Her first album, The Taste of Forbidden Fruit, was released independently in 2001. Her second album, Fall From Grace, was released independently in 2007. Lindi was signed to CherryTree Records in 2008 and released The Drifter E.P.. Lindi's latest release is Little Red Boots, released June 7, 2011 on Last Gang Records.
Lindi has toured as an opening act for Keane, Raul Malo, Kevin Costner, and most recently as a backup singer for Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, in support of his solo album, Flamingo. As Brandon's backup singer, Lindi has toured extensively through North America, Europe, and Mexico and performed on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Later... With Jools Holland.
Lindi has worked with a number of other bands, such as Pilate and Now Is Now and is currently working with Juno Award winning producer Ron Lopata, who was the keyboardist from JackSoul. Lindi appeared on the album 68 from Year of The Monkey, also produced by Ron and he has produced her latest album and EP.
She has a unique voice with a signature vibrato that has been compared to Jeff Buckley and Hope Sandoval(Mazzy Star). Her songwriting is influenced by artists such as Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash. She plays the guitar and piano.
Oh Dear
Lindi Ortega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I think I missed my train
And I'm late for work again
Oh dear
And my baby's gone away
So he won't come to save the day
Don't have a penny to my name
Just when I thought
It wasn't getting any worse
And now it looks like I am cursed
Oh dear
Just when I thought
I wonder what else could go wrong
I think my sanity is gone
Oh dear
Oh dear
Oh dear
Well my head began to hurt
I spilled my coffee on my shirt
I took a tumble in the dirt
Oh dear
And I think I broke my knee
Cause I can't stand up on my feet
You got me lying here in the street
Oh dear
Just when I thought
I wonder what else could go wrong
I think my sanity is gone
Oh dear
Oh dear
Oh dear
And the kid said you got it rough
I said I know there kid looks like I got bad luck
Sometimes you gotta shake it off
When it looks like you got bad luck
And the man said you got it rough
I said I know there man looks like I got bad luck
Sometimes you gotta shake it off
When it looks like you got bad luck
Oh dear
I think its clear my dear
Oh dear
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh dear
Lindi Ortega's song "Oh Dear" portrays the experience of a person who is going through a rough patch in life. The song opens with the singer standing in the rain and having missed their train, making them late for work. The character's stress only amplifies with the realization that their partner has left them and they do not have any money. As the day unfolds and several things go wrong, including hurting their knee, spilling coffee on themselves, and falling in the dirt, they fear that nothing could possibly make their life any worse. They feel cursed, and their mental state seems to be deteriorating.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Oh dear," reflecting the growing frustration and hopelessness the singer feels. However, in the bridge section, another speaker or individual consoles the singer, saying, "Sometimes you gotta shake it off when it looks like you got bad luck." Though the song doesn't end with a miraculous resolution or a happy ending, the presence of this external voice offers a glimmer of hope - that things may not always be terrible, and we can find a way to persevere.
Overall, the song deals with themes of loss, defeat, and hardship. Lindi Ortega's lyrics use vivid imagery to paint the picture of someone having a truly awful day, capturing the emotion of being stuck in a rut and the mental toll it can take on an individual.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm standing in the rain
I'm stuck in the rain, outside, and it's uncomfortable
And I think I missed my train
I wasn't able to get on my train on time
And I'm late for work again
I'm behind schedule for my job
Oh dear
Exclamation of disappointment or sympathy
And my baby's gone away
My significant other isn't here to help me out
So he won't come to save the day
I can't count on him to be there to make things better
Don't have a penny to my name
I don't have any money at all
Just when I thought
Just as I believed or assumed
It wasn't getting any worse
Things seemed like they couldn't get any more troublesome
And now it looks like I am cursed
I'm starting to believe I'm experiencing a spell of bad luck
I wonder what else could go wrong
I'm concerned about what else could happen to make things worse
I think my sanity is gone
I feel like I'm losing my mind or my composure
Well my head began to hurt
I'm experiencing physical pain in my head
I spilled my coffee on my shirt
I accidentally spilled my coffee on my clothing
I took a tumble in the dirt
I fell down into the ground
And I think I broke my knee
I have a suspicion that I've fractured my knee
Cause I can't stand up on my feet
I'm having trouble standing up because of the pain
You got me lying here in the street
I'm stuck on the ground in the middle of the road
And the kid said you got it rough
A young person sympathizes with my situation
I said I know there kid looks like I got bad luck
I responded by acknowledging the youngster's perspective and agreeing with it
Sometimes you gotta shake it off
Occasionally, one must put aside one's problems and keep going
When it looks like you got bad luck
When things are going poorly, and it appears as though nothing will change
And the man said you got it rough
A grown man feels sympathy for my situation
I said I know there man looks like I got bad luck
I agreed with the man's assessment, confidently relaying that things aren't going well
Oh dear
Exclamation of disappointment or sympathy
I think its clear my dear
I'm starting to realize that my situation might be hopeless or futile
Oh oh oh
Exclamation of dismay or concern
Oh dear
Exclamation of disappointment or sympathy
Contributed by Austin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mark Montimurro
Really nice cover. Never heard of this artist prior to Beat Surrender (music blog) latest post. Nice backing band as well.
Jim S
One of the greatest female voices going....
Roberto Nascimento
comecei gostar destas apresentações
razo8402
Great!!!!!
Mike Me Potter
Great cover.
Rafiu 11
Mantaaaaappp!!!!
Joan Eskins
Patsy Cline,Neko Case and now Lindi Ortega.