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.

Receiver
Hem Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey dear, you know I hate to go
Just lay here listening to the radio
Upstairs, hiding from the world below
The day fading on the dial

Downstairs, wait for the mailman
On lawn chairs spread across the tableland
Somewhere flowerbeds to lay your hand in mine

If you stay then I will, time fading on the dial

I will always love you like I do
I'll always love you like I do
The song is fading still it's true
When I'm here beside you

You said you want a wing to fly
A loose thread hanging from the gingham sky
We knew that we would have to say goodbye
C'mon, if you would then I'd stay
The sun pulling in the driveway

I will always love you like I do
I'll always love you like I do
The song is fading still it's true
When I'm here beside you

I will always love you like I do
I'll always love you like I do

The song is fading still it's true
When I'm here beside you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Hem's "Receiver" paint a beautiful and poignant picture of a bittersweet moment, as the singer contemplates leaving but desperately wants to stay with their loved one. The song opens with the singer addressing their partner, expressing their reluctance to leave and asking to simply stay and listen to the radio together. Upstairs, they feel like they can hide from the world below and let the day fade away on the dial. Meanwhile, downstairs, the mailman is awaited as the couple lounges in lawn chairs and daydreams about holding hands in flowerbeds.

However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer knows they must leave, even as they long to stay beside their partner. The lyrics are filled with beautiful imagery that encapsulates this sense of longing and heartbreak - the "loose thread hanging from the gingham sky" representing a metaphorical opportunity or chance to stay, while the "sun pulling in the driveway" signals the inevitability of the singer's departure. Nonetheless, the singer affirms their love, promising to always love their partner and acknowledging that even when they're together, time still fades away like the song on the radio.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey dear, you know I hate to go
I don't want to leave you, my love

Just lay here listening to the radio
Let's lie down together and enjoy the music

Upstairs, hiding from the world below
We can escape the world by staying upstairs

The day fading on the dial
The day is ending as we listen to the radio

Downstairs, wait for the mailman
Let's wait downstairs for the mail to come

On lawn chairs spread across the tableland
We can sit on the lawn chairs and relax

Somewhere flowerbeds to lay your hand in mine
We can hold hands and enjoy the beautiful flowers around us

If you stay then I will, time fading on the dial
I will stay if you want me to, even as time passes

I will always love you like I do
I will love you forever, just as I do now

The song is fading still it's true
Even as the song ends, my love for you remains

When I'm here beside you
Being next to you makes my love for you even stronger