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
Goodnight and Go
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Skipping beats, blushing cheeks I am struggling
Daydreaming, bed scenes in the corner café
And then I'm left in bits recovering tectonic tremblings
You get me every time
Why d'ya have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
Follow you home, you've got your headphones on and you're dancing
Got lucky, beautiful shot you taking everything off watch the curtains wide open
Then you fall in the same routine flicking through the TV relaxed and reclining
And you think your alone
Why d'ya have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
One of these days, you'll miss your train and come stay with me
It's always say goodnight and go
We'll have drinks and talk about things, any excuse to stay awake with you
You'll sleep here, I'd sleep there, but then the heating may be down again
At my convenience
We'd be good, we'd be great together.
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
Say goodnight and go,
Why's it always always
Goodnight and go
Darling not again
Goodnight and go.
Imogen Heap's "Goodnight and Go" is a song about a crush and the small moments that constitute falling in love with someone. Heap sings about feeling out of control as she falls for someone who is "so cute" and funny. The first verse describes Heap's struggle to keep it together around her crush ("skipping beats, blushing cheeks I am struggling"), and her tendency to daydream about intimate moments with him ("bed scenes in the corner cafe"). Despite feeling vulnerable and exposed ("left in bits recovering tectonic tremblings"), Heap can't resist her crush and admits that he "gets me every time."
The second verse describes an experience where Heap follows her crush home and watches him dance with his headphones on. She sees him let his guard down as he lounges at home and thinks about how even though he thinks he's alone, she's there, watching him. The chorus repeats Heap's sentiments from the first verse, admiring her crush for his humor and charm while acknowledging the difficulties of feeling such intense emotions. The bridge of the song imagines a world where Heap's crush would miss his train and stay over at her place ("we'd be good, we'd be great together"), but ultimately the song ends with Heap resignedly wishing her crush goodnight and dreaming of the next time they'll be together.
Overall, "Goodnight and Go" is a cleverly crafted pop song that captures the joy and uncertainty of falling for someone. Imogen Heap's breathy vocals and the song's catchy hooks make it a perfect anthem for anyone experiencing that heady rush of young love.
Line by Line Meaning
Say goodnight and go
Asking to say goodnight and leave.
Skipping beats, blushing cheeks I am struggling
Feeling nervous and overwhelmed in your presence.
Daydreaming, bed scenes in the corner café
Fantasizing about romantic moments with you.
And then I'm left in bits recovering tectonic tremblings
Feeling shook and attempting to recover from their effect.
You get me every time
Always affecting me in some way.
Why d'ya have to be so cute?
Expressing admiration for your good looks.
It's impossible to ignore you
You are impossible to overlook.
Must you make me laugh so much
You always make me laugh.
It's bad enough we get along so well
We have such a good connection that it's almost too much.
Follow you home, you've got your headphones on and you're dancing
Shadowing your movements as you go home listening to music.
Got lucky, beautiful shot you taking everything off watch the curtains wide open
Witnessing a vulnerable moment of yours.
Then you fall in the same routine flicking through the TV relaxed and reclining
Watching TV and getting comfortable in your habitual way.
And you think your alone
You believe yourself to be alone.
One of these days, you'll miss your train and come stay with me
Hopeful for the day when you stay over after missing your train.
It's always say goodnight and go
Leaving at the end of the day always seems unavoidable.
We'll have drinks and talk about things, any excuse to stay awake with you
Finding any reason to keep you around and talk for hours.
You'll sleep here, I'd sleep there, but then the heating may be down again
Offering to let you sleep over, but acknowledging the possibility of a maintenance problem.
At my convenience
When it's convenient for you.
We'd be good, we'd be great together.
Believing that we would be perfect together.
Why's it always always
Questioning the inevitability of always having to leave.
Darling not again
Expressing disappointment at the idea of leaving again.
Goodnight and go.
Saying goodnight and departing.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Imogen Jennifer Heap
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheCleverBat
[Intro]
Say goodnight and go
[Verse 1]
Skipping beats, blushing cheeks I am struggling
Daydreaming, bed scenes in the corner café
And then I'm left in bits recovering tectonic tremblings
You get me every time
[Chorus]
Why d'ya have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much?
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
[Verse 2]
Follow you home, you've got your headphones on and you're dancing
I've got a lucky beautiful shot, you're taking everything off, watch the curtains wide open
And you fall in the same routine flicking through the TV, relaxed and reclining
And you think you're alone...
[Chorus]
Oh, why d'ya have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much?
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
[Bridge 1]
One of these days, you'll miss your train and come stay with me
(It's always say goodnight and go)
We'll have drinks and talk about things, any excuse to stay awake with you
You'd sleep here, I'd sleep there, but then the heating may be down again (at my convenience)
We'd be good, we'd be great together
[Bridge 2 - Jeff Beck Guitar Solo]
Go!
[Chorus]
Why d'ya have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much?
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
[Outro]
Say goodnight and go
Oh, why's it always, always...
Goodnight and go
Darling not again
Goodnight and go
Sab Gambino
Say goodnight and go
Skipping beats
Blushing cheeks
I am struggling
Daydreaming
Bed scenes in
The corner cafe
And then I'm left in bits recovering, tectonic
Trembling
You get me every time
Why'd you have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Oh, must you make me laugh so much?
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
Follow you home
You've got your headphones on
And you're dancing
Got lucky, beautiful shot
You're taking everything off
Watch the curtains, wide open
And you fall in the same routine
Flicking through the TV
Relaxed and reclining
And you think you're alone
Oh, why'd you have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much?
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
One of these days
You'll miss your train
And come stay with me
It's always say goodnight and go
We'll have drinks and
Talk about things and
Any excuse to stay awake with you
You'd sleep here
I'd sleep there
But then the heating may be down again
At my convenience
We'd be good
We'd be great together
Why'd you have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much?
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go
Oh, why is it always, always?
Goodnight and go
Darling, not again
Goodnight and
Go
rainmelodies
i’m sad that this musical genius never got the recognition she deserved
Horny Cat
So sad x)
Greg
I believe Ariana has made it known on multiple occasions that Imogen is a huge inspiration
Amie Emery
Thank you! Agreed, instead Jason derulo and Ariana get the credit for her lyrics and tunes
JediMasterZao
She does get the recognition she deserves in the musical community. Music fans (i mean like, generalists - people who know music at large and in depth) all know who Imogen Heap is either for her talent as a solo artist or her talent as an engineer and creator of musical instruments. She doesn't get as much recognition from pop fans and in the mainstream but then again, she's not a pop artist like Ariana Grande is.
Elizabeth Whannell
This comment implies Imogen is dead! She is very much alive! And I’ve never even heard the covers everyone is talking about. ❤️ Imogen forever.
alex is a spy
I love both versions. They both give off a ethereal and dreamy vibe
babyspice666
I SEE YOU EVERYWHERE
Jxddy L
@babyspice666 duh look at their name
v
YES! everyone is picking favs, but i love 'em both equally!! 💗✨