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.
Those Feelings
Herbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
never had, never had
now we're strangers on each other's photographs
used to write your name there in the dark
inside my heart in my heart
now my head can't even spell
and all of those feelings
we're used to revealing
pull away and they just disappear
and though we both mean it
(i know i don't seem it)
you have the end i had been searching for
thought the chapters followed in that book
never read the lines between
learnt the jacket quotes all off by heart
what a start, what a start
but not narration for that scene
that ending
and all of those feelings
we're used to revealing
pull away and they just disappear
and though we both mean it
(i know i don't seem it)
you had the end i had been searching for
In Herbert's song "Those Feelings," the singer reminisces about a past relationship that has now come to an end. The lyrics express a deep sense of loss, as if the singer has struggled to come to terms with the fact that they have moved on. The first verse presents the irony of the situation where the singer considers their former partner as the best idea they ever had, but now, they are strangers and have no place in each other's life.
The second verse continues the reflection on the past. The singer used to write their partner's name in the dark, a symbol of how close they were with each other, how intimate they were, and how much in love they were. However, now they cannot even spell the word "farewell." The chorus adds another layer to the meaning of the song. The singer perceives that all the feelings they used to share with their partner have vanished, and there's a realization that the relationship had been on borrowed time for quite a while.
The last verse explores how the singer and their ex-partner used to perceive their relationship. They thought that their story would continue indefinitely, but now that it has ended, the insights that they had learned about each other are meaningless. The chorus revisits the feeling that all the emotions they had for each other have disappeared, but despite that, the singer recognizes that their former partner gave the ending they had been searching for.
Line by Line Meaning
you're the best idea i ever had
You are the most brilliant, creativel, and innovative idea that I have ever had in my mind.
never had, never had
I have never experienced anything like this before.
now we're strangers on each other's photographs
Although we have shared some beautiful moments together, now we are just strangers to each other with nothing in common.
used to write your name there in the dark
I used to write your name in the lonely and dark moments of my life when I missed you the most.
inside my heart in my heart
You were always there, deep inside my heart, and you still exist there even if we are not together anymore.
now my head can't even spell
I am so much broken and shattered now that I can't even spell some words properly.
this farewell
This goodbye is so painful and hard for me to accept.
and all of those feelings
All those beautiful and intense feelings that we had for each other.
we're used to revealing
We used to express those feelings to each other without keeping any secrets or hesitations.
pull away and they just disappear
But now as we are getting distant from each other, those feelings are just disappearing like they never existed.
and though we both mean it
Although we both know the reality and truth behind our separation.
(i know i don't seem it)
Even though I may act like I am okay with this, deep down, I am not okay at all.
you have the end i had been searching for
You have given me the closure and end that I have been searching for so desperately.
thought the chapters followed in that book
I thought our story will continue just like a beautiful book with endless chapters.
never read the lines between
But I never understood or read the lines between the beautiful words and chapters of our story.
learnt the jacket quotes all off by heart
I memorized the beautiful quotes from our story and kept them close to my heart.
what a start, what a start
Our story had an amazing and beautiful start which I will always cherish.
but not narration for that scene
But at this moment, I cannot find any words to describe or narrate the scene of our final goodbye.
and though we both mean it
Although we both understand and agree on the decision to part our ways.
(i know i don't seem it)
I may not appear like I am accepting and dealing with it properly, but I am trying my best.
you had the end i had been searching for
With this final goodbye, you have given me an end to our story that I have been longing for and couldn't have ended it without you.
Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.