Ladyhawke is the stage name of the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumental… Read Full Bio ↴Ladyhawke is the stage name of the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Phillipa 'Pip' Brown (born in 13 July 1979 in Masterton, New Zealand). She can play electric, bass and acoustic guitars, synthesizers and drums. Pip tours with a live band, but in studio she plays all the instruments. Influenced by 80s music, her musical style blends new wave, indie rock and electropop. She is best known for the singles "Paris Is Burning" and "My Delirium".

Born with Asperger's Syndrome, Pip Brown came from a musical family, with her mother being a singer-guitarist and her stepfather, a jazz drummer. During her childhood, various illnesses and allergies kept her in and out of the hospital. At age 10 she contracted erysipeloid, a disease that is common in seagulls but had not been seen in humans in New Zealand for 20 years. Her allergies to antibiotics, penicillin, and antihistamines greatly complicated treatment efforts and had put her in a coma and she came close to dying.

While attending Chanel College, she played in several grunge bands. After high school, Brown moved from Masterton to Wellington and formed in 2001 the hard rock band Two Lane Blacktop with some friends, playing lead guitar. Brown relocated to Melbourne, Australia after Two Lane Blacktop parted ways in late 2003, when their lead singer and drummer quit the band.

In Melbourne she met Nick Littlemore of Pnau (and later Empire of the Sun), formed the duo Teenager and moved together to Sydney. In 2006 Brown decided to leave Teenager to focus on a personal project she had been developing for sometime, a persona she had dubbed "Ladyhawke", inspired by the Richard Donner film from 1985 with the same name.

In 20 September 2008, her debut album Ladyhawke was released on Modular and gained mostly positive reviews. The album peaked at #16 at UK Albums Chart, #16 Australian Albums Chart, #41 at U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers, #62 at European Top 100 Albums, #1 at New Zealand Albums Chart. Ladyhawke ranked #23 on MusicOMH Best Albums of 2008.

She released five singles from the debut album: "Back of the Van" (1 April 2008, re-released in 18 May 2009; #93 UK), "Paris Is Burning" (6 July 2008, re-released in 2 March 2009; #47 UK, #52 AUS, #40 NZ), "Dusk Till Dawn" (8 September 2008; #78 UK), "My Delirium" (8 December 2008; #33 UK, #8 AUS, #9 NZ) and "Magic" (28 September 2009; #31 NZ).

In 2008 Pip Brown collaborated with the Australian band Pnau on the song "Embrace".

In 2009 Ladyhawke won five awards (Album of the Year, Best Dance/Electronica album, Single of the Year for "My Delirium", International Achievement Award, Best Female Solo Artist, Breakthrough Artist of the Year) and was nominated for People's Choice Award at New Zealand Music Awards. In the same year she was nominated for Best Solo Artist at NME Awards, Best Kiwi & Independent Spirit at MTV Australia Awards and for six categories on ARIA Music Awards 2009 (she won two of them: Breakthrough Artist – album for "Ladyhawke" and Breakthrough Artist – single for "My Delirium"). Ladyhawke was also nominated for International Female Solo Artist at Brit Awards 2010.

In 4 May 2010, Ladyhawke released a digital live EP entitled iTunes Live from SoHo. Currently she is writing material for a second album.

Official site: http://www.ladyhawkemusic.com

Professional Suicide
Ladyhawke Lyrics

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I see you've got another bad line
You're playing rhythm and it's out of time
You're holding tickets to your one man show
But I can tell you something you don't know

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Get back, back to the track, get back, back to the track

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

You do what you want and you play what you want
But it's shit what you do and it sucks what you play
It's professional suicide, professional suicide
Saving all you've got for a rainy day

You do what you want and you play what you want
But it's shit what you do and it sucks what you play
It's professional suicide, professional suicide
Saving all you've got for a rainy day

You're always bagging me behind my back
You must be making up for what you lack
I see you had a hit back in '89
Too bad we all don't age as good as wine

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Get back, back to the track, get back, back to the track
Na, na, na, na, na, get back, back to the track

You do what you want and you play what you want
But it's shit what you do and it sucks what you play
It's professional suicide, professional suicide
Saving all you've got for a rainy day

You do what you want and you play what you want
But it's shit what you do and it sucks what you play
It's professional suicide, professional suicide
Saving all you've got for a rainy day

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Get back, back to the track, get back, back to the track
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

You do what you want and you play what you want
But it's shit what you do and it sucks what you play
It's professional suicide, professional suicide
Saving all you've got for a rainy day

You do what you want and you play what you want
But it's shit what you do and it sucks what you play

It's professional suicide, professional suicide
Saving all you've got for a rainy day

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ladyhawke's song "Professional Suicide" speak to the dangers of arrogance and the consequences of failing to innovate creatively. The song is directed at a fellow musician who, despite a history of past success, is now clinging to outdated material and refusing to adapt to new styles and techniques. Ladyhawke taunts her rival, telling him that his music is "shit" and that his approach to performance is causing his career to suffer.

The lyrics also suggest that Ladyhawke has been the subject of negative gossip from this individual, and implies that this behavior stems from envy or poor self-esteem. The line "You're always bagging me behind my back / You must be making up for what you lack" suggests that Ladyhawke's success has caused the other musician to feel insecure and resentful.

Overall, "Professional Suicide" serves as a cautionary tale for artists who are too proud or too set in their ways to evolve with the changing landscape of the music industry. It is a reminder that no one is immune to the pitfalls of complacency, and that keeping up with the times is essential for staying relevant and maintaining a successful career.

Line by Line Meaning

I see you've got another bad line
Ladyhawke has noticed that the person she is addressing has come up with another bad excuse or story

You're playing rhythm and it's out of time
The person being addressed is not in sync with those around them and this is causing a disruption

You're holding tickets to your one man show
The person being addressed is overly self-absorbed and believes they are the only person who matters

But I can tell you something you don't know
Ladyhawke knows something that the person being addressed is unaware of

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Repetitive nonsense syllables used to fill space in the song without adding any additional meaning

Get back, back to the track, get back, back to the track
A command to refocus and get back on a productive path

You do what you want and you play what you want
The person being addressed is free to make their own choices about what they do and how they do it

But it's shit what you do and it sucks what you play
Despite the freedom to choose, Ladyhawke believes that the person being addressed is making poor choices and producing subpar work

It's professional suicide, professional suicide
The poor choices and subpar work are causing harm to the person being addressed's professional reputation and career

Saving all you've got for a rainy day
Despite the criticism, the person being addressed is trying to hold onto what they have instead of taking risks or investing in improving themselves

You're always bagging me behind my back
The person being addressed is engaging in negative talk or gossip about Ladyhawke when she is not around

You must be making up for what you lack
Ladyhawke believes that the person being addressed is engaging in negative behavior in order to compensate for their own shortcomings or insecurities

I see you had a hit back in '89
The person being addressed has had some success in the past

Too bad we all don't age as good as wine
Ladyhawke is suggesting that the person being addressed has not aged well or been able to maintain their success over time

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GREG KURSTIN, PHILLIPA BROWN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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