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.
Johnny
Isobel Campbell Lyrics
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Now you're grazing on pastures new
Cut the cord and we let it go
A nightingale flying, high and on its own
When you coming home?
Words came, violently filling up the room
Lovers have their own private mood
The poison nectar
And if we were on fire
Why we grow so tired?
Johnny, I'm alone and I'm feeling blue
Now you're lazing on pastures new
Lost my devil and lost my saint
Waiting's like dying
If you are alone
Darling, come back home
The lyrics of Isobel Campbell's song, "Johnny Come Home," tell the story of a person waiting for her lover to come back home. The song begins with the singer expressing her loneliness and sadness, as her partner has left her and is exploring other possibilities. The use of the metaphor of a nightingale flying alone invokes the idea of freedom and soaring, but also a sense of loss and separation. The chorus, "When you coming home?" is repeated throughout the song, conveying the desperation and yearning of the singer to be reunited with her lover.
The second verse speaks to the difficulty of relationships, and how love and passion can come with a cost. The use of the metaphor of "tasting blood" to "taste the honey" highlights the idea that love is complex, and not always easy. Even though the two lovers may have fought, or been "on fire," the singer wonders why they grow tired of each other, and longs for the return of her partner.
The final verse is a plea for her lover to come back home, as the waiting is unbearable. The idea of losing both her "devil and saint" highlights the complexity of the relationship but also underlines how much she misses her partner. Overall, through the imagery and metaphors used, the song portrays a sense of longing, loss, and the complexity of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Johnny, I'm alone and I'm feeling blue
Isobel is feeling lonely and sad without Johnny
Now you're grazing on pastures new
Johnny has moved on to new things in life
Cut the cord and we let it go
They decided to end their relationship
A nightingale flying, high and on its own
Isobel sees Johnny as a free bird now
When you coming home?
Isobel misses Johnny and wants to know when he is coming back
Words came, violently filling up the room
There was an argument between Isobel and Johnny
Lovers have their own private mood
Isobel acknowledges that every relationship has its own way of communication
To taste the honey, we must taste blood
To enjoy the good parts of a relationship, we must go through the bad
The poison nectar
Even though there are bad parts in a relationship, they can be addictive
And if we were on fire
If they were in a crisis
Why we grow so tired?
Isobel wonders why people get tired of each other in a relationship
Lost my devil and lost my saint
Isobel lost the two sides of Johnny's personality
Waiting's like dying
Waiting for Johnny feels like death to Isobel
If you are alone
Isobel is addressing Johnny who might also be feeling lonely
Darling, come back home
Isobel wants Johnny to return home to her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID STEELE, ROLAND GIFT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind