Andrew and Catherine grew up on opposite sides of the island of Newfoundland – Mount Pearl and Corner Brook respectively. It was in St. John’s where the pair met and began to sing together. One night in 2010, Andrew heard Catherine sing harmony with her brother at a private gathering in downtown St John’s. He had to sing with her. The next day he got up the nerve, left her a note, she acquiesced, and within 48 hours they were singing together on stage. While it was a road from that evening to the formation of Fortunate Ones in 2013, their beginnings are in keeping with one of the core messages they carry. That sometimes the most important decision you can make is to just say YES.
From a musical family, the Allan home was a constant eclectic flow of instruments, singing and the stereo. Catherine studied classical piano, taught herself guitar in secret, and discovered the accordion by chance when her brother brought one home over Christmas in 2011. Musical exploration was the norm. After moving to St. John’s, Catherine’s induction to the East Coast music scene was rapid – performing with Andrew, recording and touring extensively with JUNO award-winning songwriter Amelia Curran, and appearing at festivals with Curran and East Coast songwriter Don Brownrigg.
Andrew James O’Brien launched his music career with a well-received solo album Songs for Searchers (2011) – nominated for Best Pop Recording at the 2012 East Coast Music Awards. He toured heavily in Canada and the UK, opening for artists such as Sharon Shannon and Paul Brady. Catherine accompanied him. It was on a UK tour that they realized the direction their collaboration was taking. The appreciation shown by UK audiences bolstered the pair’s sense of purpose. Their music began to evolve to represent both of their sensibilities, skills and sounds.
Plain and simple, they consider themselves fortunate to pursue their dreams. Their name reflects shared experience with audiences. It is about connecting people of all kinds, to make strangers friends, to elicit feelings of joy, hope, sadness, and contemplation – and the spirit that we are all in this together.
Produced by multi-ECMA winner Daniel Ledwell, THE BLISS was recorded at Lake Echo in Nova Scotia during the winter of 2014, and features guest appearances by East Coast favorites Jenn Grant, Don Brownrigg, and Kinley Dowling. The Bliss was released on JUNO award winning songwriter Rose Cousins’ record label Old Farm Pony Records on February 10, 2015.
Heavy Heart
Fortunate Ones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A ruthless heaviness
And when you finally sleep
In the darkness next to me
I can hear it in your breath
I can hear it in your breath
You've got a heavy heart
But the light in the dark that you're trying to see
Is gonna come shining eventually
Every night you toss
Dreamless and lost
Your mind is a sea and it's tearing you from me
Until I can't see you at all
Until I can't see you at all
You've got a heavy heart
And nobody told you it would be this hard
But the light in the dark that you're trying to see
Is gonna come shining eventually
I can hear it in your breath
I can feel it when we kiss
It's a heaviness
But you can trust in this
You've got a heavy heart
And nobody told you it would be this hard
But the light in the dark that you're trying to see
Is gonna come shining eventually
Is gonna come shining eventually
Is gonna come shining eventually
In "Heavy Heart" by Fortunate Ones, the lyrics capture the experience of someone dealing with a deep sadness or heaviness within themselves. The song begins by describing this heaviness as something tangible that can be felt in the chest, a relentless weight that the person carries. As they sleep next to their partner, the heaviness is evident in their breath, indicating that it affects them even in their moments of vulnerability and rest.
The chorus repeats the idea of having a heavy heart, emphasizing that no one warned them how difficult it would be. Despite the struggle, there is a glimmer of hope portrayed as a light in the darkness. The person is actively trying to find this light, believing that it will eventually shine through the heaviness and bring relief.
The second verse reveals the person's restless state during sleep, their dreams being void of content and a sense of being lost. Their mind is compared to a turbulent sea that separates them from their partner, causing the connection between them to feel distant. The repetition of the line "Until I can't see you at all" suggests a struggle to maintain clarity and closeness in the midst of the heaviness.
The bridge of the song brings a more intimate perspective, with the singer directly addressing their partner. They can feel the heaviness when they kiss and it becomes something they share - a burden to be trusted and borne together.
Ultimately, the song conveys the message that although life can be challenging with a heavy heart, there is the promise that the darkness will eventually be illuminated by a guiding light.
Line by Line Meaning
You can feel it in your chest
You experience a deep, relentless weight within your heart
A ruthless heaviness
An oppressive burden that shows no mercy
And when you finally sleep
During the moments of restful slumber
In the darkness next to me
While lying beside me in the shadows
I can hear it in your breath
I can perceive it from the way you exhale
You've got a heavy heart
You bear a heart burdened by troubles
And nobody told you it would be this hard
No one warned you of the immense difficulty
But the light in the dark that you're trying to see
Yet the glimmer of hope amidst the darkness you seek
Is gonna come shining eventually
Will eventually emerge and radiate
Every night you toss
Each night you turn restlessly
Dreamless and lost
Without dreams, feeling adrift and aimless
Your mind is a sea and it's tearing you from me
Your thoughts are like a tumultuous sea, separating us
Until I can't see you at all
To the point where I completely lose sight of you
I can feel it when we kiss
I can sense it during our intimate moments
It's a heaviness
It carries a weightiness
But you can trust in this
Yet you can have confidence in the following
Is gonna come shining eventually
Will eventually emerge and radiate
Is gonna come shining eventually
Will eventually emerge and radiate
Is gonna come shining eventually
Will eventually emerge and radiate
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew James O'Brien, Catherine Allan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark H.
What Lucy said! Thank you both for this soul massage.
Candace McGuire
My friend just asked me if I wanted to come to your show in Vancouver later this month, so I came to listen first. This is so sweet and melancholy. I'll go buy my tickets now!
Rozalind MacPhail
This is so gorgeous!!!!!!
Lucy Miller
Absolutely beautiful!
Haruki
This is great!
S Beresford
So, so lovely!
Sean Hunt
Beautiful.
aly c
Came across this from an ad. Such a nice song!
Quinton Lawrence
my God I know this feeling
Olena Moriarty
Lovely