Born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1969, Duncan Sheik grew up in South Carolina but spent many of his early years staying with his grandparents in New Jersey. Inspired to play the piano while there, he later switched to electric guitar and performed in bands throughout high school. A fan of musical theater from a young age, he also acted in school plays and attended the occasional Broadway show with his mother. While studying at Brown University, he played in a band with Lisa Loeb but began shopping his own demo tape soon after graduation. After moving to Los Angeles, he appeared with His Boy Elroy on a 1993 album for Epic, and spent several years writing songs before he signed a solo deal with Atlantic.
Atlantic released his debut album, the Rupert Hine-produced Duncan Sheik, in mid-1996, with the single "Barely Breathing" following later in the year. The song reached number 16 on the Hot 100, and after another single, "Reasons for Living," appeared on the soundtrack to the hit TV show ER in late 1996, the debut peaked at number 83 on the Billboard 200. Also produced with Hine, the follow-up, Humming, arrived on Atlantic in 1998 and reached number 163.
Nonesuch issued 2001's self-produced Phantom Moon, a more orchestral collaboration between Sheik and poet/playwright/lyricist Steven Sater, who provided its lyrics. It featured appearances by the London Session Orchestra and guitarist Bill Frisell. Though it failed to reach the Billboard 200, Sheik returned to the chart with his fourth album, 2002's Daylight, which reached number 110. It would be his final release with Atlantic. In 2002, Sheik also composed music for a New York Shakespeare Festival's production of Twelfth Night.
Continuing to split his focus between songwriting and composition, Sheik wrote the film score for the 2004 romantic drama A Home at the End of the World as well as music for the 2005 documentary Through the Fire. He offered up his fifth studio LP, While Limousine, on the Zoë label in 2006. Its insightful lyrics didn't shy away from sociopolitical territory. In the meantime, he had collaborated with Sater on a rock musical based on the 19th century German play Spring Awakening, a story concerned with teenaged sexuality. With a book and lyrics by Sater and music by Sheik, Spring Awakening opened off-Broadway in May 2006 before moving to Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre in December of that year. The show ran for over two years and took home eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. The Decca-issued cast album won a Grammy for Sheik and Sater.
Sheik composed the scores for projects including the Mary Stuart Masterson-directed film The Cake Eaters (2007) and the animated TV movie Little Spirit: Christmas in New York (2008) before presenting his next pop album, 2009's Whisper House. Featuring several duets with Holly Brook (Skylar Grey), the RCA Victor release spent a week at the number 181 spot on the Billboard 200. He scored the movie dramas Dare (2009) and Harvest (2010), then returned in 2011 with the covers album Covers 80s, which included backing vocals by Rachael Yamagata and Brook. Covers 80s Remixed appeared in 2012.
Next up for Sheik was a musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho featuring a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and music, lyrics, and orchestrations all by Sheik. It opened in London in 2013. He released another solo album, a song cycle titled Legerdemain (2015), and premiered the musical thriller Noir (2015) at Vassar College before American Psycho had its Broadway premiere in March 2016. The original London cast recording arrived on Concord Records the same month. Based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, another Sheik-Sater musical collaboration, Alice by Heart, opened off-Broadway in early 2019. The original cast recording was released by Ghostlight later in the year. 2019 also saw the off-Broadway opening of the musical The Secret Life of Bees, featuring music by Sheik and lyrics by Tony nominee Susan Birkenhead (Working, Jelly's Last Jam).
His first concert album, Live at the Cafe Carlyle, followed on Sneaky Studios/Missing Piece in late 2020. Compiled from a week of shows in October 2017, its set list spanned "Barely Breathing," songs from Spring Awakening, and previously unreleased covers of Radiohead and Tom Petty. An HBO documentary about the 15th anniversary concert of the hit musical, Spring Awakening: Those You've Known, premiered in May 2022 and was followed in June by Claptrap, Sheik's first solo studio album in seven years. It arrived on the New York-based Antifragile Music label.
Biography by Marcy Donelson
Lo And Behold
Duncan Sheik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Held his heart out in his hand
A hollow land of autumn breeze
Evenings in the brittle rain
Leaves that fill the barren plain
With simple pain embroideries
In the temple yesterday
Was a man, who came to pray
So, he feel down on his knees
Sued for grace and sued for peace
A little ease, and not to grieve
Marion, she met a man
Took her to Jerusalem
To take a stand, escape a scene
To wander in the honey sea
Drink the milk of Memory
And never be herself again
In the temple yesterday
Was a woman came to pray
Who couldn't say, and couldn't see
So, she fell down on her knees
Sued for grace and sued for peace
Sued the priest to set her free
Lo, lo and behold
Lo, lo and behold
The song "Lo and Behold" by Duncan Sheik is a reflective and introspective song that explores spirituality, human connection, and self-discovery. The first stanza of the song introduces the character of Simeon, who is described as a man who held his heart out in his hand. The following lines describe the atmosphere around Simeon, which is one of "autumn breeze" and "brittle rain", which are metaphors for loneliness and fragility. The lines "Leaves that fill the barren plain/With simple pain embroideries" are also vivid metaphors that reinforce the sadness and emptiness of Simeon's life.
The second half of the stanza shifts to describe a man who visits a temple to pray but cannot stay or leave. This man is seeking grace and peace, and the lyrics evoke a sense of longing and desperation. The second stanza introduces the character of Marion, who travels to Jerusalem to take a stand and escape from her past. She too falls down on her knees in a temple, seeking grace and peace. The refrain "Lo, lo and behold" emphasizes the transformative power of spirituality and the unexpected ways in which it can manifest in our lives.
Overall, the song is a powerful meditation on the search for meaning and connection in our lives. The vivid imagery and the haunting melody combine to create a haunting and meditative mood that lingers long after the song has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Simeon, he was a man
This line introduces a new character named Simeon, and informs us that he is male.
Held his heart out in his hand
Simeon is very open and honest with his emotions, and wears his heart on his sleeve.
A hollow land of autumn breeze
The setting is described as empty, with a cold wind blowing through it.
Evenings in the brittle rain
This line further describes the dreary environment, with frequent rains that feel sharp and unyielding.
Leaves that fill the barren plain
Although the landscape is barren, there are plenty of leaves scattered about that bring a touch of color and life to the scene.
With simple pain embroideries
The environment is described as being decorated by the pain and sorrow of those who have passed through it.
In the temple yesterday
The next scene takes place inside a temple, and implies that the setting has shifted from the previous verse.
Was a man, who came to pray
The new character is a man who has come to this temple with the intention of praying.
Who couldn't stay and couldn't leave
Despite wanting to move on from his troubles, the man feels trapped and unable to leave them behind.
So, he feel down on his knees
Out of desperation, the man falls to his knees to plead for help.
Sued for grace and sued for peace
The man is asking for forgiveness and tranquility.
A little ease, and not to grieve
The man wants only a small amount of relief from his sadness, and to stop feeling so much pain.
Marion, she met a man
A new character named Marion has been introduced, and she has recently come across a man.
Took her to Jerusalem
The man has taken Marion to the city of Jerusalem, which is a highly symbolic and spiritual destination.
To take a stand, escape a scene
Marion wanted to make a change in her life, and going to Jerusalem was her way of doing so.
To wander in the honey sea
Jerusalem is a place of great spiritual richness, and Marion is eager to explore it fully.
Drink the milk of Memory
By immersing herself in the history and customs of Jerusalem, Marion hopes to gain a better understanding of herself and her past.
And never be herself again
Marion is hoping for a major transformation, to become a new person entirely after her experiences in Jerusalem.
Was a woman came to pray
The scene has shifted back to the temple, and this time we meet a new female character who also seeks guidance from a higher power.
Who couldn't say, and couldn't see
Like the man from earlier, this woman is feeling lost and unsure of how to move forward.
So, she fell down on her knees
Out of desperation, the woman also falls to her knees to ask for help and support.
Sued for grace and sued for peace
The woman is asking for comfort and serenity.
Sued the priest to set her free
The woman is not just pleading for help, but demanding it from the priest she has come to for guidance.
Lo, lo and behold
These lines are repeated several times throughout the song, and serve as a rallying cry to keep moving forward despite setbacks and uncertainty.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEVEN SATER, DUNCAN SHEIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind