Isobel Noeline Waller-Bridge (born 23 April 1984) is a British composer, kn… Read Full Bio ↴Isobel Noeline Waller-Bridge (born 23 April 1984) is a British composer, known for her scores for film, television and the theatre, alongside her work in electronic music and contemporary classical music.

Life and career

Waller-Bridge studied for a bachelor's degree in music at Edinburgh University and a master's degree at King's College London. She was then awarded a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, where she achieved a diploma.

Waller-Bridge is known for being the composer for the BBC comedy-drama series Fleabag (2016–2019), written by and starring her sister, Phoebe Waller-Bridge. She also wrote the score for the feature film Vita and Virginia.

She has performed in concert venues in London, such as at the St James Theatre and Union Chapel. In 2016, her music appeared on albums with the Icelandic composers Ólafur Arnalds and Jóhann Jóhannsson.

September
Isobel Waller-Bridge Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A picture of her still hangs on the bedroom door
Reminding me of what I once was living for
But now that she's gone I'll try to live on with whatever's left of me
A handful of hopes and a heart full memories

September love
You're all I ever think of
Since you left me crying

In the pouring Chicago rain
September love
I swear by the stars up above
I'll still go on trying
To stop living in yesterday

(September love)
(September love)

Now she took the kid and I took the V.H.S.
I did what I did but she only did her best
And I'll never know why I let her go
I guess I will always be
A fool with the hope
And a heartful of memories

September love
You're all I ever think of
Since you left me crying
In the pouring Chicago rain
September love
I swear by the stars up above
I'll still go on trying
To stop living in yesterday

September love
You're all I ever think of
Since you left me crying
In the pouring Chicago rain
September love
I swear by the stars up above
I'll still go on trying
To stop living in yesterday

September love (September love)

September love (September love)
September love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Isobel Waller-Bridge's "September" appear to be about a man who is struggling to move on from a past love. The picture of the woman on his bedroom door serves as a constant reminder of what he once lived for, and now he is left with a handful of hopes and memories. The month of September serves as a symbol of their love, and the chorus repeats the phrase "September love" to emphasize this.

The second verse gives some backstory to the relationship. The man and woman had a child together, but for some reason, they separated, and he is left wondering why he let her go. It seems that they both tried their best, but ultimately, they weren't able to make it work. The man is still holding onto hope that he will be able to move on and stop living in the past, but it is clear that he is struggling and still in love with this woman from September.

The lyrics are fairly straightforward, but the way they are delivered through the melody and instrumentation of the song is what gives them their emotional weight. Waller-Bridge's vocals are haunting, and the minimalistic piano and string arrangements add to the melancholic atmosphere of the song. The repetition of the chorus and the use of the woman's picture as a symbol also help to tie the song together thematically.

Line by Line Meaning

A picture of her still hangs on the bedroom door
A constant reminder of the past love that still lingers even after she's long gone through a picture hanging on the door.

Reminding me of what I once was living for
The picture representation of the beloved reminds the singer of a time when she had something to live for.

But now that she's gone I'll try to live on with whatever's left of me
After the love has ended, the singer tries to live with the remaining fragments of herself.

A handful of hopes and a heart full memories
The only things the artist could hold onto being a handful of wishes and a heart filled with sweet memories.

September love
A love that represents a significant period of time, most likely connected to the month of September.

You're all I ever think of
The love once shared continues to consume the singer's thoughts.

Since you left me crying
The heartache of lost love is still fresh in her emotions.

In the pouring Chicago rain
The location of the heartache, sounding as bleak as the pouring rain.

I swear by the stars up above
Making a sacred vow by the stars above that she would honor the past love.

I'll still go on trying
Despite the odds against resurrecting the love, the artist commits to trying.

To stop living in yesterday
To let go of the past and stop living in the memories of what used to be.

Now she took the kid and I took the V.H.S.
The former couple split, and she got the child while the artist got something material and insignificant.

I did what I did but she only did her best
Reflecting on the past choices made, the singer's actions were done with regret, but recognizing that the former lover did what she could.

And I'll never know why I let her go
Despite leaving the lover, the singer doesn't know why she made that decision.

I guess I will always be
The certainty that the singer will always be something.

A fool with the hope
A foolish person still holding onto the hope of rekindling the lost love.

And a heartful of memories
The only lasting thing is a heart filled with fond memories of a love that used to be.

September love
The love still holds significant value to the singer.

September love (September love)
Reaffirming the connection with September and possibly the lost love.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK WHITE, MARK SPIRO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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