Herndon was recently announced a candidate for doctoral study in Electronic Music at Stanford University, and received her MFA in Electronic Music and Recording Media at Mills College under the guidance of John Bischoff, James Fei, Maggi Payne, and Fred Frith. While at Mills she won the Elizabeth Mills Crothers award for Best Composer in 2010 for her vocal generated piece ’195′.
Her musical work explores embodied experience in electronic media through experiments with the electronically processed voice, using extended vocal techniques, vocal processing and FM synthesis.
Herndon released CAR in 2010, a site specific cassette on ThirdSex in Chicago, and is currently working on her solo debut album and a book on embodiment in electronic music performance for the Swiss publisher Van Dieren. Other notable projects for 2012 involve collaborations with Jlin, Hieroglyphic Being, Rene Hell and the Iranian philosopher Reza Negarestani, as well as performances with the media group .
When not producing music, Herndon curates and manages exhibits and residencies at The Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco and teaches music technology at the University of the Pacific. She co-founded the +dialog speaker series at Gray Area Foundation of the Arts in San Francisco, which to date has hosted Kode9, Erik Davis, Max Matthews, Douglas Kahn and more.
Eternal
Holly Herndon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Physical love
They're hiding their love
Love in your heart
So you say
Without love
Oh, yesterday
Eternal love
Physical love
Are you right in front of my eyes?
Love, love, love
How is it possible?
I'm feeling the way now
Right in front of my eyes
I'll love you, belong
Baby, I'm right here
Every night, lie
You hold on
Baby, take all this mess
You have the sun in your eyes
Oh, oh, oh, you
It's all my fault
With love for you
Want to see around you
Breathe, breathe on
Oh, please breathe
All my dreaming belongs to you
Waterfall before you fall, face it
With love and contradiction so
Too much to be contained
Wrap myself around all love
Oh, love
Physical love
Right in front of my eyes
Oh, oh, love
How is it possible?
It belongs to you
Right in front of my eyes
Right in front of you
Baby, holding you
Holly Herndon's song "Eternal" explores the complexities and contradictions of love, both physical and emotional. The lyrics suggest a sense of hidden desire, with the repeated phrase "They're hiding their love" implying a reluctance to fully embrace these feelings. Yet there is also a powerful sense of longing, with the lines "Love in your heart/So you say/Without love/Oh, yesterday" pointing to a desire for a deeper connection.
Throughout the song, Herndon plays with the relationship between physical and emotional love, questioning how these two experiences can coexist. The lines "Physical love/Are you right in front of my eyes?" capture this tension, suggesting a confusion or uncertainty around the nature of the love being experienced. Yet there is also a sense of resilience and commitment, with the repetition of the phrase "Eternal love" suggesting a willingness to weather the challenges that love can bring.
The chorus of the song highlights the power of physical touch and connection, with the lines "Oh, love/Physical love/Right in front of my eyes" emphasizing the importance of being able to express love in a tangible way. Yet there is also a sense of surrender and vulnerability, with the line "Wrap myself around all love" suggesting a willingness to give oneself over completely to the experience of loving another. Overall, "Eternal" is a powerful and multi-layered exploration of the complexities of love and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Love
Starting off with the subject of love
Physical love
Love that is expressed through intimacy
They're hiding their love
Some people are keeping their love secret from others
Love in your heart
Love that is felt deeply within oneself
So you say
A statement to indicate that the following sentence is what someone else said
Without love
The absence of love
Oh, yesterday
A reference to the past
Eternal
Something that is everlasting
Eternal love
A love that is never-ending
Physical love
Love that is expressed through intimacy
Are you right in front of my eyes?
Questioning if the person being addressed is in close proximity
Love, love, love
The repeated emphasis on the subject of love
How is it possible?
Wondering how something is able to be true
I'm feeling the way now
Experiencing strong emotions
Right in front of my eyes
Being able to see something clearly
I'll love you, belong
Expressing a desire to love and be close to someone
Baby, I'm right here
Making a statement to let someone know they are present
Every night, lie
A night that is not truthful or authentic
You hold on
Telling someone to persevere and maintain resolve
Baby, take all this mess
Asking someone to accept and deal with a difficult situation
You have the sun in your eyes
Referring to someone looking towards the light or hope
Oh, oh, oh, you
An exclamation of emotions towards someone
It's all my fault
Taking responsibility for something negative
With love for you
The presence of love directed towards someone
Want to see around you
Desiring to know and understand everything about someone
Breathe, breathe on
Encouraging someone to take in and keep going
Oh, please breathe
An impassioned request for someone to continue on despite possible difficulties
All my dreaming belongs to you
A declaration of devotion and commitment to someone else
Waterfall before you fall, face it
An obstacle that needs to be acknowledged and overcome
With love and contradiction so
The presence of love and opposing feelings
Too much to be contained
An overwhelming amount of emotions
Wrap myself around all love
Enveloping oneself in love
Oh, love
A repeated emphasis on the subject of love
Physical love
Love that is expressed through intimacy
Right in front of my eyes
Being able to see something clearly
Oh, oh, love
An expression of strong emotions related to love
How is it possible?
Wondering how something is able to be true
It belongs to you
Something that someone else possesses or is entitled to
Right in front of my eyes
Being able to see something clearly
Right in front of you
Someone or something that is very present and obvious
Baby, holding you
A declaration of wanting to be close to someone
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Mat Dryhurst, Holly Herndon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Blue_Novas
Lyrics:
Love
Physical love
They're hiding their love
Love in your heart
So you say
Without love
Oh, yesterday
Eternal
Eternal love
Physical love
Are you right in front of my eyes?
Love, love, love
How is it possible?
I'm feeling the way now
Right in front of my eyes
I'll love you 'til you belong
Baby, I'm right here
Every night, lie
You hold on
Baby, take all this mess
You have the sun in your eyes
Oh, oh, oh, you
It's all my fault
I feel love for you
Want to see around you
Breathe, belong
Please breathe
All my dreaming belongs to you
Waterfall before you fall, face it
With love and contradiction so
Too much to be contained
Wrap myself around all love
Physical love
Right in front of my eyes
Oh, oh, love
How is it possible?
It belongs to you
Right in front of my eyes
Right in front of you
Baby, holding you
@shanevincek364
Lyrics
Love
Physical love
They're hiding their love
Love in your heart
So you say
Without love
Oh, yesterday
Eternal
Eternal love
Physical love
Are you right in front of my eyes?
Love, love, love
How is it possible?
I'm feeling the way now
Right in front of my eyes
I'll love you 'til you belong
Baby, I'm right here
Every night, lie
You hold on
Baby, take all this mess
You have the sun in your eyes
Oh, oh, oh, you
It's all my fault
I feel love for you
Want to see around you
Breathe, belong
Please breathe
All my dreaming belongs to you
Waterfall before you fall, face it
With love and contradiction so
Too much to be contained
Wrap myself around all love
Physical love
Right in front of my eyes
Oh, oh, love
How is it possible?
It belongs to you
Right in front of my eyes
Right in front of you
Baby, holding you
@itsyaboypedro
me and the girlies were throwin it back to this in the most abstract and esoteric way imaginable
@misogynbluu
so real
@sabrinahorak3075
This is how Björk made me feel 1997// I never thought I’d feel like this again //
@rogerniner
That was my EXACT feeling when hearing this!!
@arbolnogalleta
absolutely, even a little Vespertine
@Bibi-ir2td
Same
@hisnameisisa
THIS
@corbinwhite4415
Holly Herndon's music makes me feel emotions again.
@loomafied3604
how have i never heard of this artist before because i am absolutely blown away.
@martinreid2352
Matthew Prescott you should check out her other music too, then! This song is a bit more accessible that her other music, but her other music is great nonetheless.