Lisa Gerrard (born 12 April 1961) is an Australian musician, singer and com… Read Full Bio ↴Lisa Gerrard (born 12 April 1961) is an Australian musician, singer and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with music partner Brendan Perry. In addition to singing, she is an instrumentalist for much of her work, most prolifically using the yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer).
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.
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.
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The Veil
Lisa Gerrard Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'The Veil' by these artists:
Angelmaker I, in loneliness will wither away if I let the…
Ardent The Earth Groans (There's Something It Seems To Know). Sky G…
bb&c This growing hunger When all else fades away Retracing the t…
Caamora Holly: Where are we? Its a mystery to me We are los…
Courage feat. Dear Heart If we could fall asleep and dream 87 years a…
Creux Lies Have we found a chance to stay Those forgotten islands Over…
David Crowder Band This is a love Deep in the soul O when you love O…
David Crowder*Band This is a love Deep in the soul O when you love O…
Dawud Wharnsby Ali They say, "Oh, poor girl, you're so beautiful you know It's…
Dead Letter Circus How can I point this finger at you With both of…
Death Comesto Matteson I bring my filthy rags Into this storehouse of your love I…
Deca (There'll be food and drink and moonlight dancing) (If you c…
Dol Ammad Seven-faced danger Cast of darkness Revealed her true natu…
Doyle Bramhall II I remember the day of the reckoning Oh, she said nothing…
Drawn to lines Isolation in perfection Would I breathe any better there Whe…
Eallic Infinite truth pours down like rain Flooding the Earth with …
Echo Helstrom I'm trying to find the way to walk Some really know…
Fountains of Youth You’re wanted at dawn by those you linger on Go…
Garrett Williamson Through forgone tears I stay behind the veil The noise is al…
Iced Earth ""Another long and restless night The pain inside You've fou…
Joshua Hyslop When the last leaf falls When the organ calls When the sky…
Kryptograf You know that all this darkness is only a veil You're…
Martin Storrow And you shall see But you shall not deplore having known…
Moon Halo When days are like shattering glass They're so fragile they …
Peter Gabriel Do solemnly swear do solemnly swear That I will support and…
Red Circuit [C. Somapala] Her silky hair Why does she hide in nature…
scandroid (A new world awaits for us beyond the veil) Far from…
Signal & Report I want to fight but I don't know how to…
T.O.Y.S Ten years ago, on a cold dark night Someone was killed,…
Thurisaz As I turn away From the many taunting faces That caused my…
Wide Open Cage Where can I go Why don't you leave All are my friends I…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Lisa Gerrard:
Abwoon Abwoom d, bwahmaya Nethqadash shmakh Teytey malkuthakh Ne…
All Along the Watchtower "There must be some way out of here" Said the joker…
Badelt Zimmer: Now We Are Free Anol shalom Anol sheh lay konnud de ne um Flavum nom de…
Black Forest Why realise The life of the hidden Within disguise They c…
Come Tenderness Spending all my nights, all my money going out of…
Elegy Some days it gets completely crazy And I feel like howlin'…
Gortoz a ran Gortozet 'm eus, gortozet pell E skeud teñval tourioù gell E…
La Bas We the drowned Hold our hollow ... Til we swallow ourselves …
Largo Ombra mai fu, di vegetabile cara ed amabile, soave pi`u.…
Now We Are Free Anol shadon Anol sheh lay konnud de ne um Flavum nom de…
Psallit In Aure Dei Non clamor sed amor Non vox sed votum Non cordula sed cor …
Sacrifice Hear one thousand screams Hear one thousand voices A solit…
Serenity All-4-One On & On Smile Like Mona Lisa Oh, i carry a phot…
Sleep My attends to you As a mother hears While her children sle…
Space Weaver My precious love Can only come From above In unity Is born a…
The Human Game Under the sun I call your name I revise your inner…
The Maharaja When the Ma- Haraja comes He brings the sun He draws upon…
The Serpent & The Dove Once there was a secret union A serpent and a dove Enchanted…
The Song Of Amergin An gaeth I m-muir Am tond trethan Am fuaim mara Am dam secht…
Too Far Gone I am drowning Not waving Here in the darkness I’ll find m…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
Tammy Baker Samuelson
on Mirror Medusa
Does anyone know what she's saying in the song Mirror Medusa?
Becky Evans Davis
on Sleep
so deep in slumber that you shan't know you're wanderin'.
sleep
Becky Evans Davis
on Sleep
my ear attends to you