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
On A High
Duncan Sheik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's nothing more to it.
We are the sea and the sky
And the blue that runs through it, yeah.
And there are some who say there are so many things I need
So I run or I fight and I crawl or I scream and I bleed
I bleed, I bleed
Well, it's a lie it's a lie, don't you believe it.
If you're fine then you're fine, it's all how you see it.
Oh, there never will be no conspiracy of happiness.
I'm on a high I'm on a high
And there's nothing more to it
I have the sun, it's a star
Why should I refuse it
And there are so many reasons I could give you why I should be down
There's not enough money or time and my love you're not around
Around, around
But it's a lie it's a lie, don't you believe it.
If you're fine then you're fine, it's all how you see it.
Oh, there never will be no conspiracy of happiness.
You're alive you're alive, how else could you hear me?
You are fine, you are fine, there's nothing worth fearing
Cause there never will be no conspiracy of happiness
I'm on a high, on a high
We are the sea and the sky
I'm on a high, on a high
I'm on a high
It's a lie, It's a lie don't you believe it
Cause I've tried and I've tried, and I can't really see it
Yeah, I'm trapped inside my conspiracy of happiness
Said I was yours, you were mine but I didn't really mean it
And I lied and I lied
And I wish you hadn't seen it
Cause I'm trapped inside my conspiracy of happiness
I'm on a high, on a high, there's nothing more to it, yeah.
The song "On A High" by Duncan Sheik is about finding happiness and contentment amidst a world obsessed with material possessions and achievements. Sheik sings that he is on a high and there's nothing more to it, referring to the feeling of being content with one's life as it is. He also compares himself to the sea and the sky, emphasizing the vastness and beauty of the world around him. However, there are those who say he needs more things in order to be happy and successful, leading to a cycle of running, fighting, crawling, screaming, and bleeding. Yet, Sheik insists that it's all a lie and that happiness is a matter of perspective.
Despite the obstacles that might threaten to bring him down, Sheik chooses to focus on the positive aspects of his life, such as having the sun as a star and not having to refuse it. He acknowledges that there are many reasons why he could be down, such as lack of money, time, or the absence of a loved one. Nevertheless, he still maintains that being fine is all a matter of how you see it and that there is no grand conspiracy to happiness. He reassures the listener that they are alive and fine, and there's nothing to fear, ultimately concluding the song on a high note.
Overall, "On A High" is a song that celebrates the joys of life and encourages listeners to think positively and appreciate what they have in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm on a high, I'm on a high
Feeling great with no specific reason
There's nothing more to it.
No particular reason for this feeling - it's just there
We are the sea and the sky
Feeling a sense of oneness with nature and the world around us
And the blue that runs through it, yeah.
Feeling connected to the beauty and serenity of the color blue
And there are some who say there are so many things I need
People may say that there are many things required to be happy
So I run or I fight and I crawl or I scream and I bleed
Trying everything and anything to find happiness, even if it's painful
I bleed, I bleed
The search for happiness can be difficult and painful
Well, it's a lie it's a lie, don't you believe it.
The notion that material possessions are necessary for happiness is a myth
If you're fine then you're fine, it's all how you see it.
Happiness is a matter of perspective and mindset
Oh, there never will be no conspiracy of happiness.
There's no hidden secret or trick to happiness that's being kept from you
I have the sun, it's a star
Grateful for the beauty of nature and the simple things in life
Why should I refuse it
There's no reason to reject the happiness that's available to us
There's not enough money or time and my love you're not around
Listing reasons for feeling unhappy, such as financial constraints or the absence of loved ones
But it's a lie it's a lie, don't you believe it.
The belief that external factors are solely responsible for happiness is false
If you're fine then you're fine, it's all how you see it.
Happiness is an internal state that can't be determined by external factors alone
There never will be no conspiracy of happiness.
There's no secret or trick to happiness that can't be discovered or achieved
You're alive you're alive, how else could you hear me?
Grateful for the gift of life and everything that comes along with it
You are fine, you are fine, there's nothing worth fearing
Feeling content and at ease with oneself, with no fear or anxiety
Cause there never will be no conspiracy of happiness
There's no hidden agenda or secret to happiness that can't be uncovered or attained
I'm trapped inside my conspiracy of happiness
Being stuck in a mindset that happiness is unattainable or requires external factors
Said I was yours, you were mine but I didn't really mean it
Making false promises or declarations of love can ruin relationships and lead to unhappiness
And I lied and I lied
Being dishonest or deceitful can lead to negative feelings and outcomes
And I wish you hadn't seen it
Regretting past mistakes and wishing they hadn't happened
I'm on a high, on a high, there's nothing more to it, yeah.
Feeling great for no reason other than being alive and present in the moment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUNCAN SHEIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Muhammad Baqi Ismail
To the future visitor.
Lets sing along.
Welcome 2022 with this song!
I'm on a high, I'm on a high
There's nothing more to it.
We are the sea and the sky
And the blue that runs through it, yeah.
And there are some who say there are so many things I need
So I run or I fight and I crawl or I scream and I bleed
I bleed, I bleed
Well, it's a lie it's a lie - don't you believe it.
If you're fine then you're fine - it's all how you see it.
Oh, there never will be no conspiracy of happiness.
I'm on a high I'm on a high
And there's nothing more to it
I have the sun, it's a star
Why should I refuse it
And there are so many reasons I could give you why I should be down
There's not enough money or time and my love you're not around
Around, around
But it's a lie it's a lie - don't you believe it.
If you're fine then you're fine - it's all how you see it.
Oh, there never will be no conspiracy of happiness.
You're alive you're alive - how else could you hear me?
You are fine, you are fine - there's nothing worth fearing
'Cause there never will be no conspiracy of happiness
I'm on a high, on a high
We are the sea and the sky
I'm on a high, on a high
I'm on a high
It's a lie, It's a lie don't you believe it
'Cause I've tried and I've tried, and I can't really see it
Yeah, I'm trapped inside my conspiracy of happiness
Said I was yours, you were mine but I didn't really mean it
And I lied and I lied
And I wish you hadn't seen it
'Cause I'm trapped inside my conspiracy of happiness
I'm on a high, on a high, there's nothing more to it, yeah.
No1 WonderFan
Such a sweet, humble guy. I've met him 5 times and he's always so genuine.
Mylene Ballester
One of those songs you wanna play on a long drive ☺️
Stream Hype Boy by NewJeans
Y'all rly think all good songs are for driving... Embarassing
Mylene Ballester
@Stream Hype Boy by NewJeans one problematic human being
Bea Wilderment
I love this song, the lyrics are really insightful actually.
WAZZZZZZZZUPPPPPPPPPP!
I always watch this video on music channel way back 2003... so nostalgic! time flies so fast!
Edia, Jay
This lockdown lets us explore our old good songs on playlists ♥ #covid19
gilang putra
This song is part of my childhood in middle school.. need more appreciation.
Jodie Joe
I remember some one made a trance remix to this & I fell in love with this song when I was like 12 or 13 I’d always hope my future wife would love this song as much as I do
Indpendent
Gabriel and Dresden remix!