Phillips spent his formative years in Stockton, CA, where he founded a band called Bloody Holly, but prior to his 20th birthday Phillips headed to Los Angeles to study film, and he quickly found himself beneath the spell cast by local bands as the Rain Parade and Dream Syndicate. Phillips soon joined with Stockton acquaintance Jeff Clark to form Shiva Burlesque. The band dissolved after two critically acclaimed records, and Phillips soon began writing and demo-ing using the Grant Lee Buffalo alias.
Following some solo dates, Phillips invited former bandmates Joey Peters and Paul Kimble to join him, and the trio signed to Warner subsidiary Slash in 1992. Phillips' golden, honey-soaked voice went largely to waste in Shiva Burlesque, but the new band enabled him to step out as a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. GLB went on to release four very different LPs, consistent in excellence. A cult following, successful tours, and across-the-board critical acclaim (he was voted Rolling Stone's Male Vocalist of the Year following their second LP) didn't translate into sales, however. Frustrated with his label's dead-on-arrival promotion, Phillips asked for his band to be released from their contract, and he was obliged. (It was erroneously reported that GLB had been dropped.) Phillips dissolved his band, anxious to forge a new path.
In October of 1999, he headed to Jon Brion's studio and recorded a handful of new songs, played exclusively by himself. Dubbed Ladies' Love Oracle, it was self-released the following year online and at his numerous appearances at Largo in Hollywood. After landing a deal with Zoe/Rounder, Phillips issued the excellent Mobilize in 2001. The next year, Rounder reissued Ladies' Love Oracle in time for Phillips' joint tour with Kristin Hersh and Joe Doe. In 2004, he released Virginia Creeper, followed by an album of covers (Nineteeneighties) in 2006. Strangelet appeared in 2007 on Rounder Records, followed by Little Moon (2009), and Walking in the Green Corn (2012) .
Discography
Ladies Love Oracle (2000)
Mobilize (2001)
Virginia Creeper (2004)
Nineteeneighties (2006)
Strangelet (2007)
Little Moon (2009)
Walking in the Green Corn (2012)
Like A Lover
Grant-Lee Phillips Lyrics
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So ghostly white and glittering
Nobody's ever stole my heart
And took it down to the ocean dark
Nobody's ever meant that much to me
Judge and my jury hear my plea
No woman's ever held the reigns on me
No warden's ever held that key
Nobody but her come to set me free
I rattle on for miles
Put it on a page
You let me tap away
I'll rattle on for days
Days
Nobody hits home the way ya do
Nobody makes sense out of my blues
Nobody makes me laugh that hard
Or hurts me so 'til I see stars
Nobody holds a candle up to you
Nobody knows best how to shine my crown
Or the ease it takes to knock it down
Nobody's ever been that true
None of the flunkies on the midnight crew
I've found something there that I'm afraid lose
I rattle on for miles
Put it on a page
You watch me tap away
I'll rattle on for days
Days
Nobody's gonna piss me off so bad
It's a certain power that you have
Never one just to recoil
'Fore ya bring my blood to a boil
Nobody like a lover makes you feel so sad
Nobody like a lover makes ya feel so sad
Nobody like a lover
Nobody like a lover oh oh
Nobody like a lover makes ya feel so sad
Sad
In "Like a Lover," Grant-Lee Phillips sings about the one person who has stolen his heart and captured his soul. He compares this person to the ghostly white and glittering fishes in the sea, emphasizing her uniqueness and irreplaceable quality. No one else has ever held the reigns on him or opened up the cell block of his heart except for her. The singer admits that this person has the power to upset him in ways that no one else can--bringing his blood to a boil and making him feel incredibly sad.
The lyrics suggest a deep emotional connection between the singer and his beloved. Their relationship seems to be both passionate and challenging. The singer acknowledges that this person knows him better than anyone else ("Nobody makes sense out of my blues") and can make him feel a wide range of emotions--from deep laughter to intense pain ("Or hurts me so 'til I see stars"). He also recognizes that with love comes a sense of vulnerability--the possibility of losing the one thing that holds his heart captive ("I've found something there that I'm afraid to lose").
Overall, "Like a Lover" is a soulful tribute to the power of romantic love and its ability to completely transform and enthrall an individual's heart and soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Of all the fishes in the sea
Out of all the options available, there is one that stands out.
So ghostly white and glittering
It's beautifully appealing and captivating.
Nobody's ever stole my heart
No one has ever captured my heart entirely.
And took it down to the ocean dark
No one has ever made me feel like they have taken me on an adventure to the unknown.
Nobody's ever meant that much to me
No one has ever mattered as deeply as you do to me.
Judge and my jury hear my plea
I'm seeking your validation and acceptance.
No woman's ever held the reigns on me
I've never allowed anyone to control me in any way.
No warden's ever held that key
I've never been imprisoned, so no one has the power to release me except you.
Not a soul on cell block three
There is no one else around who can free me from my own confines.
Nobody but her come to set me free
You are the only one who can deliver me from this solitary confinement.
I rattle on for miles
I can write and talk about anything for a long time.
Put it on a page
I can turn my thoughts into words and express them coherently.
You let me tap away
You give me the freedom to express myself without any restrictions or judgement.
I'll rattle on for days
I can keep talking or writing without getting tired or losing enthusiasm.
Nobody hits home the way ya do
No one can strike me emotionally the way you can.
Nobody makes sense out of my blues
No one can understand my pain and hardships as well as you do.
Nobody makes me laugh that hard
No one can bring as much joy and happiness to my life as you can.
Or hurts me so 'til I see stars
No one can hurt me as much as you can, to the point where it feels like the whole world is turned upside down.
Nobody holds a candle up to you
No one else can compare to your exceptional qualities and abilities.
Nobody knows best how to shine my crown
No one else can bring out the best in me as well as you can.
Or the ease it takes to knock it down
At the same time, no one else can hurt me and bring me down like you can.
Nobody's ever been that true
No one has ever been as honest and genuine as you are.
None of the flunkies on the midnight crew
The people around me at night are insignificant compared to you.
I've found something there that I'm afraid lose
I've discovered something valuable that I fear losing in the future.
Nobody's gonna piss me off so bad
No one can make me angry and upset the way you can.
It's a certain power that you have
You possess a unique ability to evoke strong emotions in me.
Never one just to recoil
You never back down from a challenge and are always up for a fight.
'Fore ya bring my blood to a boil
Before you make me extremely angry and frustrated.
Nobody like a lover makes you feel so sad
No one can bring as much pain and sorrow into your life as someone you love.
Nobody like a lover
This unique pain and sorrow is only experienced by someone who is in love.
Nobody like a lover oh oh
It's a very specific and heart-wrenching feeling that only comes with being in love.
Nobody like a lover makes ya feel so sad
This emotional pain can only be inflicted by the one you love.
Sad
The song ends on a melancholic note, highlighting the sorrow that comes with love.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Grant Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cathy Bing
No comment? Unbelievable, I really like his voice.