Music has played an integral part in Shera’s life from the very beginning. The New York native grew up surrounded by an eclectic range of performers. When she was 13, her family relocated to northern California at the same time that she picked up the guitar.
Shera swiftly developed a reputation in the folk-indie world, joining the ranks of such artists as Jessica Lea May eld, Iron & Wine and Gillian Welch, and earning titles such as “Princess of Power” and “Folk music’s new royalty.”
In 2008, she studied at the renowned Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, where she expanded her knowledge of traditional folk music and honed her skills as a singer and a musician while adding ukulele and clawhammer banjo to her arsenal.
Her original songs and soulful voice combine to make a sound that is equal parts powerful and melancholy; she weaves her opulent sound together with the performances of various instruments, including the mandolin, violins, cello, banjo and more. Her personal experiences with grief and emotion translate e ortlessly into stunning musical arrangements, haunting melodies and honest lyrics.
“Every generation or two, a voice comes along that rede nes what you thought you knew about music and touches you deep down in your soul…” said Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead about Shera. “Her voice is going to de ne the next generation of folk music.”
Shera’s most recent project “Once I Was A Bird,” re-tells the stories of her hard-learned lessons with heartbreaking transparency, while imparting solace and wisdom to the listener. The album’s lush sounds and beautiful temperament are complimented with guest performances by Abigail Washburn, and Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses).
“It’s important to me that people are able to relate to [the album],” said Shera. “and take out of it a shared experience that everyone has been through in some form or another.”
Shera has shared the stage with such artists as Ray LaMontagne, Jason Mraz, Phil Lesh, Shawn Colvin, Billy Bragg, Nanci Gri th, Kristin Hersh, Joan Osborne and Abigail Washburn. She’s also making her mark on the festival circuit, making appearances at Bonnaroo, the High Sierra Music Festival, Sausalito Music and Arts Festival, Monterey Music Summit and South by Southwest. When she was 18-years-old she was also invited to perform at the Bob Dylan Tribute Concert at New York City’s Avery Fisher Hall.
Stealth
Lauren Shera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was speaking with my mouth closed
When you kissed me were you tongue tied?
I was still as the sun rose.
Caught you running down a one way street,
Putting all your faith in your bones,
To take you places you've never seen,
I am only as free,
As you want me to be.
Shackled by your sweet sweet
If you want me,
Release me,
Release me.
Caught you humming in the evening light,
Softly singing to yourself,
I was watch with my eyes closed,
I was hiding with all my stare,
Well, well, well.
You caught me laughing for the first time,
I was walking on the edge
Eye were scanning the cloudy sky,
For fallen angels with arms outstretched.
I etched my name,
In the trees,
You used to climb,
Straight to my knees, got lost in the night,
Brushed you off and waved goodnight,
Waved for the light.
I am only as free,
As you want me to be,
Shackled by your sweet sweet,
If you want me,
Release me
If you want me,
Release me
Release me
Release me
Oh release me
Release me
Oh Release me
The lyrics to Lauren Shera's "Stealth" suggest a relationship in which one person is holding the other back from true freedom. The first two stanzas describe the singer catching the other person in various situations: sleeping with eyes open, running down a one-way street, and humming in the evening light. The singer then acknowledges that they are only as free as the other person allows them to be, implying that the other person is somehow preventing the singer from being truly free. The repeated line "shackled by your sweet sweet" suggests that the other person's affection is both holding the singer in place and causing some sort of torment. The final stanza describes the singer's attempts to break away from this relationship, but also implies that it may be difficult or impossible to do so.
Overall, these lyrics seem to be exploring the complex emotions of a relationship where one person is holding the other back. The imagery of catching someone in various situations suggests a sense of intrusion or spying, and the repeated line "release me" reinforces the idea that the singer feels trapped in the relationship. However, the sweet connotations of the phrase "shackled by your sweet sweet" suggest that the other person is not intentionally holding the singer back, but rather that they are both trapped in the relationship together.
Line by Line Meaning
Caught you sleeping with your eyes open wide
I saw that you were awake but pretending to be asleep.
I was speaking with my mouth closed
I was trying to communicate without saying anything out loud.
When you kissed me were you tongue tied?
Were you unsure of how to express your feelings when you kissed me?
I was still as the sun rose.
I watched the sunrise without moving, lost in thought.
Caught you running down a one way street
I observed you running towards something with single-minded determination.
Putting all your faith in your bones
You were relying entirely on your physical strength and endurance to get where you were going.
To take you places you've never seen
You were hoping to discover something new and exciting.
But in the end you just went on home.
Ultimately, you ended up going back to where you started.
I am only as free,
My level of freedom is directly tied to yours.
As you want me to be.
If you allow me more freedom, I will have it.
Shackled by your sweet sweet
Your kindness and affection hold me back.
If you want me,
If you truly want me, that is.
Release me,
Let me go.
Caught you humming in the evening light
I heard you quietly singing to yourself in the soft light of the evening.
Softly singing to yourself
You were enjoying the simple pleasure of music and singing.
I was watch with my eyes closed
I was surreptitiously observing you, while pretending to look away.
I was hiding with all my stare
I was trying to conceal my gaze, keeping it fixed on you without attracting attention.
Well, well, well.
An exclamation of surprise or interest.
You caught me laughing for the first time
You made me laugh, something that rarely happens.
I was walking on the edge
I was taking risks, living dangerously.
Eye were scanning the cloudy sky,
I was looking up at the sky, searching for something.
For fallen angels with arms outstretched.
I was hoping to see something that would symbolize freedom and transcendence.
I etched my name,
I carved my name into something permanent.
In the trees,
In a place surrounded by nature.
You used to climb,
A place that you used to explore and enjoy.
Straight to my knees, got lost in the night,
I became overwhelmed by emotion and lost my sense of direction.
Brushed you off and waved goodnight,
I said goodbye to you.
Waved for the light.
I gestured towards something that would guide my way in the darkness.
Oh release me
A plea to be freed from the constraints of the relationship.
Release me
Repeated emphasis on the need for release.
Oh Release me
Another plea for release and freedom.
Contributed by Isabelle F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.