Herbert began creating music with found objects whilst at Exeter University (UK) in the 1990s, where he studied Drama. From bottles, books, and pepper pots he progressed to recording places and experiences, effectively using the sampler as an instrument on many of his Doctor Rockit and Herbert releases. This style evolved into the overtly political when he began sampling objects from McDonald's and The Gap as a protest against corporate globalism on the The Mechanics Of Destruction album. The CD was distributed free at concerts and available as a free download and has never been available in stores.
His 2003 Big Band album, Goodbye Swingtime combined the political commentary of Radioboy with the song structure of his Herbert albums. Recorded with sixteen musicians from the British jazz world, including saxophonists Dave O'Higgins and Nigel Hitchcock and bassist Dave Green, the band is complemented on stage by long-term vocal partner Dani Siciliano and occasionally Arto Lindsay and Warp recording artist, Jamie Lidell. Recently he has provided music for a number of films, including Dogme director Kristian Levring's The Intended along with original music for TV. Herbert's newest album Plat du Jour addresses world famine.
Leave Me Know
Herbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still don't know you
(night is closing in)
Tired shoulders
It feels over
(it follows us again)
One year older
Never call again
Each new ending
So different
So different
Show me then
The things you do
Be the friend
I never knew
Show me things
That i cannot do
Do without
Or without you
Still don't know me
(tell me what you need)
Each roll over
It's so over
Can't console me
Leave me now
Never call again
Each new ending
So different
So different
Show me then
The things you do
Be the friend
I never knew
Show me things
That i can do
Do without
Or without you
Herbert's song "Leave Me Now" is a contemplative track that deals with the complications of relationships and the possibility of letting go. The opening lines, "Still don't know you, tired shoulders, it feels over," depict a sense of weariness and detachment towards the other person, suggesting that the singer has invested much effort and time into the relationship without much reciprocity. The reference to "one year older" further emphasizes the passage of time, perhaps highlighting the singer's growing impatience with the status quo.
The chorus "Leave me now, never call again, each new ending so different, so different" can be interpreted in a few different ways. It may suggest the singer's desire to end the relationship entirely and not be contacted again, or it could represent the seesawing emotions that come with every break-up and subsequent reunion. The phrase "each new ending so different" may allude to the fact that each break-up is unique, with its own nuance and complexity.
The second half of the song somewhat shifts the focus to the other person, with lines like "Be the friend I never knew, show me things that I cannot do, do without or without you." Here, the singer is acknowledging the possibility of remaining friends despite the romantic relationship ending. The final line of the song, "Or without you," is particularly poignant, suggesting that the singer has come to terms with the idea that they don't necessarily need the other person to survive or be happy.
Line by Line Meaning
I
I still do not know you.
(night is closing in)
It is getting dark outside.
Tired shoulders
I feel physically tired.
It feels over
Our relationship seems to have come to an end.
(it follows us again)
We are experiencing the same issues we have before.
One year older
We have aged by one year.
Leave me now
Please go away from me now.
Never call again
Do not contact me anymore.
Each new ending
Every time we end something, it is different.
So different
Each time it feels like a new situation entirely.
Show me then
Please demonstrate to me.
The things you do
What you are doing or have done.
Be the friend
Act like the friend.
I never knew
That I did not know before.
Show me things
Teach or inform me about things.
That i cannot do
Things that I am not capable of doing.
Do without
Manage or survive adequately without.
Or without you
You are not needed for survival.
Still don't know me
You still do not understand me.
(tell me what you need)
Please express what you require.
Each roll over
Each time we go through the same process.
It's so over
It is truly finished.
Can't console me
I cannot be comforted.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JANN ARDEN RICHARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind