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)
Hollow
Heather Nova Lyrics
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I catch your eye, now I'm lost in the tears
And it's hollow, but it's beautiful too
In the shadows, with the light coming through
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down
I found a photograph of how we used to feel
And I'm drifting, but I'm riding it too
In the silence, with your voice coming through
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down
I wanna feel, wanna find what you are
Now that it's dark, we can see by the stars
And it's hollow, but it's beautiful too
In the shadows, with the light coming through
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down
In Heather Nova's song "Hollow," the lyrics touch on themes of loss, nostalgia, and longing. The opening lines ask "What do you need to be high, to be here?" This could refer to a state of mind, a physical high, or a heightened emotional state. The singer then describes feeling lost in tears, alluding to a sense of confusion and pain. However, as the chorus repeats the phrase "lay me down," there is a sense of surrender and acceptance.
The second verse touches on the idea of warmth and reality, and the singer reminisces on a photograph of how things used to be. The line "I'm drifting, but I'm riding it too" suggests a willingness to go with the ebb and flow of life. The lyrics ultimately suggest a desire for connection and understanding, as the final verse asks to "feel" and "find what you are."
Through the use of contrasting imagery - "hollow" and "beautiful," "shadows" and "light" - the song juxtaposes feelings of emptiness and melancholy with moments of hope and beauty. The repetitive chorus of "lay me down" provides a sense of comfort and surrender, inviting the listener to give in to their emotions and embrace vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
What do you need to be high, to be here
The singer wonders what it takes for someone to feel happy and present in this moment
I catch your eye, now I'm lost in the tears
The singer has made eye contact with someone who has made her emotional and she is now crying
And it's hollow, but it's beautiful too
Despite feeling empty, there is something about this moment that is still captivating and stunning
In the shadows, with the light coming through
The scene is dimly lit, but there is a glimmer of hope shining through
What do you need to be warm, to be real
The artist questions the necessities needed to feel truly alive and genuine
I found a photograph of how we used to feel
The singer has stumbled upon a picture that represents a past time when they felt different emotions
And I'm drifting, but I'm riding it too
The singer is experiencing a sense of drifting, but is also feeling a level of control and strength
In the silence, with your voice coming through
Despite the stillness, the artist is able to hear the voice of the person who represents their past experiences and emotions
I wanna feel, wanna find what you are
The artist desires to rediscover their past self and the emotions they used to feel
Now that it's dark, we can see by the stars
Despite not being able to see clearly, the artist is able to find guidance and direction by observing the stars in the sky
Lay me down, lay me down
Repetition of this line emphasizes the singer's desire to remain still and in this moment
Lay me down
The artist repeats this line several times, representing their desire to find comfort and stability in the current moment
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Heather Allison Frith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind