Holter, a Los Angeles native, grew up in a musical family. Her father plays guitar and once performed with Pete Seeger. Her mother, Carole Shammas, is a prominent academic and currently holds the John R. Hubbard Chair in History at the University of Southern California. Besides playing and recording music, Holter tutors students and works with a nonprofit organization for teenagers in South Central Los Angeles. After graduating from CalArts, where she studied composition, Holter contributed songs to multiple compilation albums in 2008. She performed in the LA Road Concert with the Open Academy Youth Orchestra on Washington Boulevard in 2009. The following year she began playing with Linda Perhacs' band. In 2010, she released a CD-R titled Celebration and a collection of live recordings.
Her debut studio album, Tragedy, was released in August 2011 on Leaving Records. Inspired by Euripides' Greek play Hippolytus, the album received generally favorable reviews and was named one of NPR's "Best Outer Sound Albums Of 2011".
Holter released a second album, Ekstasis, in March 2012 on the RVNG label. The album drew comparisons to works by such artists as Laurie Anderson, Julianna Barwick, Kate Bush, Joanna Newsom, Grouper, and Stereolab, and received many positive reviews. Holter spent three years making the album, whose title comes from the Greek word meaning "outside of oneself." The music video for album track "Moni Mon Amie", directed by Yelena Zhelezov, was also released in March.
In addition to collaborating with other California-based musicians like Nite Jewel (Ramona Gonzalez), Holter recently released her third album, Loud City Song. Unlike her first two albums, which were recorded mostly alone in her bedroom, Holter recorded Loud City Song with an ensemble of musicians
World
Julia Holter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the heavens of the world
Are you looking for anything?
Heaven with eyes bright green
Every day my eyes are older
I grow a bit closer to you
Hats
I don't'know how I wear a hat so much
Even when I run
The city can't see my eyes
Under the brim
I play a game of tennis
Passing violins are blind
Mother
All mothers of the world
A singer with eyes closed
Singer on the fifth floor
Your hats that I wear when you disappear
How could you see
That everyday I talk to you?
Mister
All the misters of the world
What are you looking for?
How can I escape?
City
All the cities of the world
What are you wearing?
I live on the fifth floor
Of the apartment building
What am I looking for in you?
How can I escape you?
The song "World in 2" by Julia Holter features a set of recurring motifs and themes that are blended together to create a dense, dreamy soundscape. The lyrics feature repeating images of heaven, hats, mothers, misters, cities, and eyes, all woven together in a way that suggests a sense of disjointedness and searching. The singer seems to be asking questions of the world and the people in it, trying to make sense of her place in it all.
The first stanza begins with the singer addressing the idea of heaven, asking if anyone is looking for anything. The singer then talks about eyes that are bright green, which could be a reference to envy or jealousy. The second stanza continues with the theme of hats, and the singer questions how they can wear a hat so much, even when running. The singer asserts that the city can't see their eyes under the brim, which suggests a desire for anonymity. The stanza ends with a cryptic line about passing violins being blind when playing a game of tennis, which could be interpreted as a commentary on the limits of human perception.
The third stanza shifts to the idea of mothers, with the singer describing them as singers with closed eyes. The singer wears their mother's hats when they disappear, and wonders how the mother could see them talking to her every day. The fourth stanza addresses misters, asking what they are looking for and how to escape them. The final stanza focuses on cities, with the singer living on the fifth floor of an apartment building and questioning what they are looking for and how to escape.
Overall, the song presents a collection of images and questions that create a sense of disorientation and searching. The themes of anonymity, escape, and searching for meaning in relationships and the world at large are all present, creating a dreamy, emotional soundscape that is equal parts beautiful and haunting.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven
A metaphorical state of blissful contentment
All the heavens of the world
All of the different sources of happiness that exist
Are you looking for anything?
Are you seeking something to bring you happiness?
Heaven with eyes bright green
A vision of happiness embodied in someone's piercing gaze
Every day my eyes are older
Each day brings a bit more wisdom and understanding
I grow a bit closer to you
I'm becoming more attuned to recognizing true happiness
All the hats of the world
All the different ways people present themselves to the world
I don't'know how I wear a hat so much
I'm unsure why I put on different personas so frequently
Even when I run
Even when I'm in motion, trying to escape myself
The city can't see my eyes
My true self remains hidden from the crowds around me
Under the brim
The part of myself that I keep from others
I play a game of tennis
I engage in a competition with myself
Passing violins are blind
The world around me is unaware of my internal struggles
All mothers of the world
The concept of a nurturing maternal figure
A singer with eyes closed
A figure lost in expression, yet understanding of the world
Singer on the fifth floor
A specific memory of a past maternal figure
Your hats that I wear when you disappear
I embody aspects of you when I need guidance
How could you see
How could you understand my inner turmoil?
That everyday I talk to you?
I often seek a connection to you and your maternal guidance
All the misters of the world
All the potential suitors or partners
What are you looking for?
What do you hope to gain from a relationship?
How can I escape?
How can I avoid becoming trapped in an unsatisfying relationship?
All the cities of the world
All the different ways of life and cultural experiences
What are you wearing?
What kind of person are you, and how do you present yourself to the world?
I live on the fifth floor
I occupy a space slightly removed from the rest of society
Of the apartment building
A metaphor for my life and my relationship to others
What am I looking for in you?
What kind of connection, if any, am I seeking from the world and others?
How can I escape you?
How can I free myself from societal and personal expectations?
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Domino Recording Co.
Julia Holter’s new album ‘Aviary’ is out now on Domino Record Co. Listen & buy: http://smarturl.it/Aviary
More from Julia Holter on YouTube: http://smarturl.it/BestOfJuliaHolter
Junebug
i couldn't bring myself to do a thing while listening to this song , or any song of hers . its like a shock and then just silence in your whole body and you're entranced , i find my heart and lungs going along to the beat , the melancholic voices , the deep cello
marrible
This is the kind of music that grows on you the more you listen to it. I wasn't too excited about this track initially but after a couple of listen I'm addicted and keep coming here to listen again and again...
Andrew W
Very beautiful and sounds like the prelude to a wonderful album.
Mute Branches
Can't wait for this album. Interesting to hear the same ambition and adventurousness but with a greater sense of sonic clarity and richness.
Miles Edgeworth
Feels like ASMR. Amazing stuff.
ScienceMystifies
This is so incredible that I called WRAS to ask for the info, came here, listened again, and stood up to spin and audibly tell no one at all that this is my new favorite song. Wow. I listened so hard that my cigarette went out. Reminds me of 'Round Midnight, my favorite jazz song :)
h cabeleira
absolutely love this...
Alan Castillo N
Hermoso!
Coal Tin
Spectacular