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.
Wicked game
Gemma Hayes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody can save me, but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you
I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you
No I-I-I-I-I don't wanna fall in love
(this world is only going to break your heart)
(this world is only going to break your heart) with you
What a wicked game to play
to make me feel this way.
What a wicked thing to do
to let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say
you never felt this way.
What a wicked thing to do
to make me dream of you
No I-I-I-I-I don't wanna fall in love
(this world is only going to break your heart)
No I-I-I-I-I don't wanna fall in love
(this world is only going to break your heart) with you
The world is on fire no one can save me, but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you
I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you
No I-I-I-I-I don't wanna fall in love
(this world is only going to break your heart)
No I-I-I-I-I don't wanna fall in love
(this world is only going to break your heart) with you
The lyrics of Gemma Hayes's song "Wicked Game" express feelings of desire, love, and heartbreak. The first line, "The world is on fire, nobody can save me, but you," suggests that the world is full of chaos and destruction, but the singer finds solace in the love of another. The next line, "It's strange what desire will make foolish people do," acknowledges the power of desire and how it can lead people to act in foolish or even dangerous ways.
The chorus of the song, "What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way," refers to the game of love as being wicked and cruel for making the singer feel so strongly for someone who may not feel the same way. The lines "to let me dream of you" and "you never felt this way" suggest that the singer has been misled or deceived by the object of their desire.
The lyrics ultimately reveal the singer's fear of falling in love and getting hurt. The repeated phrase, "No, I don't wanna fall in love with you," underscores this fear and suggests a sense of self-protection. However, the final lines of the song, "I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you, I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you," reveal that despite this fear, the singer has already fallen in love and is now experiencing the pain of losing it.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is on fire
The chaos and destruction in the world is overwhelming and unbearable.
Nobody can save me, but you
Amidst the chaos, the only hope and comfort is the person the singer loves.
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
Love can make people do irrational things that defy expectation.
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you
The singer never expected to find someone so perfect and compatible.
I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you
The singer never expected to experience the painful loss of someone so important to them.
No I-I-I-I-I don't wanna fall in love
The singer is hesitant to fall in love because they fear the inevitable heartbreak it will bring.
(this world is only going to break your heart)
The singer thinks that the world is too harsh and unforgiving, and that love cannot survive in such a place.
What a wicked game to play
It is cruel and unkind to toy with someone's emotions and lead them on.
to make me feel this way.
The other person's actions have caused the singer to be deeply hurt and confused.
What a wicked thing to do
The other person's actions are deceitful and manipulative.
to let me dream of you
The other person has allowed the singer to believe that there is a chance for them, when in reality there isn't.
What a wicked thing to say
The other person has lied or been insincere about their true feelings.
you never felt this way.
The other person has made the singer believe that they share the same feelings, when in reality they don't.
No I-I-I-I-I don't wanna fall in love
The singer reiterates their fear of falling in love.
(this world is only going to break your heart)
The singer believes that love in a harsh world can only bring pain and heartbreak.
No I-I-I-I-I don't wanna fall in love
The singer remains hesitant, despite their love for the other person.
(this world is only going to break your heart) with you
The singer loves the other person, but fears that being with them will only lead to more heartbreak and pain.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Broma 16, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chris Isaak
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind