Born in California to a musical family, when she was one year old her family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado In college in the summer of 1997, Herzig formed the band Newcomers Home with Tim and Laurie Thornton and Andrew Jed. Two years later, Herzig released Weightless. She produced the album herself, recorded it at home using Pro Tools, and played most of the instruments: electric and acoustic guitar, banjo, keyboards, and percussion, in addition to her singing and songwriting. The song "Jack and Jill" appeared on the TV shows One Tree Hill and Pretty Little Liars, while several others appeared on Grey's Anatomy.
Her next album, Apple Tree (2008), was more pop-oriented. Her 2011 album was entitled The Waking Sleep. She then released Walk Through Walls (2014) and Moment of Bliss (2018).
Herzig has spent years playing festivals such as Bonnaroo and Summerfest and touring as a headliner and as support for Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, The Fray, and as a member of 10 out of Tenn. She has had her music licensed for innumerable film, TV and commercial uses. Including over 10 songs on Grey’s Anatomy and most recently her song “Lost and Found” was featured in the trailer for Disney's Saving Mr. Banks and in a commercial for Carnival Cruises. Herzig can be heard on RAC's EP with their song collaboration "We Belong," featured on KCRW. Herzig also co-produced songs on Ingrid Michaelson's 2014 Lights Out album, including her first single “Girls Chase Boys.”
Hologram
Katie Herzig Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna toss you around
Gonna make you want everything you haven't found
I'm gonna hold your hand
Then ask you to stand
Ten feet away
Oh it's just like you said
I'm saving up all that I have ‘til I'm dead
It's always the same
And never the same way
But oh if you don't want me though
I'll only want you more
I fall in love with hard to get
You know you're just like me
A mystery with nothing more to see
A virtual reality
I'm in a love affair without a love song
I'm in the habit of having what I don't want
I'm just a hologram
You can see but don't touch me baby
Oh I bet you want me
I am taking up space I'm right out of place
I'm holding a half-hearted smile to your face
It's pretty enough but watch out it fades away
Time is ticking so fast
Does anything last
Soon I will be just apart of your past
I'll leave you with this
You hold on in blissful memories
Oh if you don't want me though
I'll only want you more
I fall in love with hard to get
You know you're just like me
A mystery with nothing more to see
A virtual reality
I'm in a love affair without a love song
I'm in the habit of having what I don't want
I'm just a hologram
You can see but don't touch me baby
Oh I bet you want me now
Now that you can see
I'm not, not what you make of me
I'm in a love affair without a love song
I'm in the habit of having what I don't want
I'm just a hologram
You can see but don't touch me baby
Oh I bet you want me now
The song "Hologram" by Katie Herzig is about a person who is aware that they are not capable of being in a true, deep relationship with another person. The lyrics express the idea that the singer is uncertain of their worth and is aware that they have a pattern of driving people away with their inconsistencies in love. The persona of the song acknowledges that they will hurt their partner and will leave them with nothing but a memory of the relationship. The lines "It's pretty enough but watch out it fades away / Time is ticking so fast / Does anything last" convey that what they have to offer is temporary and short-lived. The phrase "A virtual reality" in the chorus emphasizes the idea that the relationship is not meaningful or authentic.
The persona also reveals that they are aware of their tendency to fall in love with people who are difficult to get. They crave something they cannot have and once they obtain it, they quickly lose interest. The chorus "I'm in a love affair without a love song / I'm in the habit of having what I don't want / I'm just a hologram / You can see but don't touch me, baby" is an admission that they feel empty inside and can only present a facade of a real person. They are like a hologram - an image without substance, and they acknowledge that they are incapable of being touched or truly connecting with someone emotionally.
In conclusion, "Hologram" is a poignant and introspective song that explores the persona's emotional unavailability and the impact it has on their relationships. The lyrics highlight the persona's self-awareness, and the chorus emphasizes their inherent emptiness, revealing a deep sense of loneliness and isolation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna let you down
I will disappoint you and not meet your expectations
Gonna toss you around
I will mistreat you and not treat you with respect
Gonna make you want everything you haven't found
I will give you a false sense of hope and desire for things that are not attainable
I'm gonna hold your hand
I will show affection and intimacy towards you
Then ask you to stand, ten feet away
I will distance myself emotionally and create a barrier in our relationship
Oh it's just like you said, I live in my head
As you predicted, my thoughts and imagination are my reality
I'm saving up all that I have ‘til I'm dead
I am hoarding my emotions and not expressing them until the end of my life
It's always the same, and never the same way
My actions and behaviors are inconsistent and unpredictable
But oh if you don't want me though, I'll only want you more
If you reject me, it will only increase my desire for you
I fall in love with hard to get
I am attracted to people who are difficult to pursue and obtain
You know you're just like me, A mystery with nothing more to see
You are also an enigmatic and complex individual with no obvious solution
A virtual reality
Our relationship is based on an illusion or digital representation
I'm in a love affair without a love song
Our romantic relationship lacks emotional depth or meaningful expression
I'm in the habit of having what I don't want
I continually pursue things that are not fulfilling or beneficial to me
I'm just a hologram
I appear to be present and tangible, but I am not really there
You can see but don't touch me baby
You can observe me, but you cannot connect with me intimately
It's pretty enough but watch out it fades away
Although our relationship may appear aesthetically pleasing, it will eventually deteriorate or vanish
Time is ticking so fast, Does anything last
The clock is ticking, and nothing is permanent or long-lasting
Soon I will be just apart of your past
I will eventually become a distant memory and a relic of our relationship
You hold on in blissful memories
You cling to fond recollections of our time together
Now that you can see, I'm not, not what you make of me
Now that you have a clearer picture of me, I am not the person you assumed or imagined me to be
Oh I bet you want me now
I speculate that you want me now that you have a better understanding of who I am
Contributed by Joshua P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.