In 2004, Michele played "Shprintze" and "Chava" in the Broadway revival of the musical Fiddler on the Roof. Regionally, she has appeared in the title role in The Diary of Anne Frank.
Since the age of 14, she played the role of Wendla in Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical version of Spring Awakening since early workshops; following it up to the Broadway production. Around the same time the show was set to go to Broadway, she was given the role of Eponine in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables. She chose to remain with Spring Awakening, which debuted on Broadway December 10, 2006. Michele was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her performance in Spring Awakening, as Lead Actress in a Musical.
On May 18, 2008, Michele left Spring Awakening with co-star Jonathan Groff and was replaced by former Wendla understudy Alexandra Socha. She performed in a reading of Sheik and Sater's new musical, Nero, in July 2008 at Vassar College, also featuring Idina Menzel and Michael Arden. On August 8, 9 and 10, 2008, Michele portrayed Eponine in the Hollywood Bowl's Les Misérables concert.
Michele can be heard on the original Broadway cast recordings of Ragtime and Spring Awakening, as well as the 2003 revival recording of Fiddler on the Roof.
Michele starred in the Fox television show Glee, where she played the star female singer of a high school glee club, Rachel Berry. The pilot aired on May 19, 2009, and the show aired on Thursday nights on FOX. The show ended after 6 seasons on March 20, 2015.
Lea Michele will be making her public debut as Fanny Brice in Broadway’s Funny Girl on September 6th, 2022
Empty Handed
Lea Michele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A barren ocean
With nothing at all
And if I came to you empty hearted
Searching for pieces
After the fall
All I've ever known is how to hide a secret
But I'm tired of going on without believing
If I fell into you, would it be close enough
If I finally let you in, would you show me what love is
If I had nothing to give
If you came to me empty handed
I'd bring the ocean to bring you home
And if you came to me empty hearted
I'd find the pieces to make you own
If I fell into you, would it be close enough
If I finally let you in, would you show me what love is
If I had nothing to give
If I am a promise
Will you let me break again
I will be your congress, I will only let you ban
All I've ever known is how to hide a secret
But I'm tired of going on without believing
And love is not illusion, love illuminates the blind
If I fell into you, would it be close enough
If I finally let you in, would you show me what love is
If I had nothing to give
If I had nothing to give
"Empty Handed" is a beautiful song by American actress and singer-songwriter, Lea Michele. The song speaks about the fear of being vulnerable and the desire to find love without having much to offer. In the first verse, Lea Michele sings about coming to someone "empty handed," with no possessions or emotional stability. She compares herself to a "barren ocean," which is a powerful metaphor for emptiness and isolation. Despite this, she hopes that this person will accept her for who she is and will help her find the missing pieces of herself.
Lea Michele continues to express her vulnerability in the chorus, asking if falling into someone would be "close enough" and if they would "show [her] what love is" if she had nothing to offer in return. These lyrics speak to the pervasive fear of not being enough that many people experience in relationships. Despite these worries, she emphasizes that love is a positive force that "illuminates the blind" and is not just an illusion.
The final verse of the song shifts to a more assertive tone, with Lea Michele asking for reassurance from her partner. She wants to know if they will be there for her during her difficult moments and support her while she breaks and heals.
Overall, "Empty Handed" is a moving song that celebrates the power and beauty of vulnerability in relationships. It speaks to the universal desire to feel loved and accepted, even when we don't feel like we have much to offer.
Line by Line Meaning
If I came to you empty handed
If I came to you with nothing to offer
A barren ocean
Like an empty ocean without any life
With nothing at all
Without anything to give
And if I came to you empty hearted
If I came to you feeling broken
Searching for pieces
Looking for things to make me whole again
After the fall
After experiencing some sort of loss or failure
All I've ever known is how to hide a secret
I've only known how to keep things to myself and not share them with others
But I'm tired of going on without believing
I'm tired of living without hope or faith
And love is not illusion, love illuminates the blind
Love is real and helps us see things clearly
If I fell into you, would it be close enough
If I opened up to you and trusted you, would that be enough for you
If I finally let you in, would you show me what love is
If I allowed myself to be vulnerable with you, would you teach me what it means to love
If I had nothing to give
If I had no material possessions or anything of value to offer
If you came to me empty handed
If you came to me with nothing to offer
I'd bring the ocean to bring you home
I would do anything to help you feel at home and comfortable with me
And if you came to me empty hearted
If you came to me feeling broken and in need of healing
I'd find the pieces to make you own
I would help you find what you need to feel whole and complete
If I am a promise
If I am making a commitment to you
Will you let me break again
Will you allow me to fail or disappoint you
I will be your congress, I will only let you ban
I will support you and help you make decisions that are best for you
If I had nothing to give
If I had no material possessions or anything of value to offer
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Christina Judith Perri, David Hall Hodges, John Shanks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind