Heap grew up playing music from an early age, and by her eleventh birthday she was writing her own songs. From the age of 15, she studied at the BRIT School Of Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon, South London, recording three tracks for the school's annual CD between 1994 and 1995, "Aliens" being the title track of the latter.
After being introduced to Nik Kershaw by his manager Mickey Modern, Heap and Kershaw recorded four demos that Mickey Modern took to Rondor Music. Consequently, a few months later Heap signed her first record contract at 18 to independent record label Almo Sounds. During 1996, Heap began working with an experimental pop band called Acacia, which featured her future collaborator Guy Sigsworth and was fronted by the singer Alexander Nilere. While never a full member of the band, Heap was a guest vocalist (as a counterpart to Nilere) and contributed to various Acacia single and album tracks in 1997. One Acacia song, "Maddening Shroud", would later be covered by Frou Frou.
Heap enjoyed a prestigious live début, performing four songs (backed by friends Acacia) between sets by The Who and Eric Clapton at the 1996 Prince's Trust Concert in Hyde Park, London. Her début album, I Megaphone (an anagram of "Imogen Heap") was internationally released in 1998 on independent record label Almo Sounds and garnered critical acclaim. However, as production of the album neared completion, it was announced that the record label had been sold and would be shut down. I-Megaphone featured collaborations with Guy Sigsworth and Dave Stewart. In Japan, the regional distributor, Zora, re-released the album in 2002, featuring "Blanket," her collaboration with Urban Species which was released as a single in the United Kingdom, and a Frou Frou remix of one of her B-sides, a video to which was released exclusively to Japanese media. Following the disbanding of her UK and USA record label, I Megaphone was scarce in circulation, having not been re-printed until November 2006. An independent Brazillian record label has rights to the record, and has issued limited copies, some of which are available on eBay. It has also been released through the iTunes Music Store under the Almo label.
At the same time as the Japanese re-release, Heap was working on new tracks with producer Guy Sigsworth, who had collaborated on "Getting Scared" from I-Megaphone. Together, they formed an electro-pop group Frou Frou, releasing an album called "Details" and singles, "Breathe In", "It's Good To Be In Love" and "Must Be Dreaming." The album was a full collaboration between the two artists. Frou Frou were approached to cover "Holding Out for a Hero", originally performed by Bonnie Tyler, for the soundtrack to the highly successful movie Shrek 2. An album track, "Let Go", was featured in the movie Garden State in 2004.
In December 2003, Heap announced on her web site that she was going to write and produce her second solo album, using her site as an online blog to update fans on progress, even seeking them to be her A&R team for the lyrics to "Daylight Robbery". Heap set herself a deadline of one year to make the album (she booked the album mastering for December 2004), and re-mortgaged her flat to fund production costs, including the use of studio time and instruments (which she purchased as a birthday present to herself). Having been burned by previous challenges with record labels (Heap had been spurned twice by record companies, when Almo Sounds was sold and when Frou Frou's label staff focused on promoting other acts), Heap decided to form her own record label on which to release the new record. At the end of 2004, Heap premiered two album tracks online, enabling fans to pay for a digital download, entitled "Just For Now" (which was up for a limited time as a Christmas gift), and "Goodnight And Go", which had been featured on the second season of hit US TV drama The O.C.
In April 2005, The O.C. season two finale featured another track, the sparse vocodered-vocal track, "Hide And Seek". The track was released immediately to digital download services such as iTunes where it became an instant fixture in the chart. The track was released as a digital download on the 5th July 2005 in the UK and peaked at #8 on the iTunes download chart.
The album, entitled "Speak For Yourself" was then released in the UK on July 18th 2005 on her own record label, Megaphonic Records. The album was also released on iTunes UK, where it entered the top 10, selling strongly. "Hide And Seek" also received radio attention from the popular UK radio station BBC Radio One, with DJ Scott Mills featuring it as his "Record of the Week", and provoking strong reactions ("love it or hate it") from other DJs at the station. Due to popular demand, the track was commercially released on a special limited edition (1500 copies were printed) 7" vinyl in the UK in September. Speak For Yourself was licensed to Sony BMG imprint RCA Victor in August 2005, enabling the record to be released in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It was released in those territories in November, and Heap appeared on the Hotel Cafe Tour promoting the record. Imogen also performed "Goodnight And Go" on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 11, 2006. Heap is slated to continue touring in 2006 in the US and UK to support the record.
As well as TV soundtracks (Frou Frou and Heap's solo records have been featured in shows as varied as The O.C. to CSI, among others), Heap has also contributed solo tracks to movie soundtracks. Her cover of the song "Spooky" (made famous by the band Classics IV, and previously covered by Dusty Springfield) for the soundtrack to the Reese Witherspoon movie Just Like Heaven. Heap also wrote a special track entitled "Can't Take It In" for the soundtrack to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She has also appeared on the second soundtrack for the HBO television series "Six Feet Under", entitled "Six Feet Under Vol. 2: Everything Ends" with a 50-second track that closed the Season 4 episode "I'm A Lonely Little Petunia (In An Onion Patch)". Three versions were recorded and are available from Heap's official web site.
In addition to producing her own records, she has also produced a track for Nik Kershaw and has collaborated with artists as diverse as Joshua Radin, Jeff Beck, Temposhark, LHB, Way Out West, Jon Bon Jovi, Mich Gerber, Sean Lennon, Urban Species, Blue October, Jon Hopkins and Acacia.
Heap's 2009 album 'Ellipse' features Canvas, Aha! and Half Life.
Sites: Twitter
www.imogenheap.com
09. Bad Body Double
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just after a shower and
She plays with my makeup and creams
"Heap's trying to look like me"
And goes through the motions posing this way and that
Holding it in
If it makes you feel better then knock yourself out
Say hi there to my bad body double
This is my bad body double trouble
Oh no my bad body double mm hm
I got bad body double trouble oh.
She's trouble
She's trouble
She's trouble alright.
Yeah yeah
Sometimes I just want to lose her
Shake her at a bar or gym for five minutes
It feels so good to be back in my own self again
Can get quite confusing.
We look very similar except she's got some grays and
A little extra weight on the side
Dimply thighs I hear that stuff's a bitch to get rid off.
We're having quite an intimate personal moment (not now)
Could you maybe come at a slightly less awful time? (not now)
She can see I've got someone quite nice here with me
Can't we just be left alone
I guess that's a no then
Seeing as how you're still here
Seeing as how you're still here
It's not me no
It's my bad body double
I've got bad body double trouble
Oh no my bad body double mm hm
I've got bad body double trouble agh.
Bad body double mm hm.
I've got bad body double trouble
Oh dear my bad body double mm hm
I got bad body double trouble.
She's trouble
She's trouble
She's trouble alright.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
She's trouble
She's trouble.
She's trouble alright.
Yeah, yeah right there.
Can't shake her can't shake her can't shake her can't shake her
Everywhere I go everywhere I go go
Can't shake her can't shake her can't shake her can't shake her
Everywhere I go everywhere I go go
Say hi there
To my bad body double
My bad bad bad body double.
She's trouble
I can't shake her.
I hate her I hate her I hate her I hate her I hate her.
She's everywhere I go
I've gotta get rid
Of you once and for all
In Imogen Heap's song Bad Body Double, the artist addresses the issue of feeling uncomfortable in one's own skin, and the pressure to maintain a certain physical appearance for public consumption. The song describes Imogen's uncomfortableness with her own body, showing how she has a 'bad body double,' a lookalike who resembles her but has some extra weight and 'grays.' Imogen sings about how this lookalike can be a blessing and a curse, as it allows her to play with makeup and creams without judgement, but it can also be frustrating, as she feels like she cannot escape her own body. She sings about wanting to shed the extra weight and dimples and how frustrating it can be. Ultimately, this song speaks to the beauty standards women are held to and the struggle to feel comfortable in one's own skin.
The lyrics also address how the bad body double can appear at unexpected times and be an unwelcome presence in Imogen's life. For example, the double might pop up when Imogen is having an intimate moment with someone else, making her self-conscious and uncomfortable. This highlights the challenge of feeling insecure and comparing oneself to others, even in moments of personal connection.
While the song is vulnerable, it conveys a powerful message about body positivity, and acknowledges that everyone has their demons or insecurities they struggle with. It can be especially challenging when society perpetuates impossible beauty standards. Through this, the song shows that we all need to be more accepting of our bodies, understanding that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
Line by Line Meaning
She pops into the bathroom
She enters the bathroom
Just after a shower and
Right after taking a shower
She plays with my makeup and creams
Using my cosmetics and skincare products to transform into me
"Heap's trying to look like me"
Imagining that Heap is attempting to copy her appearance
And goes through the motions posing this way and that
Gesturing and acting in different positions to resemble her
Holding it in
Suppressing the urge to express her feelings
If it makes you feel better then knock yourself out
If impersonating her is satisfying you, then continue doing it
Say hi there to my bad body double
Introducing her fake version
This is my bad body double trouble
She is referring to her doppelganger as 'trouble'
Oh no my bad body double mm hm
Oh no, my doppelganger is giving me a headache
I got bad body double trouble oh.
I am annoyed by the presence of my fake version
She's trouble
Her doppelganger is causing problems
Yeah yeah
Expressing agreement to the previous statement
Sometimes I just want to lose her
Sometimes, she wishes her double would disappear
Shake her at a bar or gym for five minutes
Wishing to get rid of her doppelganger by leaving her somewhere else for a few minutes
It feels so good to be back in my own self again
Being relieved to be alone with her true identity
Can get quite confusing.
The situation can be perplexing
We look very similar except she's got some grays and
Observed that they are almost identical but her double has some grey hair
A little extra weight on the side
The doppelganger has some extra pounds compared to her
Dimply thighs I hear that stuff's a bitch to get rid off.
The dimpled skin in her double's thighs is challenging to eliminate
We're having quite an intimate personal moment (not now)
They are sharing an intimate moment together (not at this point in time)
Could you maybe come at a slightly less awful time? (not now)
Asking her doppelganger to come later when she is less occupied
She can see I've got someone quite nice here with me
Her double is aware that she has someone special in her life right now
Can't we just be left alone
Requesting for privacy
I guess that's a no then
Assuming her request was not granted
Seeing as how you're still here
Noticing that her double is still present
It's not me no
Implying she is not her doppelganger
I've got bad body double trouble
She is having a hard time dealing with her doppelganger
Oh no my bad body double mm hm
Expressing frustration towards her doppelganger
I've got bad body double trouble agh.
She is annoyed with the presence of her double
Bad body double mm hm.
Describing her doppelganger as 'bad'
Oh dear my bad body double mm hm
Saying that she is not fond of her fake version and is finding her presence irritating
She's trouble
Reinforcing the fact that her double is problematic
She's trouble
Reiterating that her doppelganger is troublesome
She's trouble alright.
Emphasizing how problematic her fake version is
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Expressing agreement with her previous statements
She's trouble
Stating that her fake version continues to cause problems
She's trouble.
Reiterating that the presence of her double is disruptive
She's trouble alright.
Saying that her doppelganger is genuinely problematic
Yeah, yeah right there.
Agreeing with the fact that her double is problematic
Can't shake her can't shake her can't shake her can't shake her
Not being able to get rid of the presence of her doppelganger
Everywhere I go everywhere I go go
Feeling like her fake version follows her everywhere she goes
Say hi there
Asking someone to acknowledge her doppelganger
To my bad body double
Referring to her fake version one more time
My bad bad bad body double.
Describing her doppelganger negatively once again
She's trouble
Reinforcing how problematic her double is
I can't shake her.
Expressing difficulty in getting rid of her fake version
I hate her I hate her I hate her I hate her I hate her.
Strongly disliking her doppelganger
She's everywhere I go
Describing the continuous presence of her fake version
I've gotta get rid
Determining that she must find a way to eliminate her doppelganger
Of you once and for all
Wanting to permanently get rid of her negative presence
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IMOGEN JENNIFER JANE HEAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind