The group recorded its first release for the label, Livonia, in Defever's home studio. The album features Oliver's shivery vocals along with tape loops, samples, and guitar blasts, for a noise-damaged, ethereal collection of songs about ghosts, reincarnation, and dreams. By 1992's Home Is in Your Head, the band's lineup and scope expanded. New singers Denise James, Karen Neal, Melissa Elliott, and guitarist Jymn Auge added depth and breadth to the band's original lineup. An epic 23 songs long, Home Is in Your Head ranges from folky ballads to electrifying guitar maelstroms and tape collages. That year also saw the release of The Dirt Eaters EP, named for Defever's other, more rock-oriented group, of which Elliot was also a member. In 1993, His Name Is Alive released two albums: King of Sweet, a limited-edition release that mixed tape effects, samples, demos, and unreleased songs, and Mouth by Mouth, which added more pop structure into the group's inherently experimental and dreamy sound, resulting in its most accessible and diverse album to that date. A new drummer, Trey Many, took over Lang's duties.
As Defever's reputation as an innovative producer spread, he lent his skills to bands like Grenadine, a side project of Tsunami's Jenny Toomey and Unrest's Mark Robinson, other 4AD acts like Liquorice (which featured Toomey, Dan Littleton from Ida, and His Name Is Alive's Many) and Tarnation, and other Detroit-area bands like Godzuki and Outrageous Cherry. Defever also worked on other projects, including the folky ESP Summer (with former Pale Saint Ian Masters) and the electronic Robot World and Control Panel, and founded the Time Stereo art collective with a childhood friend, artist/musician Davin Brainard. Some of Time Stereo's projects included films, coloring books, and cassette-only releases from bands like Princess Dragon Mom, the Crash, Godzuki, New Grape, and Noise Camp.
Defever's diverse interests influenced His Name Is Alive's next release, 1996's Stars on ESP. Very little of the group's original ethereal sound remained, augmented instead with touches of dub, folk, gospel, and early- to mid-'60s pop like the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. At the time of the album's release, Defever claimed that he was so fascinated by the group's "Good Vibrations" that he listened to it for months at a time. The following year's Nice Day EP reached to garage rock and '60s R&B for its inspiration, and featured some of the gospel singers from Stars on ESP, including Lovetta Pippen, whose singing also gave His Name Is Alive's 1998 LP, Fort Lake, an earthy sensuality. Fort Lake also marked the first time the band worked with another producer, recording engineer Steve King. King, another Livonia native, had also worked with Funkadelic and Aretha Franklin, and his touch meshes nicely with the funk, soul, and classic rock allusions His Name Is Alive makes on the album. In preparation for recording Fort Lake -- named after a waterlogged Civil War fort in Michigan -- the group played monthly shows at the Gold Dollar, a tiny Detroit club. At this time, Pippen, bassist Chad Gilchrist, and additional drummer Scott Goldstein debuted as part of the new lineup.
In 1999, His Name Is Alive released a U.S. compilation of tracks from their first five albums called Always Stay Sweet; at the time, those albums were only available as British imports. Like the rest of the band's work, the compilation highlights their mercurial, unique nature. Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth appeared two years later. Released in 2002, the darkly soulful Last Night ended up being the group's final album for 4AD, but His Name Is Alive found other outlets for their music, and were actually busier than ever. Time Stereo released several CDs, such as 2004's ten-disc Cloud Box set, Leaf Club, Brown Rice, and The Detroit River, as well as many MP3-only works, including the Summer Bird and Something_Nothing EPs and a remastered version of King of Sweet. UFO Catcher was released in 2005 on CD by the German label En/Of and on vinyl by Time Stereo, while Ypsilanti Records issued the full-length Summer Bird that spring. Late in 2005, His Name Is Alive released the Raindrops Rainbow EP via iTunes as a teaser for Detrola, their debut for Reincarnate, also the home of fellow former 4AD artist Lisa Germano and Sing-Sing, the project of former Lush member Emma Anderson.
You Need A Heart To Live
His Name Is Alive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just like your present to me
How they do it is a mystery
Just like your present to me
You need a heart to live
You need a heart to live
You need a heart to live
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
Earthquakes for to see
These words of prophecy
This message to the world
These words of prophecy
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
You need a heart to live at all
You need a heart to live at all
Earthquakes for to see
These words of prophecy
This message to the world
These words of prophecy
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
Love is a sound
Wishing you were around
You need a heart to live at all
You need a heart to live at all
You need a heart to live at all
You need a heart to live at all
You need a heart to live at all
You need a heart to live at all
You need a heart to live at all
You need a heart to live at all
The lyrics of "You Need A Heart To Live" by His Name Is Alive appear to focus on the importance of love in one's life. The opening lines, "How they do it is a mystery / Just like your present to me," suggest that the mystery of love and how it comes into one's life is similar to the mystery of receiving a gift from someone. The repeated phrase, "You need a heart to live," emphasizes the idea that love is necessary for human existence.
The lines, "Love is a sound / Wishing you were around," suggest that the feeling of love is a longing for the presence of another person. This is also emphasized by the repetition of the phrase "wishing you were around." The following lines, "Earthquakes for to see / These words of prophecy / This message to the world / These words of prophecy," are more cryptic in their meaning. They suggest that there may be some kind of warning or prophetic message that needs to be shared with the world.
Overall, the lyrics of "You Need A Heart To Live" seem to express the belief that love is essential to life, and that there may be some greater spiritual or prophetic message that needs to be shared with others.
Line by Line Meaning
How they do it is a mystery
The method behind a certain action is unclear or unknown
Just like your present to me
Just like the gift you gave me, the reason for this action is inexplicable
You need a heart to live
Having emotions and empathy is essential to truly living
Love is a sound
Love is an audible sensation
Wishing you were around
Missing someone and hoping they were present
Earthquakes for to see
Disasters occurring to make a point or inspire change
These words of prophecy
A message of prediction or divine inspiration
This message to the world
A message of importance and significance for all
You need a heart to live at all
Having compassion and emotional depth is crucial to truly living
Contributed by Charlie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Roland Escamirosa
Are we still married?
Are we still?
Kinda getting shot at
Kinda getting hurt
Tired of all the blood dear
Tired of getting hurt
Pieces unfamiliar
Shatters all the world
Crashing down moments
Will this tear us in two?
Though I'm still alive
I feel no longer whole
Deep and darkened crevasse
Bottom of our soul
Are we still married?
Are we still?
Are we still married?
This version remixed by This Mortal Coil
best song ever yup yup
78deathface
This song /video has haunted me since I first saw it on Much Music back when I was a kid. Pre-internet, so I saw it one time and had to wait YEARS until I could see it again. It blows my mind that HNIA isn't a bigger deal, some of the finest and weirdest shit, doesn't sound like anything else...
C Rose
@78deathface I saw it on 'The New Music' circa 1994 and it's also stayed with me since.
Mixtapes From My Late Partner
I saw this on the Channel 4 animation strand in the middle of the night. Very haunting.
Multani, Lover of Beer
I saw this on MM as well tripping on acid for the first time. It haunted me for years until disl up internet
MaxxVelo
Im listening to the whole album rn. the previous song before this one is literally about schizophrenia. This band preceded Tool
Transmedal2
I just discovered this video nov 2019 on Thanksgiving and i am shocked its not somthingg more popular :) perfectly goth
Rad
For some odd reason, this makes me think/feel what severe childhood trauma must feel like, it brings out something haunting... never had a song evoke that part of my psyche before! Dont know why! 🐇🖤
Roland Escamirosa
Are we still married?
Are we still?
Kinda getting shot at
Kinda getting hurt
Tired of all the blood dear
Tired of getting hurt
Pieces unfamiliar
Shatters all the world
Crashing down moments
Will this tear us in two?
Though I'm still alive
I feel no longer whole
Deep and darkened crevasse
Bottom of our soul
Are we still married?
Are we still?
Are we still married?
This version remixed by This Mortal Coil
best song ever yup yup
Videos Virales
@Peer Review Its on an EP called The Dirt Eaters. I believe 1992. Good Luck finding it though. I was able to get it on iTunes though.
Peer Review
where can i find the remix.