Following the successes of his EPs Slow (2015) and Real (2017), and his debut album Shift (2018), Henry Green has racked up over 71 million streams on Spotify and more than 18 million on Apple Music, and has won the respect of his peers, including former tour-mates London Grammar and Nick Mulvey, and recent remixers Cyril Hahn and Harvey Causon. And yet, their faith is ultimately repaid with Half Light, the upcoming release that finds Green harnessing that initial crisis of confidence to create music that’s both emotionally honest and breaks new ground.
While tonally intimate, many of the arrangements on Half Light are more expansive than anything Green has attempted previously. “I'm always trying to counteract live instruments with something completely synthetic,” Green says of the process. The fluttering percussion and shimmering synth textures of cinematic lead single ‘Realign’ brings to mind the work of Christian Löffler or Bonobo, both of whom remain key influences in terms of production, alongside long-time vocal reference points RY X and Mike Milosh of Rhye. For ‘Tide’, Green secured a guest turn from another one of his singing heroes, Bonobo and Flying Lotus-collaborator Andreya Triana, while ‘Idle’ features Canadian artist Ghostly Kisses, his label mate at Akira. Alongside strings and a saxophone player, these were the only outside contributors, bar mixing engineer Tristan Hoogland.
Half Light is set for release in June 2020 via Akira Records, with UK, Germany, Amsterdam and France tour dates to follow in September.
Holding On
Henry Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You and I will be here waiting
You know this feeling never leaves
Place I hence upon the ceiling
And force the water back to sea
I keep holding on,
Keep, keep holding on
Keep, keep holding on!
Drove a line across the reason
My wish upon the part of days
And life is changing with the seasons
But I try hard to keep my mind at ease
I keep holding on,
Keep, keep holding on
Till I find what was once gone
Keep, keep holding on!
The song Holding On by Henry Green explores the theme of holding onto something or someone despite its absence. The lyrics convey a sense of timelessness and perseverance, with the singer acknowledging that some things never truly leave us. The opening lines, "You and I will be here waiting / You know this feeling never leaves", reveal the singer's determination to hold onto something important to them, even if it's just a feeling.
The imagery of "placing hence upon the ceiling / And force the water back to sea" suggests a struggle against a force much larger than oneself, such as the tide of emotions or time itself. The repetition of "keep holding on" throughout the song further emphasizes the singer's resolve to hang on to what they are seeking. The bridge of the song, "Drove a line across the reason / My wish upon the part of days / And life is changing with the seasons / But I try hard to keep my mind at ease", further highlights the tension between wanting something desperately and trying to find acceptance or peace with its absence.
Overall, Holding On is a poignant and introspective song that touches on universal themes of loss, hope, and perseverance. The lyrics are open to interpretation and leave room for listeners to apply the message to their own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You and I will be here waiting
We will wait patiently for what we desire
You know this feeling never leaves
The longing we experience is persistent
Place I hence upon the ceiling
I put my faith in a higher power
And force the water back to sea
I am determined to overcome obstacles
I keep holding on,
Keep, keep holding on
Till I find what was once gone
Keep, keep holding on!
I will persist until I regain what I have lost
Drove a line across the reason
I ignored logic and reason
My wish upon the part of days
I am hopeful for the future
And life is changing with the seasons
Change is inevitable and ongoing
But I try hard to keep my mind at ease
I make an effort to remain calm and composed
Contributed by Blake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ss-ri1fo
With this kind of music i can imagine paradise.
@razzza94
WE'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG! 2018 starting well...
@BertheaLeduc
Cet atmosphere Greenesque que j'aime! Merci HG
@lawrenceseccombe2583
Such a deep song...
@mathewreed6337
Sooo good, perfect for a rainy day!
@lucilleperez6606
wonderful vocals and great music
@hannahbishop1507
Omg!! Beautiful
@kimioops
I love your voice
@chasemer6
This song reminds me so much of another good one. For the life of me I can’t figure which it is. It’s like something by Koda, Mr FijiWiji or someone like that.