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.
The Snow
Lily Holbrook Lyrics
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You are three kings, high on rust and wine, fighting the furies... the missing stories.
You say I am forgetting what I never knew to begin with.
You say I am forgetting what I never knew to begin with.
I am the snow, coppering new found lights, new friendly faces... the treacherous places.
You withered away through doors of other times, your piece was a soldier... your spirit was colder.
You say I am forgetting what I never knew to begin with.
You say I am forgetting what I never knew to begin with.
Never again, never again... never.
It is coming again, a time when pain is gone.
A poltergeist prison of blackening movie vision.
You say I am forgetting what I never knew to begin with.
You say I am forgetting what I never knew to begin with.
The lyrics of Lily Holbrook's "The Snow" are poetic and metaphorical, making it open to interpretation. The song seems to be describing a state of confusion and forgetting, represented by the imagery of snow and forgetting what was never known. The singer refers to herself as the snow running from the sky, as if trying to escape from something or someone. Meanwhile, the other person in the song is described as "three kings, high on rust and wine," possibly representing a group of people who are lost in their own vices and struggles.
As the song progresses, the singer mentions "new found lights, new friendly faces... the treacherous places," which could symbolize an attempt to move on from a difficult situation and find new hope. However, there is still a sense of loss and confusion with lines like "your piece was a soldier... your spirit was colder." It seems that the singer is still trying to make sense of her own emotions and experiences, even if it means forgetting what she never knew.
The song ends with the image of a frozen sky and a reference to a jester's eye, which could represent the loss of innocence and joy in the world. However, there is also a note of hope with the line "it is coming again, a time when pain is gone."
Overall, "The Snow" is a complex and introspective song that deals with themes of confusion, loss, and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the snow running from the sky, running from hunters... the wicked stepmother.
I am running away from danger, similar to how snow falls and flees from those who hunt and harm it. The wicked stepmother represents the idea of hiding from someone cruel.
You are three kings, high on rust and wine, fighting the furies... the missing stories.
You are lost in your own world, drunk on substances and fighting against your own mental demons. Missing stories refer to the idea of not being able to recall or remember certain aspects of your past.
You say I am forgetting what I never knew to begin with.
You accuse me of losing memories that I never had in the first place, of being forgetful about things that never existed.
I am the snow, coppering new found lights, new friendly faces... the treacherous places.
I am adapting to changes around me, finding new positive experiences and people along the way. However, not all places are safe and some can be dangerous.
You withered away through doors of other times, your piece was a soldier... your spirit was colder.
You have been worn down by the past and the events that have led you to where you are now. Your actions have been those of a fighter, but your emotions have become numb and colder over time.
And the king and queen take their place beneath the frozen sky that took away the life of the jester's eye.
The figures of power and royalty are present in a frozen and unforgiving environment, one that may have caused the death of a lighthearted and carefree person.
Never again, never again... never.
The idea of repeating certain past events or behaviors is rejected, and will never happen again.
It is coming again, a time when pain is gone.
A new time is approaching, where moments of hurt and suffering will be a thing of the past.
A poltergeist prison of blackening movie vision.
A haunting and oppressive environment, one that distorts your perception of reality and makes you feel trapped.
You say I am forgetting what I never knew to begin with.
You accuse me again of losing memories that I never had, of being forgetful about things that were never a part of my life.
Contributed by Anna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.