In 2006 Isobel released a collaborative LP (Ballad of the Broken Seas) with former Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age singer Mark Lanegan, a mixture of folk and more rock-orientated music. October 2006 also saw the release of her latest album, Milkwhite Sheets, a more acoustic folk album, consisting of a mixture of traditional songs alonside Isobel's own compositions.
Isobel's band The Gentle Waves released its first album on Jeepster Records, titled The Green Fields of Foreverland, in 1999. The second Gentle Waves record, Swansong For You came out one year later. In 2002, she collaborated with Scottish jazz musician Bill Wells on a collection of Billie Holliday songs, released by Creeping Bent.
In 2003 Campbell released Amorino, the first solo album under her own name, to very good reviews. Bill Wells was featured here again, along with other jazz musicians.
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan form a unique combination of gruff vocals and dulcet voices. They have released three albums so far: Ballad of the Broken Seas, which received a nomination in the 2006 Mercury Awards, Sunday at Devil Dirt, which was released in May 2008. The album received US release in Fall 2008. And finally their third album Hawk was released in August 2010.
02 The Breeze Whispered Your Name
Isobel Campbell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That happened long ago
I never thought love would ever find me
Only infernal pain and woe
Weeping and wailing
"Saw gold and could not drink"
Somnambulance eased the sea of questions
A sea of trouble brings and then
The breeze whispered your name
Long enough to hear it
Trees whispered the same
What I must do is follow you
Into the water and all the way to sea
Little fishes and eels and frogs dive after
So careless and so free
Must I abide now
Against the glassy stream
To wake or to sleep, remain forever
The strangest lily seen
And then the breeze whispered your name
Long enough to hear it
Trees whispered the same
What I must do is follow you
The song "The Breeze Whispered Your Name" by Isobel Campbell is a story about a person who had lost all hope in love and only knew pain and sorrow until they unexpectedly found their true love. The first verse sets the tone of the song, mentioning the singer's disbelief in love and only knowing "infernal pain and woe". The line "weeping and wailing, 'Saw gold and could not drink'" is a metaphor for wanting something but being unable to have it, similar to seeing gold but not being able to drink it. The next line "Somnambulance eased the sea of questions" suggests that the singer was in a state of sleepwalking and finally found the answer to their questions about love.
The following verse describes the singer's experience of falling in love and their willingness to do anything to be with the person they love. The line "Into the water and all the way to sea" suggests a willingness to leave everything behind and embark on a new journey with their beloved. The imagery of "little fishes and eels and frogs" following them into the water conveys a sense of freedom and carelessness, as if the singer is ready to begin a new life without any constraints. However, the line "Must I abide now against the glassy stream" suggests a moment of hesitation and doubt about whether they should follow their heart.
The chorus "The breeze whispered your name, long enough to hear it. Trees whispered the same, what I must do is follow you" represents the singer's realization that they have found their soulmate and their desire to chase after them. The breeze and the trees are symbolic of nature guiding the singer towards their destiny, urging them to follow their heart.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a story
The singer is about to share a story
That happened long ago
The story that the singer is about to tell took place a while back
I never thought love would ever find me
The singer never expected to find love
Only infernal pain and woe
The singer believed they would only experience pain and sadness
Weeping and wailing
The singer would cry and mourn
"Saw gold and could not drink"
There was something that the singer wanted, but they couldn't have it
Somnambulance eased the sea of questions
Sleepwalking helped the singer forget their troubles
A sea of trouble brings and then
Trouble will always arrive
The breeze whispered your name
The wind whispered the name of the singer's love
Long enough to hear it
The singer was able to hear the whisper
Trees whispered the same
The trees also whispered the name
What I must do is follow you
The singer knows they must follow their love
Into the water and all the way to sea
The singer is willing to go wherever their love takes them
Little fishes and eels and frogs dive after
The creatures in the water are also following the couple
So careless and so free
The animals follow without a care in the world
Must I abide now
The singer is questioning if they must stay put
Against the glassy stream
The singer might have to go against the current
To wake or to sleep, remain forever
The singer is uncertain if they will eventually wake up or remain in a dream-like state
The strangest lily seen
There is something unusual about the situation
And then the breeze whispered your name
The wind reminded the singer of their love
Long enough to hear it
The singer heard the whisper again
Trees whispered the same
The trees also whispered the name once more
What I must do is follow you
The singer knows they must follow their love, no matter what
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ISOBEL CAMPBELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kainlarsen
I used to be really into Belle and Sebastian/Isobel Campbell when I was in my teens and early twenties. I still remember being stoked to find this in the stock-room when I worked at MVC one Christmas.
Good times... I miss them.
irem kucukbulut
😍