Nash was born Leigh Bingham in New Braunfels, Texas. She met guitarist and songwriter Matt Slocum at a church retreat in the early 1990s. The two formed Sixpence None the Richer soon after and went on to record six albums with the band. Their first album, released when she was just 16, was The Fatherless and the Widow. The album garnered critical acclaim and Slocum and Nash searched for new band members. They found Tess Wiley, Dale Baker, and J.J. Plascencio. The new band recorded This Beautiful Mess, which won a Dove Award for Best Album. Wiley quit the band after their US tour and the band signed to the Squint Records label. The band's new self-titled album was released in 1997. A year later, the teen movie She's All That and the popular teen soap Dawson's Creek played Kiss Me (with tie-in videos) which went on to be a hit single off the album and the band's most recognizable song. In 1999 they received numerous Dove Awards, including Best Artist of the Year. The band was also nominated for a Grammy Award. After problems with their record labels, Sixpence came back in 2001 with the album Divine Discontent after losing both Dale Baker and J.J. Plascencio. Two singles from that album, Breathe Your Name and Don't Dream It's Over, went onto the charts. However, Sixpence announced their break-up on 26 February 2004 when Slocum sent a letter to CCM Magazine.
Nash married PFR drummer Mark Nash in the late 1990s, after the couple met while both bands were performing at the Cornerstone Festival in Illinois.
Leigh Nash has also done guest performances as the lead vocalist on several songs by Delerium. Innocente is probably the best known of these.
In the fall of 2005, Nash began work on her first solo album with producer Pierre Marchand. The album, titled Blue on Blue, was released on 15 August 2006 on her personal label, One Son Records. The first single, My Idea of Heaven, was released to USA radio the week of 14 July 2006.
Father And Son
Leigh Nash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.
I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,
To be calm when you've found something going on.
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you've got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.
Son
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
It's always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.
Father
It's not time to make a change,
Just sit down, take it slowly.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to go through.
Find a girl, settle down,
if you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.
(Son, Away Away Away, I know I have to
Make this decision alone, no)
Son
All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it.
If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them you know not me.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.
The song "Father and Son" by Leigh Nash is a poignant conversation between a father and son about the prospect of growing up and making life-changing decisions. The father acknowledges that the son is still young and urges him to take it easy, settle down, get married so that he can be happy like him. The father tries to relate to his son by telling him that he was once like him and that he understands that it is not easy to be calm when there's something going on. He advises him to take his time, think a lot, and realize that he has a lot of things he needs to appreciate before making any rash decisions because tomorrow is not promised.
On the other hand, the son is expressing his frustration with his father's perspective as he feels he is not being heard. He struggles to explain his thoughts and feelings to his father and fears that he won't understand. The son recalls all the times he cried and kept everything inside because he didn't want to cause conflict. He acknowledges that it's hard to confront the situation, but it's harder to ignore it. The son realizes that he needs to make his own choices and decides to leave to find his way.
Overall, "Father and Son" explores the tension between the desire to stay close to one's roots and the need to venture away in search of self-discovery. It highlights the importance of communication, understanding, and empathy in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Father
The father advises his son not to rush into making decisions and to take life slow because he is still young and has a lot to learn.
It's not time to make a change,
The father believes that his son should not rush into making a decision that could impact his life negatively.
Just relax, take it easy.
The father is advising his son to not stress out and take life one day at a time.
You're still young, that's your fault,
The father believes his son is too impulsive and naive, which is a byproduct of being young.
There's so much you have to know.
The father believes that his son needs to learn more about life before making important decisions.
Find a girl, settle down,
The father advises his son to find a life partner and settle down as his father did.
If you want you can marry.
The father is not forcing his son to get married but rather giving him the option to settle down with a girl if he chooses to.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.
The father wants his son to see that he is content with his life and hopes that his son will find happiness as well.
I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,
The father can relate to his son as he was once young and faced the same challenges.
To be calm when you've found something going on.
The father advises his son to remain calm even if he finds something upsetting or stressful.
But take your time, think a lot,
The father wants his son to take his time and think through his decisions thoroughly.
Why, think of everything you've got.
The father advises his son to think about all that he has in his life and not take it for granted.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.
The father is reminding his son that life is unpredictable and his dreams may not be there tomorrow, so he should cherish what he has today.
Son
The son responds to his father and expresses his feelings about the situation he is facing.
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
The son finds it difficult to communicate with his father as he feels his father is not receptive to his feelings and emotions.
It's always been the same, same old story.
The son feels that his father has never listened to him and the situation has remained the same for a long time.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
The son feels that he was never heard and was always told to listen to others instead of expressing his own thoughts and opinions.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
The son has come to a decision and knows that he has to leave his current situation.
All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
The son has been bottling up his emotions and feels that he has never been able to express himself fully to his father.
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it.
The son finds it difficult to deal with his situation, but it's even harder for him to ignore it anymore.
If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them you know not me.
The son disagrees with his family's way of thinking and has his own perspectives and opinions on the matter.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
The son has come to a decision and knows that he has to leave his current situation.
I know I have to go.
The son is resolute in his decision and knows that leaving is the right thing to do for him.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Yusuf Islam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
homerhoehandle2
I've never heard this song before, but I swear I was crying before the first verse was half finished. Beautifully sung and wonderfully written.
Terry Shepherd
An amazing voice refreshes this song! This lady is fantastic I like so many of her songs both with whom ever she choses to sing for/with or on her own. On Twitter she is interesting too!
Robert Ortiz
Fantastic rendition of the Cat Stevens classic. Leigh Nash delivers major league!
cindy ricafort
your my new fave singer! i love your voice
scottnsanfran
I'm one of those people who love this version of this classic song
YooSmurfette Uaena
This is one of my fave from Cat Steven..thank you Leigh..i love your voice.
luvyesmusic
YooSmurfette Uaena. Couldn't have said it better myself.
luvyesmusic
This was a nice surprise find. I use to have Cat Steven's sister and brother-in-law at our home when I was a boy which would mean Cat Stevens' music was in our house, too. I've only been listening to Leigh but a couple of years and she is easily in my top six of female vocalists ever. She is wonderful!
Racquel Abria
i love her voice! very calm and relax...
karl
such a warm song 🎵 with warm words sad how little time we have x