Heather Nova is the Bermudian Songwriter who grew up on a boat in the Caribbean and went on to sell over 2 million albums in her 15 year career to date. She has released seven albums and has opened for artists like Van Morrison and Neil Young as well as performed with artists like Sarah McLachlan. She has also had hit records with co-writes featuring artists like ATB (Renegade), and Eskobar (Someone New).Her brother is the Reggae singer Mishka.
By the end of the 1980s, after leaving RISD, Heather moved briefly to New York City (where she unsuccessfully tried to interest some major labels in a demo including Columbia , who rejected her, only to sign her five years later ), before moving to London, England. She has British citizenship due to her Bermudan origin. In 1990, she released her first recording, an EP called 'Heather Frith' — she had not yet changed her name by then. The name change came a year or so later after several gigs in the Netherlands, where, after finding out that the Dutch have trouble pronouncing "Frith," she chose a name that would be easily pronounceable in every European language, "Nova," her Canadian mother's maiden name.
The new name debuted in 1993 with her second EP 'Spirit in You' and her first full album, 'Glow Stars'. The success of the album led her to record and release her first live album, 'Blow', the same year, which she supported by a tour of Europe. A year later in 1994 she released what many consider to be her finest work to date, the emotional yet jagged album 'Oyster', for which she toured for almost two years. Another live album, 'Live from the Milky Way', was released in 1995, and after its release she toured for nearly three years straight, twice joining Sarah McLachlan and others on the North American Lilith Fair, which is a music festival with only female performers. Heather is also a frequent performer at European music festivals such as Roskilde.
In 1998, the long-awaited follow up to 'Oyster' was released. After the release of 'Siren', Heather took a break while various television show and film soundtracks licensed some of her songs and her record company (Sony Records/The WORK Group) released various singles from the album, which received only moderate play on America's MTV2, Europe's MTV and Canada's MuchMusic and on mainstream radio, although she was popular on college radio. Also during this time, she recorded a version of the often covered Billie Holiday song, 'Gloomy Sunday', for the German WWII drama Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod. In 2000, she released yet another live album, called 'Wonderlust'.
Over the years, Heather has written and recorded over a hundred songs, so that her albums are selected from work that has often already been performed live, rather than being conceived during rushed songwriting sessions. Half the songs on 'Siren' had been written during the 'Oyster' sessions and were frequently played live prior to being committed to a studio session, and most of the songs for 2001's 'South' were written between 1999 and 2000 while she was on hiatus from touring. With the release of 'South', she returned to the international spotlight with an appearance on the soundtrack of the John Cusack movie "Serendipity", a couple of music videos, and a collaboration with Swedish band Eskobar, for a song called "Someone New", also released as a video, which proved so popular that it was played primarily on America's MTV, not just MTV2 (which is normally reserved for less-popular songs). 'Storm', Heather's fifth studio album, was released in late 2003 on Big Cat Records, as was 'Redbird', released in 2005.
In 2002, she self-published 'the sorrowjoy', a 72-page book of her poetry and drawings. An album of the same name was released in March 2006, which featured Nova reading the poems from her book set to ambient music. The album has only been available for purchase at concerts beginning with the Intimate Evening tour, from the fan-run websites, HeatherNova.Net and HeatherNova.De, and from the official website, www.heathernova.com.
The album Storm was released in 2003. It was a more refined album, using Mercury Rev as Heather's backing band. The album was Top 5 in Germany and Top 10 across Europe. It was an album of dark ballads, marking a step away from the polished sound of South. It was also Heather's first release on her own record label, Saltwater Records. Despite being pregnant, she toured hard with a new line up and band, before returning home to Bermuda. (A live DVD was made of these concerts (live at the Union Chapel)
Drink It In
Heather Nova Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what to spend them on
Should I keep working
Or sit and marvel at the sky
I think about your skin
Your fragile skin
The heaven of life we're living in
I pray a life your soul to keep
Drink it in, drink it in
Pink clouds scatter
My heart beats clear
For all the hearts that I hold dear all
Drink it in, drink it in deeper
I pray a life your soul to keep
Drink it in, drink it in deeper
I pray a life your soul to keep
Drink it in, drink it in
Drink it in, drink it in
The lyrics of Heather Nova's song Drink It In present a reflection on the brevity and fragility of life, urging the listener to embrace the present moment and bask in the beauty of existence. The opening lines ponder the limited time we have and the dilemma of how to spend it, whether to keep busy or to pause and appreciate the wonders around us. This sets the contemplative and introspective tone of the song, which takes on a spiritual dimension as it progresses.
The second verse, in particular, shifts the focus to a personal connection, suggesting a deep affection for someone and a concern for their wellbeing. The evocative imagery of "fragile skin" and "the heaven of life we're living in" suggests both the vulnerability and the preciousness of life, and invites the listener to savor each moment more fully. The repetition of the phrase "Drink it in" emphasizes the urgency and intensity of this message, as if the singer is urging the listener to seize the day and not take anything for granted.
The final lines of the song reiterate the prayer for a meaningful and fulfilling life, and the invitation to imbibe the richness of existence. The reference to "pink clouds scatter" and "hearts that I hold dear" evokes a sense of beauty and love that transcends time and space, and reinforces the central theme of the song: to be fully present and alive in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
How many days are left
Contemplating the limited time we have left
And what to spend them on
Wondering about the best way to utilize the remaining time
Should I keep working
Considering the value of work compared to other activities
Or sit and marvel at the sky
Considering the beauty of nature and whether to take time to appreciate it
I think about your skin
Reflecting on the beauty of a loved one's skin
Your fragile skin
Noting the delicate nature of life and relationships
The heaven of life we're living in
Acknowledging the preciousness and beauty of life
Drink it in, drink it in deeper
Emphasizing the importance of fully savoring and experiencing life
I pray a life your soul to keep
Expressing love and wishing for the safety and wellbeing of a loved one
Pink clouds scatter
Describing a beautiful natural scene
My heart beats clear
Feeling an internal sense of clarity and peace
For all the hearts that I hold dear all
Thinking of and valuing loved ones
Drink it in, drink it in deeper
Reiterating the importance of fully experiencing and appreciating life
I pray a life your soul to keep
Repeating the expression of love and care for a loved one
Drink it in, drink it in
Encouraging the listener to savor and enjoy life
Drink it in, drink it in
Repeating the encouragement to embrace and fully experience life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Heather Allison Frith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@StefanRLion
loved this song from 2002 , by random i found you ,Bless you . your words touch me . Amen .