For years fans of Boston born singer/songwri… Read Full Bio ↴Biography
For years fans of Boston born singer/songwriter Lily Holbrook all had one thing in common...a subway token! Lily was a regular fixture inside the Park Street Subway Station, performing to ever increasing enthusiastic crowds of commuters.
With the 2008 release of her new album, "Wicked Ways," an opening performance for Brian Wilson and a slot at New Jersey's "All Points West" festival headlined by Radiohead, Lily is no longer an underground sensation. Her music has caused pedestrian traffic jams in Boston's Harvard Square and Newbury Street, Santa Monica's famed Third Street Promenade and, more recently, in San Francisco's Castro area.
Lily first unleashed her voice on a wider audience with her independent debut "Running from the Sky" in 2000. Described by fans as "a somber fairy tale" the ethereal vocals and dark lyrics quickly earned a cult following resulting in the street singer selling over 20,000 copies as an unsigned artist. With her steady street buzz she was a natural choice for the film, "Playing for Change"-a rocumentary highlighting the lives of 16 street musicians across the country. The film struck a chord with audiences and was added into rotation on the Sundance Channel, the Independent Film Channel and Comcast On Demand. It also secured Lily her first record deal and in 2005 BackPorch/Virgin released her second album "Everything Was Beautiful and Hurt."
Describing her music as melancholic rock, Lily's influences have always been diverse, ranging from Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd to Tori Amos, PJ Harvey and The Cure. Of her latest album the artist says "This is my most accomplished work and fully represents who I am as an artist." As legendary producer Glen Ballard (Alanis Morisette, No Doubt, Michael Jackson) says: "Lily Holbrook is the real deal!"
Lily now calls San Francisco her home and has begun working on her fourth album. Her passion for causes such as LGBTQI rights, animal welfare, at risk youth and women's issues has her donating her musical talents to various charitable organizations throughout the bay area. She continues to busk and delight fans, locals and tourists with her impromtu concerts.
Mermaid
Lily Holbrook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With all my heart,
And yesterday,
I followed secret trails
Inside my heart
And I can't let this fall apart,
I will not slip into their world,
She's dancing with the mermaids,
And in my star-lit sky,
She's flying
And in my garden green,
She's flirting with the fairies
Over the kingdom wall, she's climbing
Higher than they'll ever know
Higher than they'll ever know
Today I'm supposed to try to live beneath the clouds
But I can't find my way down...
Cause castles with wings, and dragons beyond dreams,
Keep my feet from the ground
And I can't let this tear me down,
I will not slip into their world,
Cause in my silver sea,
She's dancing with the mermaids,
And in my star-lit sky,
She's flying
And in my garden green,
She's flirting with the fairies
Over the kingdom wall, she's climbing
Higher than they'll ever know
Higher than they'll ever know
Higher than they'll ever know
Higher
"Mermaid" by Lily Holbrook is a melodious song that explores the theme of finding solace in one's imagination. The beginning of the lyrics suggests that the singer used to believe in fairy tales and secret trails, which implies a sense of childlike wonder and innocence. However, despite being told to live beneath the clouds, the singer cannot bring herself to do so because her imagination has taken over. Her silver sea, star-lit sky, and garden green are all places where she can be free to dream and be with the mermaids and fairies.
The lyrics of the chorus mention the singer's desire to stay true to herself and not "slip into their world." This may refer to society's expectations or perhaps the expectations of those who have told her to come down from the clouds. Nonetheless, the singer is determined to hold on to her imagination because it is where she finds her joy and freedom.
The song's overall message is one of holding fast to one's beliefs and values, even when they clash with the opinions of others. It is an encouragement for individuals to embrace and celebrate their unique dreams, no matter how high they may seem. The mermaid, fairy, and kingdom references tend to reinforce this theme, as they all signify a world beyond what is immediately visible or accepted.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday, I believed in fairy tales
At one point in time, I used to believe in fairy tales and their magic.
With all my heart
I believed in fairy tales with complete and total devotion.
And yesterday, I followed secret trails
I would follow paths with hidden destinations and secrets to uncover.
Inside my heart
These trails existed solely within my own heart and imagination.
And I can't let this fall apart
I refuse to let go of my beliefs and allow them to dissipate into nothingness.
I will not slip into their world
I will not succumb to the blandness of reality and forsake my imagination.
Cause in my silver sea, She's dancing with the mermaids
Within my mind, I imagine myself as a mermaid dancing in a world of silver and fantasy.
And in my star-lit sky, She's flying
I picture myself as a free spirit soaring through the skies and becoming one with the stars.
And in my garden green, She's flirting with the fairies
In my imagined world, I see myself as a sprite who frolics among the trees and fairies.
Over the kingdom wall, she's climbing
I go beyond the walls of the mundane world and allow my imagination to take me to new heights.
Higher than they'll ever know
My imagination takes me to places beyond the comprehension of others.
Today I'm supposed to try to live beneath the clouds
In the present reality, I am expected to submit to the mundane tasks of everyday life.
But I can't find my way down...
I can't bring myself to return to the dull reality that surrounds me.
Cause castles with wings, and dragons beyond dreams, Keep my feet from the ground
Within my imagination, I live in a world filled with castles that can fly and dragons that defy belief, and this makes it difficult to come back to reality.
And I can't let this tear me down
I must hold onto my beliefs and not allow the disappointment of reality to break me.
Higher than they'll ever know
Once again, my imagination takes me beyond the expectations of others.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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