Isakov has been described by Boulder Weekly, "Strong, subtle, a lyrical genius" and has been compared to his influences; Bruce Springsteen, Kelly Joe Phelps, Iron & Wine and Gillian Welch. Isakov's humble presence and his overwhelming voice and guitar style has been treasured by an ever-growing and captivated fan base.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Isakov immigrated to the States with his family and grew up in the Philadelphia area. He started touring at the age of 16 with his first band. In 1999 he sought out his solo acoustic roots and moved to Colorado where he now resides.
Isakov has been taking on the folk music scene with his 2003 release "Rust Colored Stones" LP and his 2005 release "Songs For October". Isakov's song-craft lends to the deepest lyrical masterpieces, and his live performance has been known to quiet and shake the biggest rooms.
Isakov has shared the stage with numerous touring artists such as Rodrigo y Gabriela, Alexi Murdoch, and Fiona Apple. He has performed throughout the United States, playing numerous music festivals such as Falcon Ridge Folk Fest, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest and Southpark Music Festival. Isakov has toured solo and with his band "The Freight".
In 2007, Gregory was named "Best Male Singer-Songwriter" by Westword Magazine.
Subsequent albums have included That Sea, The Gambler (2007), This Empty Northern Hemisphere (2009), The Weatherman (2013), Evening Machines (2018).
This Empty Northern Hemisphere
Gregory Alan Isakov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vagabonds walk this suitcase town
Summer left us beckoning
The cottonwoods were all worn out
Night comes fixing on the day
And the universe reigned again
While the wheels roll, it all glows a flickering light
While you were sleeping I was the turning the dials
And I walled up your kingdom with radio wires
And the bells of the choir came in low and rumbling
Aw you should a heard them
Living here in this city on fire, well i've been fine
Just dancing drunk above the street
Me the ghost of caroline
And that was me, ya know, calling up above
From the steeples in the church yard
Watch the wheels roll to find another place home
While you were sleeping, you bet that I might
Walk this empty northern hemisphere wide
And the kingdom it came, well it all fell down
It all fell to dust
The lyrics of Gregory Alan Isakov's "This Empty Northern Hemisphere" are both melancholic and dreamlike. The first verse suggests a somber mood with the imagery of smoke rising from whisky mouths and vagabonds walking the streets of a "suitcase town," suggesting a transient lifestyle. The coming of summer is invoked, but its departure is slightly mourned, as the cottonwoods are "all worn out." The verse is cryptic, but the imagery provides a sense of transience and time passing.
In the second verse, the mood shifts from melancholic to dreamlike. The "universe reigns" while night "fixes" on the day. The idea that the "wheels roll" and "it all glows a flickering light" implies that life is transient, and that there is something magical about the way that things go on, even as they seem to change so quickly. While the world carries on and the singer is awake, he takes it upon himself to "wall up your kingdom with radio wires." This suggests that the singer has a sense of control over his environment or his thoughts, and he can shape his own reality. The bells of the choir rumble in the background, a feeling of grandeur and wonder taking over as the singer finds solace in the sound.
The final verse repeats the phrase "while you were sleeping," which further emphasizes the idea of a dream, and of being awake while others are sleeping. The singer finds himself "living here in a city on fire," but states that he has been "fine." He dances drunk above the street, easily blending in with the ghost of Caroline, whoever she may be. The singer then alludes to calling out "from the steeples in the church yard," another reference to religious imagery. The final line of the song, "it all fell to dust," suggests that anything, even a kingdom, is not everlasting.
Line by Line Meaning
Smoke it flies from whisky mouths
People in this town are drinking heavily and smoking excessively.
Vagabonds walk this suitcase town
There are wandering people who are carrying their belongings in a bag, looking for a place to settle.
Summer left us beckoning
The season of summer has ended, but we still wish it was here.
The cottonwoods were all worn out
The trees have lost their leaves, and they look weary and tired.
Night comes fixing on the day
The night overtakes the day, and the darkness settles in.
And the universe reigned again
The vastness of the universe becomes apparent and is all that we can see.
While the wheels roll, it all glows a flickering light
As we travel, streetlights and headlights blend together and create a flickering effect.
While you were sleeping I was the turning the dials
While you were unaware, I was controlling what you hear on the radio.
And I walled up your kingdom with radio wires
Through radio transmissions, I have created a barrier around your world.
And the bells of the choir came in low and rumbling
The sound of the choir's bell was faint and sounded like a distant rumble.
Aw you should a heard them
It would have been a beautiful sound to hear.
Living here in this city on fire, well i've been fine
Despite the chaos of the city, I have managed to remain okay.
Just dancing drunk above the street
Revelers in the city consume alcohol and dance in the streets.
Me the ghost of caroline
I am like a ghostly figure, haunting the city.
And that was me, ya know, calling up above
I was the one shouting to the heavens.
From the steeples in the church yard
I yelled from the top of the church's bell tower.
Watch the wheels roll to find another place home
I am observing the movement of the wheels as people try to settle in another place they can call home.
While you were sleeping, you bet that I might
While you were asleep, I considered leaving.
Walk this empty northern hemisphere wide
I will journey alone, wandering through the vast emptiness of the Northern Hemisphere.
And the kingdom it came, well it all fell down
The world I knew crumbled and fell apart.
It all fell to dust
Everything I had known became nothing but debris.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Modelle
on Time Will Tell
A Kansas wheat farmer wonders and worries about the price he will get for his bushels as they pour into some commercial silo.