In 1989 Weaver started out fronting Indie rock band Kill Laura who signed to Polydor Records and released two EPs until the departure of their a&r Man. Rob Gretton (New Order's manager and founder of the Hacienda club in Manchester) decided to sign them to his new label Manchester Records after seeing them support indie darlings Marion at the Band On The Wall club in Manchester. After the release of three singles Kill Laura split. Weaver began to release singles under her own name and feature on compilations such as Grand Central Record's 'Central Heating Volume 2' and collaborate with label mates Doves and Andy Votel for Manchester Records until Gretton's untimely death in 1999.
Weaver released her first solo album ' Like An Aspen Leaf' on her own imprint Bird Records through PIAS in 2002. Contributors included Rick Tomlinson (Voice Of The Seven Woods), Sam Yates, Naomi Hart as well as Craig Potter and Richard Jupp from Elbow. The album was given enthusiastic reviews by the press such as The Guardian describing her songs as music for "..heartbroken lovers that twist and turn into fragile but sparkling lullabies".
Around this time Weaver formed art-pop side project Misty Dixon with friends David Tyack (DOT), Anna Greenwood and Sam Yates. They sign to Twisted Nerve Records and released three EP's and the album 'Iced To Mode'. Before recording was finished, however, David Tyack disappeared whilst on a walking holiday in Corsica. The album was eventually released in 2003 and received critical acclaim by Peter Paphides in Mojo Magazine as "exquisite sepia future pop". David Tyack is tragically discovered dead nearly two years after disappearing in Corsica.
Weaver returned to solo work and released the album 'Seven Day Smile' in 2006 (an album of hand-picked demo recordings from the previous 10 years). The title track features the band Doves and was previously heard on a rare 7" EP called 'Everyone Knows Everyone Else'. Weaver gigged with artists such as Gruff Rhys, Badly Drawn Boy, Josephine Foster and Voice of The Seven Woods.
In 2007 Weaver released an album of new songs, 'Cherlokalate', dedicated to 'absent friends' and is described as "a bittersweet collection of memories". Alongside Andy Votel she curated a 'femme freak folk' compilation album called 'Bearded Ladies' featuring both contemporary and vintage female singers such as Brigitte Fontaine, Susan Christie and Emma Tricca. The album was brought to life after an invitation from Jarvis Cocker to play at his 2007 Meltdown Festival at The South Bank Centre. 'Lost Ladies of Folk' included sets from Bonnie Dobson, Susan Christie and Wendy and Bonnie with Sean O'Hagan and The High Llamas providing the instrumentation. Jane sang with Wendy Flower in replacement of the absent Bonnie.
Under the name Jane Weaver Septième Soeur she released the album The Fallen By Watchbird in 2010, followed by the remix album The Watchbird Alluminate with contributions from the likes of Demdike Stare and The Focus Group.
In 2014 she released the album The Silver Globe, in which elements of space rock and krautrock were combined with her folk style.
The Lightning Back
Jane Weaver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You thrill me again
I love the way that
Were nothing then friends
And I′ll be stupid
As you want me to
And I'll be stupid
As you want me to
And so they say that
I′m never the same
Incorporated
But I never changed
It's useless telling you
It's not today
Can I be stupid
Why is it not the same?
I love the way
That it′s just us again
I′m concentrating
On being the same
So times not wasted
As you want it to
And I'll be used to yes
You want me to
It′s my intention
That I crossed the new dimension
And the stars were all around me and
I didn't see the lightning
It′s my intention
That I crossed the new dimension
And the stars where all around me and
Didn't see the lightning.
In Jane Weaver's song The Lightning, she begins with expressing her love for the way her partner makes her feel, despite the fact that they started out as just friends. She is willing to be as foolish as her partner wants her to be because she wants to be with them. She goes on to mention how people say that she is not the same and has changed, but she insists that this is not true. She asks if she can be foolish again, wondering why things are not the same as they once were. She further expresses her love for being alone with her partner and not wasting any time, willingly being used in any way her partner wishes.
As the song continues, she indicates that her intention was to move into a new dimension where the stars surround her, but in this new space, she did not see the lightning. This likely symbolizes her going off into a new space with her partner, but there being a risk involved in doing so. She was not aware of the potential danger and challenges that may arise as they move forward.
Overall, The Lightning seems to touch on the idea of taking risks in relationships, possibly with a close friend, and moving into a new dimension of closeness. While this move can be thrilling and exciting, there is also the possibility of danger that may not be immediately apparent.
Line by Line Meaning
I love the way
The singer loves something about the situation
You thrill me again
The other person is exciting and makes life more interesting
I love the way that
The singer notes another thing they love
Were nothing then friends
The two people used to just be friends
And I′ll be stupid
The artist is willing to act foolish or make bad decisions
As you want me to
The singer will act however the other person wants them to
And I'll be stupid
The singer repeats their willingness to act foolish
As you want me to
The artist repeats their willingness to act however the other person wants them to
And so they say that
Others have an opinion on the artist's behavior
I′m never the same
The artist is perceived as having changed
Incorporated
The singer has become part of something
But I never changed
Despite what others say, the artist knows they haven't really changed
It's useless telling you
The singer doesn't see the point in explaining themselves to the other person
It's not today
The singer's explanation isn't applicable to the current situation
Can I be stupid
The singer asks if it's okay to act foolish
Why is it not the same?
The artist questions why things aren't the way they used to be
I love the way
The artist goes back to expressing their love for something
That it's just us again
The two people are alone or back to being just friends
I'm concentrating
The singer is focusing on something
On being the same
The artist wants to go back to how things used to be
So times not wasted
The artist wants to make the most of their time together
As you want it to
The artist will do what the other person wants
And I'll be used to yes
The singer will get used to something, even if it's not ideal
You want me to
The artist repeats their willingness to do what the other person wants
It's my intention
The singer had a specific goal in mind
That I crossed the new dimension
The singer did something different or unexpected
And the stars were all around me and
The new experience felt surreal or otherworldly
I didn't see the lightning
The artist was so focused on their surroundings that they missed a crucial sign or event
It's my intention
The artist repeats their original intent
That I crossed the new dimension
The singer repeats their previous action
And the stars where all around me and
The singer reiterates the surreal nature of the experience
Didn't see the lightning.
The artist again admits to having missed an important sign or event.
Writer(s): Jane Louise Weaver
Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brianfulmer6370
This is 'Did You See Butterflies?' not 'Lightning Back'