflexing nightmare tendency?
Hesitate
Where's the tape, my retired beauty queen?
Hello girls
Truth can make you stare into the mirror for hours
Come into what's my own disappear zone
Close my ears
I close my eyes
In the world of a stupid girl
And in her stupid dress size
So who are we?
Who's the judge?
And are you something like a hero?
No mistakes
Different versions of the girl right next to you
And I'm knocking on your door and can't get through
And I cry and I sigh and I try to
Close my ears
I close my eyes
In the world of a stupid girl
And in her pettiest of lies
So who are we?
Who's the judge?
And are you something like a hero?
Dull sensations
Push them to the wall
Oh to the wall, yeah
And the thorns that fall, oh
Have the guts to walk upon them all
Yeah
To walk upon them all
Yeah
To walk upon them all
Yeah
Halfway there
I was waiting by the phone for you to care
And I can't make a seed grow anywhere
So I wait
So I wait
Are you out there?
Close my eyes
I close my ears
In the world of a stupid girl
And in her shallowest of fears
So who are we?
Who's the judge?
And are you something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
Are you something like, something like a hero?
Are you something like a hero?
A hero?
A hero?
In Charlotte Martin's "Something Like A Hero," the artist explores themes of self-doubt, insecurity, and the search for validation. The opening lines of the song introduce a multitude of characters with different gender identities, all searching for something more. The singer poses questions about the bombshell factory and a bowflexing nightmare tendency, suggesting that these characters are searching for something external to make them feel validated. She also questions the ability of lipgloss to save a nation, suggesting that the characters are searching for meaning in superficial concepts.
The chorus of the song is a reflection on the singer's own self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy. She paints herself as a "stupid girl" and questions who the judge of her worth is. The repetition of the question, "are you something like a hero?" suggests that the singer is searching for someone or something to save her or validate her worth in a world that can feel hostile and critical.
Throughout the song, Martin's lyrics are poetic and introspective, grappling with complex themes of identity, self-worth, and the search for personal validation.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello boys
Charlotte Martin addresses the boys and asks if they know the way to the bombshell factory, and if they are fitness fanatics who have nightmares of not working out
Got directions to the bombshell factory?
Charlotte Martin asks if anyone knows the directions to the bombshell factory
And a bowflexing nightmare tendency?
Charlotte Martin asks if anyone has a tendency to have nightmares about not working out
Hesitate
Charlotte Martin asks if anyone is hesitant to respond to her questions
Where's the tape, my retired beauty queen?
Charlotte Martin asks if anyone seen the tape of retired beauty queen
Hello girls
Charlotte Martin now addresses the girls and makes a statement about the truth
Truth can make you stare into the mirror for hours
Charlotte Martin asserts that when one is confronted with the truth, they might lose themselves and stare into a mirror for hours
And could lipgloss save a nation, Mr. Powers?
Charlotte Martin challenges the notion of the power of lipgloss to save a nation and addresses Mr. Powers
Come into what's my own disappear zone
Charlotte Martin invites the listener to come into her 'disappear' zone
Close my ears
Charlotte Martin confesses that when she is in a stupid situation, she tries to close her ears to avoid hearing any negativity
I close my eyes
Charlotte Martin admits that she also closes her eyes when facing stupidity so as not to see it
In the world of a stupid girl
Charlotte Martin thinks that due to her shutting out stupidity, she becomes a stupid girl herself
And in her stupid dress size
Charlotte Martin feels that even her dress size is stupid
So who are we?
Charlotte Martin starts to think about the identity we all have
Who's the judge?
Charlotte Martin wonders who has the authority to judge us
And are you something like a hero?
Charlotte Martin questions whether someone is worthy of being called a hero
No mistakes
Charlotte Martin thinks that, although we are all different, we are not wrong, i.e., there are no mistakes
Different versions of the girl right next to you
Charlotte Martin believes that every person is different, even if they are next to each other, i.e., they might as well be different people
And I'm knocking on your door and can't get through
Charlotte Martin feels like she is trying to connect with people, but she is not getting through to them
And I cry and I sigh and I try to
Charlotte Martin reveals that she becomes emotional and tries to communicate with others
Dull sensations
Charlotte Martin refers to feeling bored and unstimulated
Push them to the wall
Charlotte Martin encourages the listener to push their dull sensations and fears to the wall
Oh to the wall, yeah
Charlotte Martin repeats the phrase to emphasize the idea of pushing towards walls
And the thorns that fall, oh
Charlotte Martin references the metaphorical thorns that get in our way when we try to push through
Have the guts to walk upon them all
Charlotte Martin suggests having the courage to walk on these thorns
Yeah
Charlotte Martin says 'yeah' to express her agreement with her previous statement
Halfway there
Charlotte Martin refers to being halfway through a difficult situation, but still waiting for help
I was waiting by the phone for you to care
Charlotte Martin is saying that she is expecting someone's help and is waiting for their response, even though they do not care
And I can't make a seed grow anywhere
Charlotte Martin portrays herself as powerless, unable even to make a seed grow
So I wait
Charlotte Martin just waits and hopes that things will change
Are you out there?
Charlotte Martin is questioning whether anyone is out there who could help her
In her shallowest of fears
Charlotte Martin states that even her fears are shallow, and she's aware of that
Are you something like a hero?
Charlotte Martin again asks if anyone can be considered a hero
Are you something like, something like a hero?
Charlotte Martin is asking whether anyone could resemble a hero in any way
A hero?
Charlotte Martin conveys the question whether someone could become a hero by helping her
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CHARLOTTE MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind