Gemma Hayes is a singer-songwriter born August 11, 1977 in Ballyporeen, Tip… Read Full Bio ↴Gemma Hayes is a singer-songwriter born August 11, 1977 in Ballyporeen, Tipperary, Ireland.

She signed to Source Records/Virgin in 2001 and issued the folksy 4.35am EP and the more band-orientated Work to a Calm EP before releasing her debut album, Night on my Side, in 2002. The album was subsequently nominated for that year's Mercury Music Prize, now called the Barclaycard Mercury Prize.

After touring for Night on my Side Hayes took 2 years out from the music business; "All I do know is that I didn't want to listen to music at all. I stopped listening to the radio. It was like I'd overdosed on music".

In late 2005 Hayes returned with her second album, The Roads Don't Love You, and picked up the Best Irish Female Artist award at the 2006 Meteor Ireland Music Awards shortly before completing a small tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland. She also co-wrote the song "Hazy" with Adam Duritz for the Counting Crows' live album, New Amsterdam in the same year.

Following the departure from Source/Virgin after her second album she released her third effort The Hollow of Morning on her own label in May 2008.

Let It Break is Hayes' fourth studio album, released in May 2011. The album was recorded in Westland Studios in Dublin, Ireland, Black Box Studios in Noyant La Gravoyère, France and in Los Angeles.

Her fifth effort, Bones + Longing, was released in November 2014.

Hayes' music has been featured on a multitude of films and television shows, including Grey's Anatomy, ER, and Mr. And Mrs Smith.

Ruin
Gemma Hayes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hiding out in trenches I’ve built
I’m so good at it now
I know how to trick myself
We’ll soon see if you’ll be my ruin
I may be high but you got me terrified

You make me feel something again
You make me feel human

You make me feel something again
At least I feel human again

I was fine with nothing
I was fine in a dream
Did nobody tell you
You can’t wake a girl who pretends to sleep
I, I don’t know how you did it
But I can’t catch my breath
Wrapped so tightly round my chest
Your love is a tourniquet

You make me feel something again
You make me feel human
You make me feel something again
At least I feel human again

What do you burn
What do you keep
You can’t wake a girl
Who pretends to sleep
Over and over
Cutting at scars
You need the darkness
If you wanna see stars

What do you burn
What do you keep
You can’t wake a girl
Who pretends to sleep
Over and over
Cutting at scars
You need the darkness
If you wanna see stars

I don’t know why I tell you these things
I don’t know why I tell you these things

I don’t know why I tell you these things
I don’t know why I tell you these things

Overall Meaning

In Gemma Hayes's song "Ruin," she explores the theme of vulnerability and the struggles that come with opening oneself up to another person. The opening lines of the song talk about hiding out in trenches she's built and how she's good at it now, indicating that she's used to protecting herself from getting hurt. However, she's also aware of how she can trick herself, and she wonders if this new person in her life will be the one to bring her down. Despite being scared, she also acknowledges how this person is making her feel things again and helping her to regain her humanity.

The chorus reflects this sentiment, with Gemma expressing how this person is making her feel alive and human again. She contrasts this with her earlier life, where she was content with nothing and was fine living in a dream. She likens herself to a girl who pretends to sleep, indicating that she has been avoiding facing her emotions for a long time. However, this new person has managed to get through to her, and she can feel her heart beating again. The bridge of the song is particularly insightful, as Gemma talks about how pain and darkness are necessary to appreciate the beauty and the light in life. She questions what we burn and what we keep, indicating that some memories and experiences are too painful to hold onto, while others are worth keeping, even if they cause us pain. Overall, the song is a bittersweet ballad about the struggles of letting someone into our lives and learning to embrace our emotions fully.

Line by Line Meaning

Hiding out in trenches I’ve built
I’ve created emotional barriers as a defense mechanism to avoid getting hurt

I’m so good at it now
I’ve become an expert in protecting myself from emotional pain

I know how to trick myself
I deceive myself into thinking I’m emotionally impenetrable

We’ll soon see if you’ll be my ruin
I’m afraid that my feelings for you might lead to my emotional breakdown

I may be high but you got me terrified
I’m overwhelmed with emotions and scared of being vulnerable

What do you burn
What sacrifices do you make?

What do you keep
What do you preserve or protect?

You can’t wake a girl who pretends to sleep
I’m trying to hide from my feelings and pretending to be emotionless

Over and over
Repeatedly, continuously

Cutting at scars
Reliving old emotional wounds and causing myself pain

You need the darkness
Sometimes you have to go through difficult moments in order to reach the good ones