Biography

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.

Smoke Screen
Lily Holbrook Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You could come back crawling on your knees
Practice every sentence with, a pretty pretty please
It's nothing to put my mind at ease
So just go run back, whining to your shrink

Cause I see
Through your smoke screen
And I see, the reality

And I know, the distance that will grow
Wider than you will ever know

Yeah you've got money, you've got spine
But you don't have karma on your side
Cause all of those pretty pretty lies, that you told
They're coming to bite you before you get old

Cause I see
Through your smoke screen
And I see, the reality
And I know, the trust that has been broken
Deeper than you will ever know

Yeah I'm a little bit naive,
Where in my heart I call my sleep
Still I know a thing about deceipt
Just trying hard to not step on anybody's feet

Cause I see
Through the smoke screen
And I see, the reality

And I know, the damage that is done
When a friend turns his back on someone

Overall Meaning

In the song "Smoke Screen" by Lily Holbrook, the singer addresses a former friend or lover who has betrayed her trust. She acknowledges that this person may try to come back and apologize, but she is not interested in hearing their pleas. She can see through their "smoke screen" of lies and deceptions and knows the truth about what they have done. She speaks of the distance that will grow between them, wider than the other person can imagine, and the damage that is done when a friend turns their back on someone.

The lyrics reveal the singer's feelings of hurt and disappointment as she navigates the aftermath of a broken relationship. She asserts her own strength and integrity by refusing to accept the other person's apologies, recognizing that their actions have consequences beyond what they may realize. The song's chorus emphasizes the contrast between appearance and reality, and points to the inevitability of reckoning with the truth.

The song's message is universal in its relatability, as many people have experienced similar feelings of betrayal and disillusionment in their own relationships. Ultimately, "Smoke Screen" speaks to the power of honesty and the importance of recognizing when someone is not living up to their promises.

Line by Line Meaning

You could come back crawling on your knees
Even if you come crawling back and begging for forgiveness, I won't forget how you betrayed me.

Practice every sentence with, a pretty pretty please
Your attempts to apologize with words coated in kindness won't sway me or make up for what you did.

It's nothing to put my mind at ease
Your apologies are worthless when it comes to easing my troubled mind and hurt feelings.

So just go run back, whining to your shrink
Don't bother coming back to me, go run to someone else, like a shrink, to complain about your problems.

Cause I see
I am not fooled by your lies and deceit.

Through your smoke screen
I see through the facade you've created to hide your true intentions and actions.

And I see, the reality
I face the harsh truths of your actions and their impact.

And I know, the distance that will grow
Our relationship is irrevocably damaged, and it cannot be fixed.

Wider than you will ever know
The impact of your betrayal goes beyond what you can comprehend.

Yeah you've got money, you've got spine
Despite your wealth and strength, you do not have honesty and integrity on your side.

But you don't have karma on your side
Your wrongdoing will catch up with you even if it remains unnoticed by others.

Cause all of those pretty pretty lies, that you told
The lies you kept telling with charm and conviction are all going to backfire and harm you.

They're coming to bite you before you get old
The consequences of your actions will catch up to you sooner or later, and it will be worse than what you can imagine.

Yeah I'm a little bit naive,
Although I may appear innocent or gullible, I am not easily fooled or manipulated.

Where in my heart I call my sleep
I try to maintain inner peace and avoid causing harm to others.

Still I know a thing about deceipt
Despite my best efforts, I understand the impact of deceit and betrayal in relationships.

Just trying hard to not step on anybody's feet
I strive to avoid causing anyone harm or disturbing their peace, unlike someone like you.

And I know, the damage that is done
I understand the pain and harm that comes when someone you trust and invest in turns their back on you.

When a friend turns his back on someone
The impact of betrayal is felt most deeply when it is someone who was considered a friend.

Contributed by Leah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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