For over 10 years they performed domestically and internationally selling over 100,000 albums, as well as collecting the coveted APRA song of the year for 'Even When I'm Sleeping'.
One of their many career highlights included the concert in the domain, Sydney, to over 80,000 people; meeting Nelson Mandela and performing at the world reconciliation day concert; touring with Everything But The Girl, Neil Finn, Barry White and many others.
The group's members went their separate ways in 2001 and continue to make music individually.
Hey Hey
Leonardo's Bride Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're upside down again.
My my your hair's a mess
Now it's anybody's guess.
Funny how life can be a desperation.
You don't have to go for that.
Hey hey my friend,
Whose hands are on the wheel.
Or are you just too numb to feel
The knives in your back
The thorn in your side.
You don't have to go for that.
There's a school of thought,
There's a bull in a china shop,
There's a bird in a cage,
There's a penny that wants to drop.
Is this what you want?
Hey hey my friend guess
I'll be seeing you round now.
When it happens again,
When you feel it drag you down,
You don't have to swallow it everytime.
You don't have to go for that.
In the song Hey Hey by Leonardo's Bride, the main message is to remind the listener that they have control over their life, despite the chaos that may surround them or the outside forces that try to influence them. The lyrics start with the quick observation that their friend is upside down, and their hair is a mess, implying a sense of disarray and lack of control. But the tone of the song quickly shifts to the realization that life can be a "desperation," and how easy it is to fall into a pattern of feeling helpless and going along with whatever happens. The repeated phrases of "You don't have to go for that" emphasizes the point that the person has a choice in how they react and respond to what's happening around them.
The second verse reinforces this message, poetically describing the different elements that can exist in life: a bull in a china shop, a bird in a cage, a penny that wants to drop. These metaphors provide a visual representation of the fragility and complexity of life, and how it's easy to feel trapped and helpless. However, the chorus repeats the same message again - that the person has power and agency to change their situation. The final lines of the song reiterate this theme, saying that the listener doesn't have to "swallow it everytime" and that they don't have to "go for that."
Line by Line Meaning
Hey hey my friend
Calling out to a friend to get their attention and show concern
You're upside down again.
Implying that their friend is in a difficult spot again
My my your hair's a mess
Commenting on the disheveled appearance of the friend
Now it's anybody's guess.
Suggesting that it's unclear what's been going on with the friend
Funny how life can be a desperation.
Reflecting on how life can sometimes feel hopeless
You don't have to go for that.
Encouraging the friend to not give up and keep fighting
Whose hands are on the wheel.
Questioning who is in control of the friend's life
Are they taking you for a ride
Asking if the friend is being manipulated or taken advantage of
Or are you just too numb to feel
Wondering if the friend has become desensitized to their own struggles
The knives in your back
Referencing backstabbing and betrayal the friend may have experienced
The thorn in your side.
Describing a continuous painful issue the friend is facing
There's a school of thought,
Pointing out that there are different perspectives on life
There's a bull in a china shop,
Using a metaphor to suggest that life can be destructive and dangerous
There's a bird in a cage,
Saying that one can feel trapped and helpless
There's a penny that wants to drop.
Implies that there's something the friend needs to realize, but hasn't yet
Is this what you want?
Asking the friend to reflect on their path in life and question if it's what they truly desire
I'll be seeing you round now.
Acknowledging a potential goodbye or departure
When it happens again,
Assuming that the friend will face difficulty again in the future
When you feel it drag you down,
Emphasizing the burden and weight of life's struggles
You don't have to swallow it everytime.
Encouraging the friend to not let their problems consume them every time they face them
You don't have to go for that.
Repeating the message to motivate the friend to keep fighting and not give up
Contributed by Charlie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.