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
Shine
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sun gun me down and burn me
Nature hates me today
My head distorts reality
Madness just moved into my shadow
Shine, I will not cry and I will not die no
Shine, I will be there for me
Shine, I will not cry and I will be mine
I'll shine, shine
Who waltzed me into this
Am I now stuck here forever
Luck just gave me a kiss
Then lashed me down with a leather strap
Trying to learn to swim without any water
Trying just to begin just when
You're in for the slaughter, yeah
Shine, I will not cry and I will not die no
Shine, I will be there for me
Shine, I'll be just fine if I stay all mine
I'll shine, shine,
Shine, I will not cry and I will not die no
Shine, I will be there for me
Shine, I'll be just fine if I stay all mine
I'll shine, shine
Shine
You will love me as a winner
Shine
You will love me as a winner
Shine
You will love me as a winner
Shine
You will love me as a winner
Shine
You will love me as a winner
Shine
You will love me as a winner
Shine
You will love me as a winner
Shine,
Shine, I will be there for for me
Shine, I'll be just fine if I stay all night
I'll shine, shine
Shine, I will not cry and I will not die, no
Shine, I will be there for me
Shine, I'll be just fine if I stay all night
I'll shine, shine
Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?
The lyrics of Imogen Heap's song "Shine" speak of the struggles and challenges that the singer is facing in her life. It starts off with the emotions of feeling drained and defeated due to the elements of nature such as rain and sun that seem to attack her. The singer's head distorts her reality, and she feels like she is losing her mind. She then admits that madness has moved into her shadow, implying that her mental struggles are getting worse. Despite all this, the singer tries to convey a message of resilience and determination. She tells herself to shine and not to cry or die. She is determined to be there for herself and shine, regardless of how difficult things may get. The repeated phrase "shine" is a symbol of hope and positivity.
The lyrics of "Shine" could be interpreted as a message of hope and encouragement for people facing difficult situations in their lives. The singer's struggles with mental health issues are relatable, and the song's message of perseverance and resilience can inspire others to keep going even in challenging times. The lyrics also convey the importance of self-love and self-care, reminding us that we need to be there for ourselves first before we can be there for others.
Line by Line Meaning
Rain drain my play away
The rain is ruining my mood, making me less excited or motivated to enjoy myself.
Sun gun me down and burn me
The sun is making me feel overwhelmed, like it is attacking me with its heat and brightness.
Nature hates me today
Everything in nature seems to be going wrong for me today, which is creating a feeling of frustration or despair.
My head distorts reality
I am struggling to make sense of things mentally, like my perception of reality is becoming warped or unclear.
Madness just moved into my shadow
I feel like I am being followed or haunted by my own irrational or unstable thoughts and emotions.
Shine, I will not cry and I will not die no
I am determined to persevere and be strong, refusing to give in to sadness or defeat.
Shine, I will be there for me
I will take care of myself and make sure that I am okay, putting my own needs first in this difficult time.
Shine, I will not cry and I will be mine
I will stay true to myself and my values, refusing to compromise who I am or what I believe in.
I'll shine, shine
I will be brilliant and successful, shining like a star despite the obstacles in my way.
Who waltzed me into this
I am questioning how I got into this difficult situation, wondering if it was my own choices or someone else's influence.
Am I now stuck here forever
I am worried that I will never be able to escape this difficult time and that I will be trapped here forever.
Luck just gave me a kiss
Something lucky or fortunate happened to me briefly, which gave me hope before things turned sour again.
Then lashed me down with a leather strap
Something unfortunate or painful happened immediately after my brief moment of luck, making me feel like fate is cruel and arbitrary.
Trying to learn to swim without any water
I am trying to figure things out or make progress, but it feels impossible or like I am going in circles without any actual support or resources.
Trying just to begin just when you're in for the slaughter, yeah
I am trying to make a fresh start or do something new, but it feels like a risky or dangerous move given my current circumstances.
You will love me as a winner
I am confident that I will succeed and that people will admire me or appreciate me more once I achieve my goals.
Shine, shine, I will be there for me
I will be a beacon of hope and positivity for myself, refusing to give up or despair even when things are tough.
Shine, shine, I'll be just fine if I stay all mine
I will be content and successful as long as I stay true to myself and what makes me happy, not trying to conform to other people's expectations or standards.
Shine
I will be brilliant and brilliant, radiating positivity and confidence wherever I go.
Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?
I am frustrated or confused by my current situation, wondering why things are so difficult and what I can do to change them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ALLAN STEWART, IMOGEN JENNIFER HEAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind