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)
Say Something
Heather Nova Lyrics
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Darkness is here and so am I
Say something, I don't care
Just let the words spill everywhere
And I'll just lie awake and watch the stars
There is no one can take this night of ours
Except for you, so get it through to me
Say something, I believe
There's still a chance for this to breathe
Say something, make it real
And risk it all, for what you feel
And I'll just lie awake and watch the stars
There is no one can take this night of ours
Except for you, so get it through to me
Your silence is not golden
Your words have not been stolen
No matter, in my head
I hear the words you never said
And I'll just lie awake and watch the stars
There is no one can take this night of ours
Except for you
The lyrics of Heather Nova's song "Say Something" express the desire for communication with a loved one, even if the words may be difficult to express. The opening verses encourage the listener to speak up and share their thoughts and emotions, even in the darkness of the night. The singer yearns for the other person to break their silence and express their feelings honestly, without fear of judgement or rejection. She recognizes that true communication requires risk and vulnerability, but still hopes for a chance to bridge the gap between them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "And I'll just lie awake and watch the stars, there is no one can take this night of ours, except for you, so get it through to me." This repetition suggests both the singer's frustration with the other person's silence, and a steadfast belief in the strength of their connection. The final verse reveals that despite the other person's reticence, their words continue to echo in the singer's mind, underscoring the importance of open communication and the pain of being left in the dark.
Overall, "Say Something" is a powerful anthem for anyone struggling to communicate their feelings to someone they love. It encourages openness, honesty, and vulnerability as essential components of a healthy relationship, even when those things may be difficult or scary.
Line by Line Meaning
Say something, let it fly
Encouraging someone to speak their mind and express themselves freely
Darkness is here and so am I
Acknowledging the darkness or difficulty of the situation, but also being present and willing to listen and support
Say something, I don't care
Expressing openness and willingness to hear whatever the other person has to say, without judgement or reservation
Just let the words spill everywhere
Urging the other person to let their emotions and thoughts flow freely and openly without holding back
And I'll just lie awake and watch the stars
Reflecting on the moment and contemplating the beauty and significance of the experience
There is no one can take this night of ours
Emphasizing the uniqueness and importance of the moment and the connection between the two people
Except for you, so get it through to me
Encouraging the other person to speak up and be honest about their feelings and thoughts
Say something, I believe
Expressing faith in the other person and confidence that they have something important to share
There's still a chance for this to breathe
Believing that the situation or relationship can still be salvaged or improved
Say something, make it real
Encouraging the other person to be authentic and sincere in their communication
And risk it all, for what you feel
Encouraging the other person to take a chance and express themselves fully, even if it is risky or scary
Your silence is not golden
Highlighting the negative impact of the other person's silence or lack of communication
Your words have not been stolen
Clarifying that the other person has not been robbed of their chance to share their thoughts and feelings
No matter, in my head
Acknowledging that, regardless of what the other person says or does, their thoughts and feelings still hold value and significance to the singer
I hear the words you never said
Recognizing the unspoken thoughts and feelings of the other person and the impact they have on the situation
Except for you
Emphasizing the importance and centrality of the other person in the artist's life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Heather Allison Frith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind