In early 2005, Lior released his debut album, "Autumn Flow". The album was nominated for three ARIA Awards: Best Breakthrough Artist, Best Male Artist, and Best Independent Release, the album was also nominated for the J Award, presented by youth radio station Triple J for the "Australian Album of the Year" . Due to the success of "Autumn Flow" in Australia, it was subsequently released overseas.
In 2006 Lior was further nominated for two ARIA Awards for his live album "Doorways of My Mind" - Best Blues and Roots Album; and Best Independent Release.
In February 2008, Lior's second album, "Corner of an endless road" was released.
In 2010, Lior released his third studio album, 'Tumbling into the Dawn'.
Driftwood
Lior Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down where rays of light fade in to murky waters
Through the tangled reeds they hide
These are the golden river beds of your mind
How those voices took sweet flight
Across the wide and open night
How she ended up so far away
Do you remember when you were driftwood
Floating down the stream
Wrapped up in your dreams
But those bounty ships have long sailed on
The canvas stretches out so far and wide
Raindrops suspended in her eyes
Reflect a blue horizon
How those voices sang so pure
Do you hear them too?
And don't you wonder
How we ended up so far away
Do you remember when we were driftwood
Floating down the stream
Wrapped up in our dreams
Lior's song Driftwood is a poignant reflection on memories and the passage of time, featuring lyrics that speak to the way we can find ourselves feeling adrift and disconnected from the present moment. The song is addressed to a character named Gabrielle, who has been exploring the hidden depths of her mind, represented by the "golden river beds" that lie beneath the surface of the water. The tangled reeds that surround these hidden depths suggest the complexity and mystery of the human psyche, and the way that our memories and emotions can become entangled with one another.
The second verse sees Gabrielle reflecting on the voices that once filled the night, suggesting the way that the past can come alive in our minds, as if we are hearing echoes of our former selves. These memories and voices evoke a sense of nostalgia, as Gabrielle wonders how she ended up so far from the dreamlike state of being she once inhabited. The chorus features some of the most memorable lyrics in the song, as Gabrielle recalls being "driftwood / Floating down the stream / Wrapped up in [her] dreams." This imagery captures the sense of vulnerability and fluidity that comes with being adrift, yet it also feels dreamlike and transcendental.
Line by Line Meaning
Gabrielle what did you find
Lior is questioning Gabrielle about what she discovered or learned
Down where rays of light fade in to murky waters
Referring to a place where things can be unclear and difficult to understand
Through the tangled reeds they hide
Implies that Gabrielle had to struggle to reach the revelation she has found
These are the golden river beds of your mind
Lior is referencing Gabrielle's thoughts as something which has immense value and beauty
How those voices took sweet flight
Refers to the euphoria Gabrielle felt after the realization she has found
Across the wide and open night
Implies that Gabrielle went through this realization in her personal space and time
And she wonders
Shows Lior's technique of referring Gabrielle's thoughts or views but then presenting them as his own
How she ended up so far away
Surprised at the distance Gabrielle has traveled from where she once was
Do you remember when you were driftwood
Asks Gabrielle a question from memory lane, when she was once adrift with no direction
Floating down the stream
Symbolizes a state of transitioning / moving passively through different phases
Wrapped up in your dreams
Implies being in a cocoon away from reality and personal struggles
But those bounty ships have long sailed on
Refers to opportunities/gateway which Gabrielle missed
The canvas stretches out so far and wide
Implies that Gabrielle has a vast future ahead of her in terms of opportunities and growth
Raindrops suspended in her eyes
This could allude to tears or overwhelming emotions in Gabrielle's eyes
Reflect a blue horizon
The blue horizon might symbolize a new beginning for Gabrielle
How those voices sang so pure
Referring again to the voices that awakened Gabrielle's enlightenment
Do you hear them too?
Asking if Gabrielle, too, hears the same voices or thoughts that prompted her own transformation
And don't you wonder
Again, as Lior, wondering if Gabrielle also ponders the same things or if she's like him in that way
How we ended up so far away
Wondering and lamenting the distance between Gabrielle and Lior (as friends or acquaintances)
Do you remember when we were driftwood
Reminiscing about a time when they were both adrift and uncertain
Floating down the stream
Symbolizing the same passive state of just moving through phases
Wrapped up in our dreams
Both Lior and Gabrielle were once cocooned and insulated from reality and their personal struggles in different ways
Writer(s): Lior Attar, Antony David Buchen
Contributed by Charlotte B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.