Barber won the Female Artist Recording of the Year award for her debut album "Oh Heart" at the 2005 Music Nova Scotia Awards. In 2007, Barber earned her fourth win as Best Female Local Solo Artist in The Coast’s annual "Best of Music Reader’s Poll", and her first win as Best Canadian Female Solo Artist for "For All Time".
Barber studied at Queen's University before pursuing her musical career full time. Her breakthrough "For All Time" was recorded & produced in Toronto by Les Cooper (who also performs as a multi-instrumentalist on the album), and features a number of Canada’s musicians; Bazil Donovan (Blue Rodeo) on bass and Blake Manning (Sarah Slean, Kim Stockwood) on drums. Guest appearances include a vocal performance by Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo) on Don’t Go Easy, guitar by singer/songwriter Luke Doucet, piano and clarinet performances by Spencer Evans (Sarah Harmer) and a duet with her brother Matthew Barber. The album was mixed by Andre Wahl (Hawksley Workman, Anne Murray) and mastered by Chris Potter (Sarah McLachlan, Rufus Wainwright). Further albums include "A Note to Follow So", "Oh Heart", and "For All Time".
In 2008, Barber released "Chances", a jazz album with full orchestral arrangements which was partially co-written with her producer Les Cooper, while also collaborating on several songs with Canadian musician Ron Sexsmith.
She followed up with the album ""Mischievous Moon", released through Outside Music in 2011. Barber won the SiriusXM 2012 Jazz Artist of the Year award, as well as the 2013 Western Canadian Francophone Album of the Year for ""Chansons".
Her solo album, ""Metaphora", was released in June 2018. She followed up with another French-language album, ""Entre nous", in 2020, and with ""Homemaker" in 2023.
Official site: http://www.jillbarber.com
Old Flame
Jill Barber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope you know what you meant to me
There was a time when you were burning bright
I stood in your light
But it wasn't meant to be
Old flame, I wonder have you changed?
Are you, just the same?
I still let it shine from time to time
Old flame, I wonder have you changed?
Are you just the same?
Old flame burnt out long ago
I hope you know, what you meant to me
There was a time when you were burning bright
And I stood in your light
But it wasn't meant to be
No it wasn't meant to be.
Jill Barber's song 'Old Flame' is a heart-wrenching ballad about lost love and reminiscing on past relationships. The lyrics describe an old flame, someone who the singer had deep feelings for in the past but whose passion eventually burnt out. Despite the ending of the relationship, the singer still thinks about their old flame and wonders if they have changed or if they are still the same person they once knew. The chorus repeats the sentiment that the old flame burnt out a long time ago, but the memories and feelings associated with it still linger.
The lyrics of 'Old Flame' are beautifully written and capture the ache of nostalgia and longing for a past love. The imagery of a flame burning out is a poignant metaphor for lost passion and the feeling of being left in the dark after being in someone's light. Jill Barber's emotional delivery of the lyrics amplifies the feeling of raw vulnerability that the song conveys. The listener can sense the heartache and longing in her voice, making the song all the more powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
Old flame, burnt out long ago
The singer refers to the person she used to be with, saying that their love died a long time ago.
I hope you know what you meant to me
The singer is saying that even though their relationship didn't work out, the person still holds a special place in her heart.
There was a time when you were burning bright
The singer is recalling a time when their love was passionate and strong.
I stood in your light
The artist is saying that she was very much in love with the person and was always there for them, like a moth attracted to a flame.
But it wasn't meant to be
The artist acknowledges that their love was not meant to last forever.
Old flame, I wonder have you changed?
The singer is curious about whether the person has changed since they were together.
Are you, just the same?
The singer is asking if the person is still the same as they were before, as if questioning whether their love could reignite.
Old flame, in the back of my mind
The artist is saying that even though they've moved on with their life, thoughts of their old flame still linger in the back of her mind.
I still let it shine from time to time
The artist admits that she still has feelings for the person and sometimes lets those emotions take over.
No it wasn't meant to be
The artist reaffirms that their love wasn't meant to last, no matter how strong their feelings were at the time of their relationship.
Contributed by Alexandra K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.