All she needed were some stories to tell. But Pleasantville just didn't provide the proper inspiration. At 21 years old, Laura Dawn packed her bags and moved to New York City Believer is the soundtrack to her roller coaster life of the next few years. "I showed up in New York, straight from Iowa, with almost no money and not knowing a single soul. I started out living at the Lexington Avenue YMCA, and then graduated to a lower East Side squat on 13th St., where I was sleeping on a board on top of my suitcases. And within a couple of years, I'd become the singer in an all-girl art-punk band that ended up being a toast of the town for a while. We were going to all these decadent parties, drinking a lot, doing drugs for the first time. Hell, in Pleasantville, Iowa, the heaviest drug I'd ever seen was Budweiser! And now I'd gotten involved in this crazy scene. It was fun at first, but after a while, I really lost my way. I had to deal with some very intense personal trials--some serious heartbreak, a very close friend dying--and it just threw this life I was living into a new light. By the time that band broke up I felt so far away from the person I was when I came to New York in the first place, the one who wanted to be a real artist. So I just started writing, by myself, for the first time. I wrote so many songs, 50 or so. I had so many stories to tell from all those years of wrong turns and poverty and mayhem, trying to make it in New York City. And writing those songs saved me. I felt like I found myself again. I called my album Believer because I emerged with a faith that there had to be some purpose to my life, that there was some future ahead I couldn't possibly foresee that would explain everything."
Of course, her future was to take those amazing songs and bring them to the world. Laura began playing out with her powerful new material, and record labels immediately took notice. Within a few months of her first solo show, she'd landed a deal with Extasy Records International and began working on the album that was to become Believer—a collection of songs illustrating her early years in New York City. “I was very young, very independent and fearless, and very, very green,” Laura admits. "Let's just say I got into plenty of trouble, and sometimes didn't know how to get myself out it."
From the sexy punk edge of "Delicious," to the timeless, melancholy pop of "Useless in L.A., " to the innovative, gothic hard rock of the title track, Believer is an eclectic musical journey, brought together by Laura Dawn's consummate auteur songwriting and unique, infectious vocals. "People have told me I sound like a cross between Kim Deal and Dusty Springfield," says Laura, of a voice that goes from a breathy purr to a soulful wail. The album's sonic landscape is rich and varied, fusing rock guitar, bass and drum sounds with ethereal effects, drum loops, and textural instruments like electric cello and piano.
"I was inspired, in part, by Moby's Animal Rights," says Laura. "I wanted to make a pop album that was extreme, that could go from the most beautiful, sparse love song to the most solid, traditional pop songwriting, and then on to the most pounding punk rock. In a way, it's kind of a woman's version of emo-core. We worked very hard to keep it intimate and real, yet when it came time to blow your head off-well, I think some tracks rock very, very hard."
Laura enlisted producer Ted Niceley (Fugazi, Shudder to Think, Girls Against Boys), and a varied group of musicians, including legendary Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, drummers Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, The Vandals), Kevin March (Shudder to Think, Dambuilders), and guitarist Richard Fortus (Psychedelic Furs, BT, Love Spit Love), to work on the LP. Laura also had the chance to work with Yoshiki (Extasy Records CEO and President and former leader of the legendary Japanese rock group, X-Japan), who produced his favorite track "I Would," the album's lead single (written by Laura and Linus of Hollywood).
"In the best of all possible worlds," says Laura, "people will hear this album and realize that a woman can be sexy, smart, funny, vulnerable, foolish and bad-ass - sometimes, all at once. The song "Believer" kind of says it all for me, in a way. Being a believer, keeping the faith that there's purpose to your life, is certainly a double-edged sword. Faith is sexy, it's silly, it's moving and real and elusive. But it can be dangerous and destructive if it's not tempered with some experience and wisdom. I guess the main thing I learned from all my adventures is that sometimes it's important to just keep going on, whether you can find a reason to or not. No matter what life throws you, you gotta stay a believer, you know? We need more of them."
Believer
Laura Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I met the devil under an old tree
And he put his mouth up to my ear
And softly whispered this to me
Are you a believer?
Are you a believer?
Nobody loves like a believer
Back when I was delicate and sweet
I sat upon an old man's knee
He said, \"The secret to life is in my hands\"
And this is what he wrote on me
He said \"Before too long you will get old,
And even you, child, will stop trying to see
And all of your pain will be familiar and cold\"
And this is what he wrote on me
Stay a believer
\'Cause I need a believer
Nobody loves like a believer
Nobody loves like a believer
Nobody loves like a believer
Back when I was fast asleep
I met the devil under an old tree
I said as soon as awake, you'll disappear
And this is what he screamed to me
Make me a believer!
Make me a believer!
Nobody loves like a believer
Nobody loves like a believer
Nobody loves like a believer
Nobody fucks like a believer
Nobody
Nobody
The lyrics to Laura Dawn's song "Believer" are ambiguous and open to interpretation. The song seems to be about the struggle to maintain faith and belief in oneself, despite life's challenges and the temptation to give up. The first verse describes the encounter with the devil who whispers to the singer, asking if she is a believer. It's possible that the devil represents doubt or temptation, tempting the singer to abandon her faith. However, the repetition of the line "Nobody loves like a believer" implies that belief is something powerful and good, that it leads to love and connection.
The second verse describes the encounter with an old man who writes a message on the singer's skin, warning her of the pain and difficulties she will face in life. Despite this, the old man encourages the singer to stay a believer. This message suggests that faith can be a source of comfort and resilience in hard times.
In the final verse, the singer encounters the devil again, but this time she tries to challenge him. When she tells him that he will disappear when she wakes up, the devil responds by insisting that the singer make him a believer. This could be interpreted in a few different ways - it could be seen as a reversal of the earlier encounter, with the singer now trying to convert the devil to her own beliefs. Alternatively, it could be read as the devil tempting the singer once again, but in a more aggressive way.
Overall, the lyrics to "Believer" suggest a struggle to maintain belief and faith in the face of life's challenges, but also celebrate the power of belief to connect people and inspire love.
Line by Line Meaning
Back when I was delicate and sweet
In the past, when I was vulnerable and innocent
I met the devil under an old tree
I encountered a challenge or temptation that could lead me astray from my values
And he put his mouth up to my ear
The temptation was seductive and personal
And softly whispered this to me
The temptation was subtle and possibly manipulative
Are you a believer?
Do you have faith in something greater than yourself?
Are you a believer?
Are you willing to hold onto hope and optimism despite the challenges of life?
Nobody loves like a believer
People who truly believe in something have a special kind of love and dedication
Back when I was delicate and sweet
Again, I remember a time when I was more vulnerable
I sat upon an old man's knee
I sought guidance from someone wiser and more experienced than myself
He said, "The secret to life is in my hands"
The wisdom I received was a valuable insight into the nature of existence
And this is what he wrote on me
The instructions or advice given to me were permanent and influential
Stay a believer
Continue to hold onto your faith and hope even when it's hard
'Cause I need a believer
Others benefit from being around people who hold onto hope and positivity
Back when I was fast asleep
At a time when I was unaware or not paying attention
I met the devil under an old tree
I encountered temptation or challenge again
I said as soon as awake, you'll disappear
I believed the challenge would go away if I ignored it or tried to forget about it
And this is what he screamed to me
The challenge was angry or demanding in its response
Make me a believer!
The temptation or challenge was insisting that I give in or become a part of it
Nobody fucks like a believer
People who truly believe in something are passionate and intense in their beliefs and actions
Nobody
This line serves as a summary and emphasis of the previous statement
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
just just
I love this woman
asma khadir
still beautiful. i love her