At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from small town Harriston, Ontario on her own to Toronto, where she began singing at open-mic nights, a journey that in 1997 led to a meeting with the president of EMI Publishing Canada, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he was moved to set up and finance recording sessions with Doc, a guitarist and studio engineer. Their debut album, Breath from Another, was released to critical acclaim in 1998 and is widely seen as one of the more accessible albums of the trip-hop genre.
Though she remained active following the moderate success of the debut album, featuring on tracks by such artists as Nelly Furtado and The Black Eyed Peas, it would take over 7 years for a proper follow-up to be released (due to a confluence of factors that included a lengthy creative process, the closure of the WORK record label and marketing delays) in the form of 2005's Wikked Lil Grrrls, an album that crossed genre boundaries with its heavy debt to jazz and hip-hop. The album was preceded in 2004 by a pair of EPs, The O.G. Bitch Remixes (with the title song reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart) and We R In Need of a Musical Revolution, which served as a preview of the full length album.
After the release of Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero devoted an increasing amount of time to songwriting and production, with her work featuring on albums by Brandy and Kanye West (most prominently on West's single Love Lockdown).
2012 saw the release of Esthero's third full-length album, Everything is Expensive (Universal Music Canada), preceded by the release of Never Gonna Let You Go as the lead single and video. The album was partially funded through a campaign on PledgeMusic in which backers could choose from exclusives such as artwork by the singer. Everything is Expensive debuted on Billboard's Heatseeker chart at #13.
Official Websites
www.esthero.net
Francis
Esthero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just slip through your willow today
You could dream the day you wake
Everything will be okay
You don't have to race the clock again
Or give your all in vein
They're gonna love you, anyway
I show it up in many breaks
Show up in every world
But show up for yourself, baby
Show up for yourself
I show it up in many breaks
Show up in every world
But show up for yourself, baby
Show up for yourself
Francis, you turn thirty four this week
But you got responsibilities
You have little mouths to feed
Just one thing you could not let home, boy
Put your hand on a gun and leave
And your heart just makes
The room and it opens up
'Cause showing up in many fakes
You show up with every one
Show up for yourself, baby
Show up for yourself
You're growing up, you can make this days
You don't have to come undone
Gone out alone, friend
Could you use a little help?
Time to wake up and do it all again
It's the price you pay to be a good man
No matter in your heart and you feel like giving in
But you're running out in circles
Now you cheer until you win
Are you tired? Do you feel weak?
Are you lonely? Is your halo too heavy?
Is your halo too heavy?
Francis, won't you sleep 'til you're alone today?
You could dream the day away
Everything will be okay
The song "Francis" by Esthero talks about a man named Francis who is turning thirty-four years old and how he has responsibilities as an adult. It reminds him that he has little mouths to feed and he should not let any kind of frustration consume him. The song acknowledges how there are times when it feels like everything is going against you--time is running out, you feel weak, you are lonely, and your halo feels too heavy--but it tells Francis that he does not have to come undone. He should take some time for himself, he should dream the day away, but he should also remember to show up for himself.
The central message of the song is to remind Francis to take care of himself and to not lose sight of what really matters. The song says that friends may come and go, but if you show up for yourself, everything will be okay. It tells him that he doesn't have to race the clock again or give his all in vain. The song portrays a very emotional stance throughout, it reminds us that life is not about what we accomplish but who we become. It's the story of a person who could be anyone of us, it begins reiterating that life is complicated and how easily we could fall given our circumstances. However, the struggling person must wake up and do it all over again if he wants to make this life worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
Friends are small
Friends are insignificant compared to the challenges of life
Just slip through your willow today
Friends can easily slip through your grasp like leaves falling from a willow tree
You could dream the day you wake
You can dream about a better future that will come when you wake up
Everything will be okay
Despite the challenges, everything will turn out fine in the end
You don't have to race the clock again
You don't have to keep rushing through life without stopping to appreciate the little things
Or give your all in vein
Don't waste your energy on things that won't bring you any benefit
They're gonna love you, anyway
Your friends and family will love you no matter what
I show it up in many breaks
I appear in many different moments and situations
Show up in every world
I am present in every possible reality or dimension
But show up for yourself, baby
But most importantly, you need to show up for yourself and take care of your needs
Francis, you turn thirty four this week
Francis is celebrating his 34th birthday this week
But you got responsibilities
But he also has important responsibilities to fulfill
You have little mouths to feed
He has dependents who rely on him for their sustenance
Just one thing you could not let home, boy
There is one thing he cannot leave behind, which is his sense of morality and responsibility
Put your hand on a gun and leave
He cannot resort to violence or aggression to solve his problems
And your heart just makes
His heart opens up and becomes more receptive
The room and it opens up
The space around him becomes more welcoming and accommodating
'Cause showing up in many fakes
Appearing in different situations with different personas
You show up with every one
But at the end of the day, he is still the same person with the same responsibilities
You're growing up, you can make this days
He is maturing and becoming better equipped to face his challenges
You don't have to come undone
He doesn't have to fall apart in the face of adversity
Gone out alone, friend
He may feel alone in his struggles, but he still has a friend in the singer
Could you use a little help?
She is willing to help him in any way she can
Time to wake up and do it all again
It's time to face the challenges of the day with renewed energy and determination
It's the price you pay to be a good man
Being a responsible and moral person requires work and sacrifice
No matter in your heart and you feel like giving in
Even when he feels overwhelmed and tempted to give up
But you're running out in circles
He feels stuck and unable to make any progress
Now you cheer until you win
He needs to keep up his spirits and stay motivated until he achieves his goals
Are you tired? Do you feel weak?
He may be feeling exhausted and worn out from his struggles
Are you lonely? Is your halo too heavy?
He may also feel lonely and burdened by the weight of his responsibilities
Francis, won't you sleep 'til you're alone today?
She suggests that he take some time off to rest and be alone with his thoughts
You could dream the day away
He can spend his time dreaming about a better future
Everything will be okay
Eventually, things will work out for the best
Contributed by Michael S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Arnaud Lilian
Surely the best song of the CD. It is so melodic !!!
spleetus
...wow...just...wow LOVE this song!!
BRIONITY
AIEIAEIAEIAEIAEIAEIAEIIEAIAE. J'ADORE!
Nisha B.
i am frickin francis. oy.