Barlow's first album, Sings, was released in 1998. She has received seven nominations for Canada's Juno Awards with her album Seule ce soir winning for best Jazz Vocal Recording in 2013 and Clear Day winning the same award in 2016. Seule ce soir also won Album of the Year – Jazz Interpretation at the 2013 ADISQ Awards. Barlow was also nominated for the Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award at the 2016 Juno Awards.
Barlow was named Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2008 National Jazz Awards. She has named as influences Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and Stevie Wonder.
Barlow has voiced various characters for animated television series, including Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus in Sailor Moon, Courtney, Laurie and Ellody in the Total Drama series, Chrissy in 6teen, Mrs. Ridgemount in Stoked, Bunny in Almost Naked Animals and Theresa Falcone (MacDougall) in Fugget About It.
Born in Toronto to parents who were professional musicians, Barlow grew up in recording studios and by age seven had begun a career singing television and radio commercials.
She was encouraged by her parents to sing and study several instruments including piano, cello, clarinet, and violin. Barlow studied voice at the Etobicoke School of Arts and music theory and arranging at Humber College.
Barlow's grandfathers were ventriloquist Cy Leonard and actor Bob Homme (who played The Friendly Giant). Her father is award-winning jazz drummer Brian Barlow (aka Brian Leonard). Her mother, Judy Tate, is a composer, arranger and singer. Her uncle was Richard Homme, a Canadian jazz bassist who died 6 May 2011.
Mood Indigo
Emilie-Claire Barlow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You ain't never been blue,
Till you've had that mood indigo.
That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh, "Go 'long blues".
I always get that mood indigo,
Since my baby said goodbye.
I'm so lonely I could cry.
'Cause there's nobody who cares about me,
I'm just a poor fool that's bluer than blue can be.
When I get that mood indigo,
I could lay me down and die.
You ain't never been blue; no, no, no,
You ain't never been blue,
Till you've had that mood indigo.
That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh, "Go 'long blues".
The lyrics to Emilie-Claire Barlow's song Mood Indigo describe a deep feeling of sadness and loneliness commonly referred to as the "blues." The singer of the song remarks that if one has never experienced this feeling, they have never truly been blue. The mood indigo steals down to their shoes, leaving the singer sitting and sighing in resignation. They always get this feeling since their lover has left them, and even in the evening when the lights are low, they feel so lonely they could cry. They view themselves as a poor fool who is bluer than blue can be, and when they get that mood indigo, they feel like they could lay down and die.
The song, originally composed in 1930 by Duke Ellington and lyricist Irving Mills, speaking to the helplessness of the human spirit in the face of emotional suffering, has become a jazz standard, with numerous renditions by many famous jazz artists. The song's lyrics capture the essence of the blues genre, which is a deeply personal, often melancholic expression of one's emotional state. The song's simple melody and melancholic lyrics have made it a popular choice for singers in the jazz and blues genres.
Line by Line Meaning
You ain't never been blue; no, no, no,
You have not truly felt sadness until you have experienced the deep sadness conveyed in this song
Till you've had that mood indigo.
Only when you have felt the emotion described as 'mood indigo' can you really understand what true sadness is like
That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh, "Go 'long blues".
The feeling of 'mood indigo' is so intense that it permeates through my entire being and leaves me feeling hopeless and despondent. I am so consumed by this feeling that I can do nothing but acknowledge and surrender to it
I always get that mood indigo,
I am often overcome by the feeling of 'mood indigo'
Since my baby said goodbye.
The cause of my profound sadness is due to the loss of my beloved
And in the evenin' when the lights are low,
At night, when everything is dark and empty, my sadness is amplified
I'm so lonely I could cry.
My loneliness is so painful that it feels like my heart is breaking and I may cry at any moment
'Cause there's nobody who cares about me,
There is no one who truly cares for me or understands the depth of my sadness
I'm just a poor fool that's bluer than blue can be.
I feel like a foolish and insignificant person who is sadder than anyone else could ever possibly be
When I get that mood indigo,
I could lay me down and die.
The feeling of 'mood indigo' is so overwhelming and intense that it makes me feel like giving up and even dying
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Barney Bigard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind