Initially known as an interpreter of jazz and pop standards, Herbert's latest record 'All the Ghosts' is populated by a living, breathing cast of beaten-down dreamers, jaded city-dwellers, and women in a quandary, and has the critics scrambling for comparisons with artists as diverse as Lennon and McCartney, Nina Simone, The Kinks and Tom Waits.
Herbert's musical career started while at university in Durham, where she formed a jazz/folk duo with guitarist Will Rutter. The pair played extensively throughout the North-East, and together roamed Edinburgh, Paris and Amsterdam, busking and hustling for gigs. After moving to London they cut an album called 'First Songs' for a label run out of the Pizza Express on London’s Dean Street – a cornerstone venue in Soho’s jazz scene.
On the back of that record's success, Herbert was soon signed up by the Universal conglomerate as a jazz crossover artist, and in September 2004 released her first solo album 'Bittersweet and Blue', featuring a mixture of originals, jazz standards and pop covers.
Throughout the extensive touring period that followed, Herbert began writing songs of her own, forming a writing partnership with pianist Tom Cawley (Curios) and developing her own voice, so much so that she soon found she had outgrown the initial role defined for her by the major label.
Herbert left Universal Classics and Jazz to pursue a less commercial and more personal musical direction. Collaborating with Polar Bear's Seb Rochford in a production role, Herbert's 'Between Me and the Wardrobe' featured exclusively original material, was recorded in three days and never intended for general release. The album was initially put out on Herbert's own Monkeywood label before being picked up by Blue Note Records in 2007, making Herbert their first UK signing in 20 years.
In early 2008, Herbert was commissioned by a collaborative project between Peter Gabriel and Bowers & Wilkins to record an acoustic album at Gabriel's Real World Studios. The result of these sessions — Ten Lives — was released as a digital download in July 2008, available only from the Bowers & Wilkins website as part of their Music Club.
Her latest record, 'All the Ghosts', features some remixed versions of these recordings alongside some new tracks, and was released in June 2009 on the Naim Edge label to much critical acclaim.
Almost Like Being In Love
Gwyneth Herbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What a rare mood I'm in!
Why, it's almost like being in love
There's a smile on my face
For the whole human race
Why it's almost like being in love
Like a bell that is ringing for me
And from the way that I feel
When the bell starts to peal
I would swear I was falling
I could swear I was falling
It's almost like being in love
The lyrics of Gwyneth Herbert's song "Almost Like Being In Love" expresses the feeling of sheer happiness and euphoria that love can bring. Starting with the lines "What a day this has been! What a rare mood I'm in!", the singer highlights the feeling of being in such a good mood that it seems like everything around her is going perfectly. She then goes on to say "Why, it's almost like being in love", implying that this happiness is akin to the feeling one gets while being in love. Throughout the song, she repeats the line "it's almost like being in love" several times, further emphasizing the similarity between the two emotions.
The second verse, "There's a smile on my face for the whole human race" shows how the singer's elation transcends her personal life and spreads to everyone around her, making her feel in sync with the rest of humanity. The metaphorical line "all the music of life seems to be like a bell that is ringing for me" indicates that everything in life is falling into place for the singer, and that all she is experiencing is pure bliss. The song ends with the singer exclaiming that "it's almost like falling in love", slightly altering the original line to indicate that this feeling is not quite the same as being in love, but close to it.
Overall, the lyrics of the song describe the joyous and overwhelming feeling of being in love, or at least, feeling like one is in love. The singer poetically portrays the way in which all aspects of life seem to fall into place during such a time, and how this happiness can be felt on a grand scale, effecting the rest of humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
What a day this has been!
Today has been quite remarkable, full of joys and surprises.
What a rare mood I'm in!
I'm experiencing a unique state of mind, perhaps one that I haven't felt in a while.
Why, it's almost like being in love
My current level of happiness and euphoria is comparable to the feeling of falling in love.
There's a smile on my face
I am joyful and content, evidenced by the grin on my face.
For the whole human race
My positivity extends to everyone around me, as if I have love and compassion for every person in the world.
Why it's almost like being in love
My current state of happiness is again likened to the feeling of being in love.
All the music of life seems to be
Every aspect of life appears to be in harmony and contributing to my joyous mood.
Like a bell that is ringing for me
Life feels like it is sending me positive signals or messages, like a bell ringing just for me.
And from the way that I feel
Based on my emotions and sensations at the moment,
When the bell starts to peal
When the bells continue to sound and resonate within me,
I would swear I was falling
I would believe that I am actually falling in love, as if this is the same kind of feeling.
I could swear I was falling
I feel so strongly about my emotions that I could confidently say that I am falling in love.
It's almost like being in love
The entire experience is once again likened to falling in love, as if there is no other explanation for such an intense feeling of joy and euphoria.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cari Sunshine
Still loving this 8 years after first hearing! What a lovely voice. 😍😘
MsVoluptuousBeauty
I love it! I love Gwyneth voice..so soothing and comforting. Just watched the movie and had to have this song or anything by her. Love your music gurl! 🤗
lawrence jennings
AMAZING!!! the best version of this song...
Rhianna Barr-Beaumont
after Neil's of course
cicobuffy
Beautiful and heartfelt performance . Stunning
9iromeo
Canta con muchisimo sentimiento!!...😥😥
cloncs
I love the movie, and, this version of the song so much. Peace.
Mirna Ramos
Esta es la cantante que canta en la película Año bisiesto y aunque hay varias que canten este tema es la mejor versión a mi justo ella le pone mucho sentimiento. Cuando la escuche en la película la busque y me salieron varias versiones pero no reconocía la voz tengo un oído muy agudo hasta que la encontré
Gwyneth Herbert
@leeley99 Thanks for the lovely comments guys. You can get the song from iTunes in the UK... not sure about other countries I'm afraid. It's from my first solo album "Bittersweet and Blue". Gwyn x
Maximo Lira Medina
Absolutely the best version of this song!