There are at least five artists with this name:
1) Hem is an American ba… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least five artists with this name:
1) Hem is an American band based in Brooklyn, New York, who fuse together a mix of traditional American music with contemporary styles.
2) Hem was a British band based in Leeds that was active in the mid-90s featuring Nicola Hodgkinson and Justine.
3) Hem is British producer Geiom.
4) Hem is a French musician.
5) Hem is a Belgian musician.

1) Hem is an American band based in Brooklyn, New York, who fuse together a mix of traditional American music with contemporary styles. The group draw influences from a variety of musical genres, particularly folk, country, alt-country, americana and rock.
Hem is sometimes described as 'chamber-folk', due to their combination of orchestral and folk instrumentation; some critics have also tagged them as 'countrypolitan'.
Band members include Sally Ellyson (vocals), Daniel Messé (piano, accordion, glockenspiel), Gary Maurer (guitar, mandolin), Steve Curtis (guitar, mandolin, banjo, backing vocals), Catherine Popper (bass guitar), Mark Brotter (drums), Bob Hoffnar (pedal steel guitar), Heather Zimmerman (violin), and later Dawn Landes (backing vocals, glockenspiel).
www.hemmusic.com

2) Hem was a British band based in Leeds that was active in the mid-90s featuring Nicola Hodgkinson and Justine. Hem played mellow, minimal, and somewhat experimental pop. Nicola is best known as a member of Boyracer and Hood who would later form Empress.

3) Hem is British producer Geiom.

4) Hem is a French musician.

5) Hem is a Belgian musician.

Last Call
Hem Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Last call for the evening cheer
In the bar by the sea -
We've been drinking so long down here,
It don't mean much to me.

We'll stay where we're safe inside - the rising tide will pass.
We'll say that we've had enough then raise another glass.

I'll drink to all that I wanted to be.
I'll drink to you and me.
I'll get so high so I can see.

Last call when the waters came
Rushing in at our feet.
Let's tear the door from the frame
And float off down the street.

We'll steer by the neon light - the moon tonight is gone.
We'll throw ourselves overboard then straight on toward the dawn.

I'll drink to all that I thought I could be.
I'll drink to you and me.
I'll get so high so I can see.

Tonight I'll lie upon this door -
I've never been so far before.

Tonight I'll lie upon this door -
And hope it opens to the shore.

Overall Meaning

The song Last Call by Hem is a poignant reflection on the power and seduction of alcohol in human lives. It begins with a typical image of a beachside bar, calling for the "last call for the evening cheer," as people around are drinking to their fill, making merry like there's no tomorrow. As the singer looks around, he realizes that the drinking has gone on for so long that it has lost its meaning and joy.

In the second verse, the rising tide comes in, threatening to engulf everything in its path. Yet, instead of feeling scared or worried, the group decides to tear down the door and float down the street, steering their way "by the neon light." The hope is that they will find their way to a better tomorrow, towards the "dawn." Yet, even as they sail away, they can't resist the pull of alcohol, and continue to drink to all that they hoped to be, to each other, and to the highs that alcohol provides.

The repetition of the second verse reveals the desperate urge to escape, of looking for a way to transcend the present moment, the mundane reality of their lives, and find something more. Yet, in the end, the only thing that's left is the hope that somehow they will make it back to shore safely.

Line by Line Meaning

Last call for the evening cheer
It's the last chance to make merry in this bar for the night

In the bar by the sea -
The bar is situated in a sea-facing location

We've been drinking so long down here,
The habit of boozing has been a part of our lives for a long time

It don't mean much to me.
Drinking has lost its charm for us

We'll stay where we're safe inside - the rising tide will pass.
We'll wait indoors till the high tide recedes

We'll say that we've had enough then raise another glass.
We'll pretend to quit but continue to drink more

I'll drink to all that I wanted to be.
I'll raise a toast to all my unfulfilled aspirations

I'll drink to you and me.
I'll also drink to the friendship we share

I'll get so high so I can see.
I'll drink till I am numb

Last call when the waters came
It was the last warning before the water surged

Rushing in at our feet.
The water level has gone up and it's at our feet now