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
Canvas
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Revolve within, you understand
Fragile earth where cracks in the temperature
Keep it cool to give, you understand
Keep it cool to give, you understand
Slow heart dark wait down love black canvas
Revolve within, you understand
Fragile earth where cracks in the temperature
Keep it cool to give, you understand
'Cause I just can't find the strength to pull you up and keep you taut
No I just can't find the strength to hold you up and keep you taut
Hijacked lost track light fades another day left
Long shadows lure you in
The more you look the less you see
So close your eyes and start to breathe
Oh, suit yourself, this wasn't easy
Mm, suit yourself this wasn't easy
Oh, I just can't find the strength to pull you up and keep you taut
No, I just can't find the strength to hold you up and keep you taut
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Da-day-hay
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Da-dada-ho
'Cause I just can't find the strength
To keep you taut.
The lyrics to Imogen Heap's song "Canvas" tell a story of a person struggling with carrying the weight of love and intimacy amidst life's struggles. The opening line "Slow heart dark wait down love black canvas" suggests that the person's heart is heavy and the canvas in this case, referring to life, is dark, making it difficult for them to express their emotions. They feel fragile and vulnerable, and the cracks in the temperature, likely referring to the challenges they face in life, make it tough for them to give love. The repetition of the line "keep it cool to give" shows their effort to maintain their composure despite their internal struggles.
In the second verse, the lyrics suggest that the person has lost their way and is unsure of their purpose. The line "The more you look the less you see" indicates that the person is struggling to find clarity amidst the chaos. They urge themselves to close their eyes and breathe, possibly a call for them to find calm and clarity within themselves. The line "suit yourself, this wasn't easy" is a message from the person to themselves, acknowledging that their struggles are not easy to navigate.
Overall, "Canvas" is a song about the difficulties of navigating love and life amidst life's struggles. It speaks to the fragility of the human condition and the effort it takes to keep going even when things are tough.
Line by Line Meaning
Slow heart dark wait down love black canvas
The singer is feeling a heavy, sorrowful heartache that is dragging them down like a dark weight, causing their love to feel empty and uninspired
Revolve within, you understand
The singer is turning inward to try to find clarity and meaning
Fragile earth where cracks in the temperature
The world feels unstable, with its temperature and weather patterns becoming erratic and dangerous
Keep it cool to give, you understand
In the midst of uncertainty, the artist is trying to remain calm and grounded in order to be of service to others
Keep it cool to give, you understand
The artist feels strongly that keeping a level head will allow them to better contribute to the world
'Cause I just can't find the strength to pull you up and keep you taut
The singer is struggling to support someone they care about and keep them from faltering
No I just can't find the strength to hold you up and keep you taut
The singer is admitting their limitations when it comes to caring for someone else
Hijacked lost track light fades another day left
The artist feels as if time is slipping away from them, with the sun setting on yet another unproductive day
Long shadows lure you in
The shadows of the evening are tempting the artist to fall into despair and hopelessness
The more you look the less you see
The artist has been searching for answers, but the more they look, the more confusing everything becomes
So close your eyes and start to breathe
The singer encourages taking a moment to breathe and clear one's mind, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of the world
Oh, suit yourself, this wasn't easy
The artist acknowledges that this process of self-discovery and healing is difficult, and not for everyone
Mm, suit yourself this wasn't easy
The singer expresses that they are not attached to others joining them in this process
'Cause I just can't find the strength to pull you up and keep you taut
The singer repeats their struggle to provide for someone else despite their own limitations
No, I just can't find the strength to hold you up and keep you taut
The singer reinforces their self-awareness and honesty about their limitations
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Vocalization of the artist's raw emotions
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Vocalization of the artist's raw emotions
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Vocalization of the singer's raw emotions
Da-day-hay
Vocalization of the singer's raw emotions
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Vocalization of the artist's raw emotions
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Vocalization of the artist's raw emotions
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo
Vocalization of the artist's raw emotions
Da-dada-ho
Vocalization of the singer's raw emotions
'Cause I just can't find the strength
The artist repeats their admission of weakness and inability to provide for someone else
To keep you taut.
The singer repeats their struggle in keeping someone else stable and grounded.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IMOGEN JENNIFER JANE HEAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@j00range4
Slow heart
Dark weight
Down love
Black canvas
Revolve within
You understand.
Fragile
Earthware
Cracks in the temperature
Keep it cool
To give, you understand
Keep it cool
To give, you understand
Slow heart
Dark weight
Down love
Black canvas
Revolve within
You understand.
Fragile
Earthware
Cracks in the temperature
Keep it cool,
To give, you understand
'Cuz I just can't find the strength to pull you up
And keep you taut
No I just can't find the strength to haul you up
And keep you taut
Hijacked
Lost track
Light fades another day lapsed
Long shadows lure you in.
The more you look the less you see,
So close your eyes and start to breathe,
Oh you said yourself, this wasn't easy.
Mmm you said yourself, this wasn't easy.
Oh I just can't find the strength to pull you up
And keep you taut.
No I, just can't find the strength to haul you up
And keep you taut.
Woah woah woah woah woah
Woah woah woah woah woah
Woah Waoh woah woah woah Woah
Da da da
Woah woah woah woah woah
Woah woah woah woah woah
Woah woah woah waoh waoh woah
Dada da da
'Cuz I just can't find the strength.
To Keep you taut.
@kamalbhaizan
It's been like 10 years since i discovered her music.A lot happened with me between this period. Highschool, heartbreaks, intoxication, college, work. Life has become complicated and confusing. But the feeling I derive from listening to her songs, is, still the same.
@IMissMrKitty
Well said! I feel the same way.
@chicoreyes8777
Amen brother 👍
@sanjaychaupal5072
You speak my heart... pretty much similar story , fan from india
@EveMintttt
I'm the 69th like HAHAHAH
@ZeranZeran
Me too stranger.
@sacredstarlight9446
Imogen heap is not only an artist but she is a gift to the human soul I swear she taps into something I honestly can't describe her music is melancholic uplifting
@CurtisCameron
I listen to this when I'm overthinking, it's one of my go to calm down songs.
@animetrashamvs
Same here, it’s audio therapy 🙏🏾
@jmallon24
Couldn't ask for more of an original artist like Imogen Heap.