Lewis has become a multi-platinum selling artist and three time Grammy Award nominee. She was proclaimed 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine in 2008. Her two albums Spirit and Echo, released in 2007 and 2009 respectively, have collectively sold in excess of 10 million copies worldwide and topped the charts in numerous countries. Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, took place in 2010. As of December 2012, Lewis has sold 28 million records worldwide. Her third album Glassheart was released 12 October 2012. It was preceded by the single "Collide", which became her seventh top-five hit in the UK. With the release of Hurt: The EP and "Trouble", Lewis has had nine top-ten hits in the UK.
Lewis' debut single A Moment Like This became the fastest selling UK single after being downloaded over 50,000 times within thirty minutes of its release. Her second single, Bleeding Love, reached number one positions in over thirty singles charts around the world. In November 2008 she set a record in the UK for the fastest selling download-only release with her cover version of the Snow Patrol song Run which sold 69,244 copies in two days. Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, started in 2010.
Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Afro-Guyanese descent, and Maria Lewis of Welsh, Italian and Irish descent. Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and from there she attended the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School, where she learned to play instruments such as the guitar and piano, in the hope of becoming a singer-songwriter. Lewis wrote her first full-length song at the age of 12. She initially trained in opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie Riperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her main influences. After leaving the BRIT School at 17, she took a number of jobs to fund studio time, recording a demo album called Twilight. The album, almost exclusively comprising her own compositions, was recorded under Spiral Music, a production company based in Fulham. "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract", said Lewis. Other demos were recorded under licence from UEG Entertainment, later included on an album called Best Kept Secret. However, none of Lewis's demos were released and she considered taking a hiatus from her music career to attend university until her boyfriend persuaded her to enter The X Factor which subsequently severed her connections with UEG.
Songfacts says that Collide, the first single from Leona Lewis's third album finds her taking a more dance pop route than on her previous material. She said, "I'm excited for people to see a different side to my music. I'm a fan of so many different genres and styles. For me this song has all the great ingredients of a summer anthem." The song got its first play on Scott Mills' Radio One show on July 15, 2011 and will be released on September 4, 2011.
Lewis' third studio album, Glassheart, is due for release in 2012.
Iris
Leona Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'cause i know that you feel me somehow
you're the closest to heaven that i'll ever be
and i don't want to go home right now
and all i can taste is this moment
and all i can breathe is your life
and sooner or later it's over
and i don't want the world to see me
'cause i don't think that they'd understand
when everything's meant to be broken
i just want you to know who i am
and you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
or the moment of truth in your lies
when everything feels like the movies
yeah you bleed just to know you're alive
and i don't want the world to see me
'cause i don't think that they'd understand
when everything's meant to be broken
i just want you to know who i am
and i don't want the world to see me
'cause i don't think that they'd understand
when everything's meant to be broken
i just want you to know who i am
and i don't want the world to see me
'cause i don't think that they'd understand
when everything's meant to be broken
i just want you to know who i am
i just want you to know who i am
i just want you to know who i am
i just want you to know who i am
Leona Lewis’s song “Iris” is a reflective and passionate ballad about longing and connection. The opening lyrics, “I’d give up forever to touch you / ‘Cause I know that you feel me somehow” express a deep desire for a connection that surpasses physical touch. The singer describes their love interest as “the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be” and doesn’t want to go home because being with them is a form of heaven. The singer is fully present in the moment with the love interest, savoring them by saying “all I can taste is this moment / And all I can breathe is your life”. However, the singer is also aware that this moment won’t last forever because “sooner or later it’s over”. Yet, despite this looming fact, the singer expresses a desire not to miss this opportunity with the love interest tonight.
The chorus of “Iris” contains the repeated lines, “And I don’t want the world to see me / ‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand / When everything’s meant to be broken / I just want you to know who I am”. Here, the singer reveals that their feelings for the love interest are not something that can be easily explained to others because “everything’s meant to be broken”. The singer just wants the love interest to know who they truly are. The bridge, “And you can’t fight the tears that ain’t coming / Or the moment of truth in your lies / When everything feels like the movies / Yeah, you bleed just to know you’re alive” is a contrasting reflection. The love the singer has for the love interest is so deep that they acknowledge that there are moments when the feelings are overwhelming and almost feel like a movie. And yet, these moments are real and raw, and remind the singer that they are alive.
Overall, “Iris” is a beautiful song that speaks to the universal human longing for love and connection. It touches on the importance of living in the present moment and cherishing the people we love.
Line by Line Meaning
and i'd give up forever to touch you
I am willing to do whatever it takes and make any sacrifice to feel your touch
'cause i know that you feel me somehow
I am convinced that you can sense my presence, even from far away
you're the closest to heaven that i'll ever be
Being with you is the most divine and ethereal experience I will ever have
and i don't want to go home right now
I want to stay lost in this moment with you and not think about the outside world
and all i can taste is this moment
This moment is so powerful and meaningful that it affects all my senses, even my taste buds
and all i can breathe is your life
Your mere existence is so essential to me that it feels like I am breathing your essence
and sooner or later it's over
This intense and precious moment will come to an end eventually, one way or another
i just don't wanna miss you tonight
I don't want to waste this opportunity to be with you and cherish every moment together
and you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
There is an overwhelming emotional response that I cannot control, even though the tears have not yet started
or the moment of truth in your lies
There is a revealing moment when you will expose the truth, even if you have been hiding it with lies
when everything feels like the movies
This moment is so surreal and unbelievable that it feels like something out of a movie
yeah you bleed just to know you're alive
Sometimes it takes experiencing pain or suffering to realize that you are truly alive and living
i just want you to know who i am
I want to reveal my true self to you, without any barriers or pretenses
i just want you to know who i am
I want to be seen and understood for who I truly am
i just want you to know who i am
I want to establish a true connection with you and let you see the real me
Contributed by Cooper C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Emily T
And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's meant to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
MrStrictlyIntimate
I went through a lot with this song in its original version and I have to say one thing - Leona clearly hits the emotional mark of being absolutely fabulous and authentic with this song. It is a cover that is absolutely brilliant from the very beginning until her hitting the last note!
NASTAR01
I love the way she delivers 'everything's made to be broken' @ 3:50. Especially 'made'. It has a raspy sound to it, which makes you feel what she's singing more.
numba1danman
Leona conveys emotion like a whisper even when belting, the emotion is so vivid and touching that you never really forget how it makes you feel at the time, she touches a place very few people can, its vulnerable, heartfelt and heartbreaking all at the same time, she makes the listener fall in love with her over and over again.
Timmy Angel
I love the original version but Leona just lift up the meaning of the song so great ^^ I love her and her voice ^^
April Ward
Leona is amazing. I didn't even know she was on The X Factor until months after I was a fan. She's an incredible artist and everything she does is amazing. Just because some people don't like what she's doing, doesn't make it crap. You just have different tastes than what she does. She is INCREDIBLE! Her music has made me tear up many times just from the beauty of it!
Mike Anderson
Most singers have one or two hits on an album. Leona, most every song she sings is just beautiful!!
Dman2020
Mike Anderson YAAS!!
Ben Russell
I'm just glad she brings old songs back to life for the current generation. Trust me, they need good music like this, and she's giving it to them :)
Rafael Orlando Kai
Yes we cant deny her talent! She is pure talented!
Arran Jones
This version has more power to it... it lets you bleed emotion and reflect back on everything as if it were in slow motion. :)