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.
Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday
Emilie-Claire Barlow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we would dream and scheme
And while the time away
Yesterme yesteryou yesterday
Where did it go that yester glow
When we could feel
The wheel of life turn our way
I had a dream so did you life
Was warm and love was true
Two kids who followed all the rules
Yester folls and now
Now it seems those yester dreams
Were just a cruel
And foolish game we used to play
Yesterme yesteryou yesterday
When I recall what we had
I feel lost I feel sad with nothing but
The memory of yester love and now
Now it seems those yester dreams
Were just a cruel
And foolish game we had to play
Yesterme yesteryou yesterday
Yesterme yesteryou yesterday
Sing with me
Yesterme yesteryou yesterday
One more time
The lyrics of Emilie-Claire Barlow's song, Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday, reflect on the past and the memories of a lost love. The first lines express a feeling of nostalgia for a time when people could dream and scheme, and let time pass by without a care in the world. The phrase "Yesterme yesteryou yesterday" is a reference to the past, with "yesterme" representing the singer's past self, and "yesteryou" referring to her lost love. The repetition of the word "yesterday" reinforces the theme of nostalgia and longing for something that has been lost.
The middle section of the song reflects on the dreams that the singer and her lost love once shared. They were young, in love, and believed that they could have everything they wanted in life. But now, as the singer looks back, she realizes that those dreams were nothing more than a "cruel and foolish game we used to play." The innocence and naivety of their youth is gone, replaced by a sense of loss and regret.
The final lines of the song sum up the feelings expressed throughout the rest of the lyrics. The singer feels lost and sad, with nothing but memories of a lost love to hold on to. Yet the song ends on a somewhat hopeful note, with the repeated phrase "Yesterme yesteryou yesterday" inviting the listener to join in and share the nostalgia and memories of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
What happened to the world we knew
What happened to the days when we had a different view on life?
When we would dream and scheme
When we were younger and always had hopes and plans?
And while the time away
And simply let the clock tick while we enjoyed life?
Yesterme yesteryou yesterday
Those were the days, you and me, yesterday.
Where did it go that yester glow
What happened to the bright and optimistic feeling of our past?
When we could feel
When we were able to actually experience life?
The wheel of life turn our way
And the world seemed to favor us?
I had a dream so did you life
We all had dreams when we were younger, and we still do.
Was warm and love was true
Those dreams were often about finding warmth and true love in life.
Two kids who followed all the rules
We all tried to do our best and follow the rules, back then.
Yester folls and now
We were just young and naive back then, but now we know better.
Now it seems those yester dreams
But now, it appears those dreams were just illusions.
Were just a cruel
And the idea that things would work out perfectly was a harsh thought.
And foolish game we used to play
A game that we thought made sense, but now we know it did not.
When I recall what we had
When I think back on how things used to be.
I feel lost I feel sad with nothing but
I feel terribly sad, with no way to change the past.
The memory of yester love and now
Only memories of good old times, and a wholly different current reality.
Yesterme yesteryou yesterday
Those were the days when we both were young, yesterday.
Sing with me
Sing this song with me.
One more time
For the last time, let's sing it together, one more time.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bryan Wells, Ronald N. Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind