Since her career began in 1981, Gerrard has been involved in a wide range of projects. She received a Golden Globe Award for the music score to the film Gladiator, on which she collaborated with Hans Zimmer.
Lisa Gerrard was born on 12 April 1961 in Melbourne, and grew up in the suburb of Prahran with her Irish immigrant parents. She has said that she grew up with "Mediterranean music blaring out of the houses" and that this influenced her music, particularly on later Dead Can Dance albums and in her solo and collaborative works.
Gerrard's first foray into forming bands and creative music-making was in Melbourne's little band scene, an experimental post-punk scene which flourished from 1978 until 1981. It was at one of these little band events that she first met Dead Can Dance co-founder Brendan Perry. Perry recalls, "It never occurred to me that we would one day collaborate musically together because at the time I thought her music was too avant garde. I particularly remember one song that she sang about finding a man in the park and asking her mother if she could bring him home to keep in her wardrobe as she attacked this chinese dulcimer with two bamboo sticks".
Dead Can Dance originally formed as a quartet in 1981 in Melbourne, but in 1982 moved to London with members Gerrard, Brendan Perry and bass player Paul Erikson. Shortly after coming to England, Erikson flew back to Australia, leaving the band as a duo. Dead Can Dance recorded eight albums on the 4AD Records recording label beginning with the self-titled Dead Can Dance LP in 1984. In 2005, the song "Nierika" became part of the opening titles for Mexican television station TV Azteca's soap opera "La Chacala". The band split in 1998, but reunited in 2005 for a world tour. In 2012, the band announced a new world tour to coincide with the release of their new album, Anastasis.
Gerrard possesses the vocal range of a contralto but can also reach upward into the mezzo-soprano range. Her voice has been described as rich, deep, dark, mournful and unique.
Examples of Gerrard's mezzo-soprano range include the songs "The Host of Seraphim", "Elegy", "Space Weaver", "Come This Way" and "One Perfect Sunrise". Gerrard however performs more predominantly in the dramatic contralto range in her other songs, "Sanvean", "Sacrifice", "Largo", "Lament" and "Not Yet".
Gerrard sings many of her songs, such as "Now We Are Free", "Come Tenderness", "Serenity", "The Valley of the Moon", "Tempest", "Pilgrimage of Lost Children", "Coming Home" and "Sanvean" in idioglossia. With respect to such work she has said, "I sing in the language of the Heart. It's an invented language that I've had for a very long time. I believe I started singing in it when I was about 12. Roughly that time. And I believed that I was speaking to God when I sang in that language."
Gerrard was married to Polish graphic design artist and music producer Jacek Tuschewski, with whom she has a daughter (born 1992).
Her nephew Jack Gerrard plays for Cairns post-hardcore act Almost a Square as the drummer and back-up vocalist.
Badelt Zimmer: Now We Are Free
Lisa Gerrard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anol sheh lay konnud de ne um
Flavum nom de leesh
Ham de nam um das
La um de Flavne
We de ze zu bu
We de so a a ru
Un vi-I bee
Un da la pech ni sa (ah)
Un di-I lay na day
Un ma la pech a nay
Mee di nu ku
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
Anol shalom
Anol sheh ley kon-nud de ne um
Flavum
Flavum
M-ai shondol-lee flavu (live on)
Lof flesh lay nof ne
Nom de lis
Ham de num um dass
La um de flavne flay
Shom de nomm
Ma-lun des
Dwondi, dwwoondi
Alas sharum du koos
Shaley koot-tum
The lyrics to Lisa Gerrard's "Badelt Zimmer: Now We Are Free" are a combination of invented language and phrases that evoke a sense of unity, peace, and freedom. The repetitive nature of the lyrics reinforces the message of unity and harmony.
The song begins with the phrase "Anol shalom," which can be interpreted as a call for peace. This is followed by "Anol sheh lay konnud de ne um," which can be seen as a symbolic invitation for everyone to come together. The use of the invented language adds a mystical and ethereal element to the lyrics, allowing them to transcend specific meanings and resonate with listeners on a deeper level.
The phrase "Flavum nom de leesh" can be understood as a reference to a golden light or energy, representing enlightenment or divine presence. "Ham de nam um das" can be translated as an expression of the unity of all beings, recognizing that we are all connected.
The repetition of the phrases "We de ze zu bu" and "We de so a a ru" emphasizes the idea of collective action and shared responsibility. It encourages listeners to work together and support each other in their journey towards freedom and liberation. The subsequent lines "Un va-a pesh a lay / Un vi-I bee / Un da la pech ni sa (ah) / Un di-I lay na day" can be seen as poetic expressions of liberation and breaking free from societal constraints or limitations.
The chorus, with its repeated lines "La la da pa da le na da na / Ve va da pa da le na la dumda," further emphasizes the importance of unity and freedom. It creates a sense of rhythm and dance-like energy, suggesting that freedom can be a joyful and celebratory experience.
In the second part of the song, the lyrics continue in the invented language. The phrase "M-ai shondol-lee flavu (live on)" maintains the theme of the golden light, suggesting its enduring presence and importance. The repetition of "Flavum" adds to its significance.
The remaining lines of the song further build on the sense of unity and connectedness. "Lof flesh lay nof ne / Nom de lis" can be interpreted as a recognition that our physical bodies are temporary, but our true essence is everlasting. "Shom de nomm / Ma-lun des / Dwondi, dwwoondi" creates a mystical atmosphere, inviting listeners to embrace the unknown and explore the depths of their own being.
The final lines "Alas sharum du koos / Shaley koot-tum" can be seen as a farewell or a benediction, echoing the idea that we are all part of a greater whole and sending blessings for the journey ahead.
Overall, the lyrics of "Badelt Zimmer: Now We Are Free" are a poetic exploration of unity, freedom, and the transcendence of physical constraints. The invented language adds to the mystique and allows the lyrics to resonate on a universal level, inviting listeners to reflect on their own quest for liberation.
Line by Line Meaning
Anol shalom
In a world of peace
Anol sheh lay konnud de ne um
Where everyone is bound together by love
Flavum nom de leesh
With golden light shining
Ham de nam um das
We embrace it
La um de Flavne
And let it guide us
We de ze zu bu
We are the ones who believe
We de so a a ru
We are the ones who feel
Un va-a pesh a lay
Seeking the truth
Un vi-I bee
We have found it
Un da la pech ni sa (ah)
And it brings us peace
Un di-I lay na day
We sing its praise
Un ma la pech a nay
We share its gifts
Mee di nu ku
With all our hearts
La la da pa da le na da na
In the rhythm of life
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
We dance and celebrate
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
We dance and celebrate
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
We dance and celebrate
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
We dance and celebrate
Anol shalom
In a world of peace
Anol sheh ley kon-nud de ne um
Where everyone is bound together by love
Flavum
With golden light
Flavum
Golden
M-ai shondol-lee flavu (live on)
Forever shining with golden light
Lof flesh lay nof ne
A world of peace and harmony
Nom de lis
A name of peace
Ham de num um dass
We embrace it
La um de flavne flay
And let it guide us
Shom de nomm
In its name
Ma-lun des
We come together
Dwondi, dwwoondi
As one, united
Alas sharum du koos
We leave behind all darkness
Shaley koot-tum
And walk towards the light
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt, Lisa Gerrard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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