During his tenure as a dance producer and DJ, Christopher was developing himself as multi-faceted performer and songwriter, incorporating those elements into his productions. 'EP1', his pop-oriented debut, fused all of those passions and set the perfect tone for the rest of his material: a strong focus on songwriting, soulful vocals, and sleek and spacious production. "Wanting" from 'EP1' was named one of Ann Arbor 107.1FM's best tracks of 2011. He followed up with 'EP2' and 'EP3', which were featured by Soundcloud on their community blog.
While juggling remix duties for the likes of Katy Perry, Chrome Sparks, and Stockholm superstars Newtimers, he produced/mixed material for Oakland-based artist Hopscotch as well as spearheading folk artist Abigail Stauffer's second album "No Contradictions". Christopher is now in the process of releasing his debut album song-by-song in realtime, starting with "integrate" in August 2013.
Waves
Christopher Norman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time it twists and it turns
Streaming onward
I waste the day
Smoke my feelings away
Well it's something
Beats nothing at all
When your back's on the wall
Wipe the ash off of my fingers
I used to be broken
But I've been awoken
Pick up the pieces
Retracing at least it's some movement
It's all about movement
Break out of disarray
The ghost of a song
Haunts for too long in your heart
Burning through
It comes in waves
Time to hold on
Now that it's all on you
All on you
This town's for lost souls
A beacon to beckon
The wandering
I'm wandering too
I know what to do, I'm just waiting
Patiently waiting for my time to come
Playing the day away
Looking for new doors to open
Time sinks a thousand leagues under the sea
And I'm floating alone in your ocean
Awaiting the tide
The lyrics of Christopher Norman's song "Waves" portrays the feeling of being stuck in a blur and wasting time while being lost in one's thoughts. The image of time twisting and turning in a paradoxical way, streaming onward, further emphasizes the confusion and aimlessness felt by the singer. Despite this, the song hints at a willingness to find something to hold onto, even if it is just nicotine or some other vices, rather than accepting nothing at all. The lines "You gotta have something / Beats nothing at all" are an explicit confession to this feeling.
As the song progresses, the singer seems to gain a sense of purpose through a newfound sense of direction. The lyrics "But I've been awoken / Pick up the pieces / Retracing at least it's some movement / It's all about movement" appear to express this growth. The singer is trying to break free from disarray and is haunted by a song's ghost that keeps playing in their heart for too long. However, in the end, the singer accepts that the tides of life that come in waves, and it is time to hold on and take control.
Line by Line Meaning
Stuck in a blur
Feeling unable to focus or get things done
Time it twists and it turns
Time feels ephemeral and difficult to keep track of
Streaming onward
Time keeps moving forward and cannot be stopped
I waste the day
I feel unproductive and unsatisfied with how I'm spending my time
Smoke my feelings away
Trying to numb or escape from negative emotions through smoking
Well it's something
Finding some comfort or solace in the act of smoking
You gotta have something
Anything is better than nothing, especially when you're facing a difficult situation
Beats nothing at all
Even the slightest improvement is worth pursuing, rather than giving up entirely
When your back's on the wall
When you're facing extreme hardship or pressure
Wipe the ash off of my fingers
Cleaning up after smoking, potentially as a symbol of moving on from that coping mechanism
I used to be broken
Feeling damaged or unable to function in some way
But I've been awoken
Finding a newfound sense of clarity or motivation
Pick up the pieces
Trying to put things back together after a difficult time
Retracing at least it's some movement
Even if progress is slow or incremental, any forward momentum is better than stagnation
It's all about movement
The key to making progress is to keep moving forward, even if it's just a little at a time
Break out of disarray
Getting out of a state of disorder or confusion
The ghost of a song
A memory or feeling that lingers and haunts you
Haunts for too long in your heart
Feeling emotionally burdened by something that you can't let go of
Burning through
The weight of this feeling is intense and all-consuming
It comes in waves
These intense feelings or memories come and go, but they still have a powerful impact
Time to hold on
It's important to stay grounded and weather these difficult emotions
Now that it's all on you
You're faced with a challenge or responsibility that you must tackle on your own
This town's for lost souls
The singer feels like they're surrounded by others who are also struggling or lost in some way
A beacon to beckon
This place has a draw even though it may not be ideal or offer any clear solutions
The wandering
People who are aimlessly moving through life, unsure of their path
I'm wandering too
The singer also feels like they're lacking direction or purpose
I know what to do, I'm just waiting
The singer has some sense of what their next steps are, but they're not quite ready to take action yet
Patiently waiting for my time to come
The artist is being patient and waiting for the right moment to make their move
Playing the day away
Passing the time without any real purpose or direction
Looking for new doors to open
Seeking out new opportunities or paths forward
Time sinks a thousand leagues under the sea
Time passes quickly and irretrievably
And I'm floating alone in your ocean
Feeling adrift or disconnected, potentially from a larger community or sense of purpose
Awaiting the tide
Waiting for things to change or take a turn for the better
Contributed by Isabelle D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sarah
beautiful