La Havas was born in London, England to a Greek father and Jamaican mother. She was raised in Tooting and Streatham, spending the majority of her time with her grandparents, following her parents' separation as a child. La Havas' cites her parents' diverse musical tastes as having the biggest influence on her music. She began singing at seven. Her mother played Jill Scott and Mary j. Blige, while her father, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, taught her the basics of guitar and piano. Lianne wrote her first song at the age of 11 but did not learn to play the guitar until she was 18 years old. At 18, Lianne began attending Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls in Croydon, where she studied art and planned to take her A-Levels in art foundation. However, she left college and decided to pursue a career in music full-time.
While attending sixth-form in Croydon, a friend of La Havas', (who attended the Brit School) introduced her to other musicians who assisted La Havas in the recording of her first demos. Through that same friend, La Havas was also introduced to British singer, Paloma Faith; she later sang backing vocals on tour for Faith. La Havas was co-writer and performer in 'The Paris Parade' alongside Christian Pinchbeck (who designed the artwork for Lost & Found) and also is now part of the duo Elephant (Memphis Industries). They had a short career but it began La Havas' career in commercial music. In 2010, Lianne signed to Warner Bros. Records, spending two years developing her songwriting skills before releasing music publicly.
La Havas made her television debut on October 21, 2011, broadcast of BBC Two's Later, with Jools Holland, a program that also featured Wisconsin folk band Bon Iver. Following her appearance on Later, with Jools Holland, it was announced on October 25, 2011 that La Havas would be the supporting act for Bon Iver's December 2011 North American tour.
La Havas released her debut EP, Lost & Found, on October 12, 2011 on the Labour of Love label and featured Willy Mason on the opening track, No Room For Doubt. That same month, La Havas released a live EP, titled Live in LA, which was made available for free download on her website. La Havas released her third EP titled Forget, on December 30, 2011 on the label Warner Brothers.
Her official debut single, Lost & Found was released in the UK on April 30, 2012. Her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, was released on July 9, 2012 in the UK on Warner Brothers.
Empty
Lianne La Havas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew you were lost, yet still I'm alone, but oh how I've grown
Thought that he'd left me, I thought that he'd burned out bright, and I'm alone
But somehow I'm alright
It seemed so easy, just to walk, just to run
But if you leave me, I can reacquaint myself with my true loved one
Just leave town, I can sleep when you're not around
I thought it was myself, that I'd found
I knew you were empty
I knew you were lost, yet still I'm alone, and oh how I've grown
Thought that he'd left me, I thought that he'd burned out bright, and I'm alone
But somehow I'm alright
It seemed so easy, just to walk, just to run
But if you leave me, I can reacquaint myself with my true loved one
So just leave town, I can sleep when you're not around
I thought it was myself that I found
I said just leave town, I can sleep when you're not around
I gotta take another call right now
In Lianne La Havas's song "Empty," the lyrics tell a story of a relationship that has gone sour. The singer acknowledges that she knew her partner was "empty" and "lost," but she still feels alone. Despite this, she has grown from this experience and has found a way to be okay on her own. She thought that her partner had left her, but now realizes that it was actually herself that she found. The singer suggests that the easy thing to do would be to walk away, but if her partner leaves, she can rediscover her true self and find comfort in her own company.
The lyrics convey a sense of freedom and independence, as well as the idea that sometimes it takes being alone to truly find oneself. It speaks to the experience of being in a relationship where one person feels drained by the other's emptiness, and the difficulty of letting go even when it's necessary for personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
I knew you were empty
I was aware that you had a void within
I knew you were lost, yet still I'm alone, but oh how I've grown
Even though I recognized your confusion, I am still single, but I have developed considerably since we met
Thought that he'd left me, I thought that he'd burned out bright, and I'm alone
I assumed he had abandoned me, I thought he had left with strong feelings, and I am unaccompanied
But somehow I'm alright
Nevertheless, I'm fine
It seemed so easy, just to walk, just to run
Running away from this relationship appeared to be the simplest thing to do
But if you leave me, I can reacquaint myself with my true loved one
However, if you depart, I can get back together with my genuine soul mate
Just leave town, I can sleep when you're not around
Just go away, I can rest in peace when you're not nearby
I thought it was myself, that I'd found
I assumed I had discovered myself
I said just leave town, I can sleep when you're not around
I reiterated to just depart, so I can slumber in silence
I gotta take another call right now
I must answer another call at the moment
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIEL DE MUSSENDEN CAREY, LIANNE CHARLOTTE BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind