Ella Henderson (born 12 January 1996) is a British singer-songwriter from L… Read Full Bio ↴Ella Henderson (born 12 January 1996) is a British singer-songwriter from Lincolnshire, England. She was a contestant on the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012 and finished in sixth place.

Henderson is a big fan of Amy Winehouse and Frank Sinatra and picked out Olly Murs and Leona Lewis as her favorite X Factor contestants from previous series’ of the show. Henderson confessed that she'd love to sing with Adele or Beyoncé.

Her debut single, "Ghost", co-written with Ryan Tedder, was released on 8 June 2014 and went straight to number one in the UK. Her second single, Glow, was released on 5 October 2014. It was followed on 13 October 2014 by her debut album Chapter One.

Billie Holiday
Ella Henderson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I remember when daddy said
What do you want to be?
I said I wanna be a mermaid and to live under the sea
Well I knew it wouldn't work out as I looked down to my feet
Then my granddad paid me my very first record
And that's when it changed for me

It made me smile, made me sing, made my worries fly away

Lifting me up, setting me free
I could be Billie Holiday
In the silence hard to think about
When in reality you gotta sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally

I went to sit by the keys
To work on my first song
I had the melodies in my head
But they were coming out all wrong
Then I worked out some harmonies, that went, (Woah)
And then that sweet sound spoke to me
And told where I belong

It made me smile, made me sing, made my worries fly away
Lifting me up, setting me free
I could be Billie Holiday
In the silence hard to think about
When in reality you gotta sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally

Oh, fly away
Oh, so naturally
Oh, toss the stress away
'Cause I know, yeah I know,
It'll make you feel alright, ooh, yeah

It made me smile, made me sing, made my worries fly away
Lifting me up, setting me free
I could be Billie Holiday
In the silence hard to think about
When in reality you gotta sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally

Gotta sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally
Gotta sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally
Gotta sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally
Gotta sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally
Sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally
Sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally
Sit back
Just relax, and let it happen naturally

Sit back
Relax, and let it happen naturally

Overall Meaning

The song "Billie Holiday" by Ella Henderson is a nostalgic piece that takes the listener back to the artist's childhood dreams, her musical beginnings and how she found solace in music. The opening lines reminisce about a conversation with her father where she expressed her childhood dream of becoming a mermaid to live under the sea. She then goes on to talk about how her passion for music was fueled when her granddad gave her her first record. The record changed her life and her outlook towards music. It inspired her to write her own music and become the artist she is today.

The chorus describes the power of music to lift the artist's spirit, make her forget her worries and make her feel free. She compares herself to Billie Holiday, an American jazz icon known for her soulful singing style and ability to convey emotions. The use of Billie Holiday's name can also be seen as a tribute to an artist who inspired her, and whose music she probably learned from or listened to while growing up.

In the second verse, Henderson talks about her struggle to create her first song, the melodies would not come out right until she worked on some harmonies which gave her a breakthrough. The reference to harmonies can also be seen as an indication of the artist's vocal abilities, showing how she can harmonize and blend different notes to create beautiful music. The song's closing lines emphasize the importance of letting things happen naturally and not stressing too much about it, which ties back to the idea of music being a source of comfort and ease in times of trouble.

Line by Line Meaning

I remember when daddy said
When I was young, my father asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.

What do you want to be?
He was asking me about my future career aspirations.

I said I wanna be a mermaid and to live under the sea
I replied with a fanciful desire to be a mermaid and live in the ocean.

Well I knew it wouldn't work out as I looked down to my feet
I realized that becoming a mermaid was impossible as I stared at my feet.

Then my granddad paid me my very first record
My grandfather gave me my first music album as a gift.

And that's when it changed for me
This event marked a turning point in my life.

It made me smile, made me sing, made my worries fly away
Listening to music brought me happiness, lifted my spirits, and eased my troubles.

Lifting me up, setting me free
Music elevated my mood and provided a sense of liberation.

I could be Billie Holiday
Music made me feel like I could embody the spirit of Billie Holiday.

In the silence hard to think about
It's difficult to think clearly when there's no sound or stimulation around.

When in reality you gotta sit back
In actuality, sometimes you need to take a step back from a situation.

Just relax, and let it happen naturally
It's important to relax and let things unfold on their own sometimes.

I went to sit by the keys
I went to the piano to work on my music.

To work on my first song
I was attempting to create my first musical composition.

I had the melodies in my head
I had musical ideas in my mind.

But they were coming out all wrong
Unfortunately, my musical ideas weren't translating well into actual songs.

Then I worked out some harmonies, that went, (Woah)
Eventually, I figured out some harmonies that I really liked.

And then that sweet sound spoke to me
The music seemed to communicate with me on a deeper level.

And told where I belong
It helped me realize where I fit in and what my passion was.

Oh, fly away
Fly away from my problems and worries.

Oh, so naturally
Let go of any pretenses and allow things to happen naturally.

Oh, toss the stress away
Release any stress or anxiety.

'Cause I know, yeah I know, It'll make you feel alright, ooh, yeah
I know that letting go and embracing life's natural flow will make me feel better.

Gotta sit back
I need to take a step back sometimes.

Just relax, and let it happen naturally
It's important to let things unfold naturally without forcing them.

Sit back
Take a step back and relax.

Relax, and let it happen naturally
Let go of any control and allow life to unfold naturally.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: RICHARD STANNARD, BRAD ELLIS, ELLA HENDERSON, JAMES NAPIER, ASHLEY HOWES, YUSEF ISLAM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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