Lisa Hannigan (born Lisa Margaret Hannigan on 12 February 1981 in Kilcloon,… Read Full Bio ↴Lisa Hannigan (born Lisa Margaret Hannigan on 12 February 1981 in Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician. Originally coming to public attention in 2001 as the female vocalist from Damien Rice's best-selling breakthrough albums O and 9, she began her solo career in 2007. Since then she has released the albums Sea Sew (2008), Passenger (2011) and At Swim (2016). Hannigan's music has received award nominations both in Ireland and the USA.

A stunning vocalist, Hannigan regularly performed live with Rice from early 2001 until March 2007 when Rice's official website announced that his professional relationship with Hannigan had "run its creative course". During 2005 Hannigan and Rice co-wrote Unplayed Piano which was released to support the Free Aung San Suu Kyi 60th Birthday Campaign. Hannigan also appeared on backing vocals on Mic Christopher's album Skylarkin, as well as the soundtrack to "Goldfish Memory".

In 2006 Hannigan featured as part of The Cake Sale, a collective of mostly Irish, but featuring some international artists, formed by Brian Crosby of Bell X1. On 3rd November 2006 they released a self-titled album in Ireland to raise money for Oxfam and the Irish Make Trade Fair campaign. The album was so successful that it was given an international release the following year; released 10th September 2007 in the UK and 16th October 2007 in the US.

Hannigan has since gone on to pursue her own solo career, releasing her first album Sea Sew in Ireland on September 12th 2008, debuting at number 4 and earning her a Choice Music Prize nomination, two Meteor Music Award nominations and has been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize 2009. The album's first single was Lille followed by I Don't Know.

Sea Sew got an official US release on February 3rd 2009 and a UK release on May 4th 2009. On 21 July 2009, two days after a triumphant performance in torrential rain at the Latitude Festival, it was announced that Sea Sew had been nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize in the UK.

The O Sleep Songfacts reports that Hannigan began writing for her second album in late 2009 and only completed it in March 2011. However, she and producer Joe Henry spent a mere week laying down the tracks in Wales. Passenger was released in the US and Canada on September 20, 2011 and in the Republic of Ireland on October 7, 2011.

http://www.lisahannigan.ie/
http://www.myspace.com/lisahannigan

Venn Diagram
Lisa Hannigan Lyrics

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I have lost you to sleep again.
Sleeping as we do on opposite sides of a venn diagram
I read the time in shadows on the wall
The shards of light through the slats on your window

I ease myself from under your languid arm,
Fumble on my boots and hear you breathe through your alarm I disarm it for you,
You rarely heed it anyway I wouldn't want it to intrude upon your dream,

School bell ring messing up the play

A note,
Penned clumsily in this century's type-ruined hand
Saying gone down the shops for a walk I'll bring back some sandwiches
And then I kiss your face, the black and the blue tie it into my laces,
I don't want the wander blocking up the view

I stumble out into the afternoon.
Still salty from drink and the late night pool I'll be gone an hour at most,

You will be more diagonal I've a head on me in the post,
I know, a castle swallowed in the swell.

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Lisa Hannigan's "Venn Diagram" convey a sense of loss and distance between the singer and her partner. She finds herself awake while her partner is asleep, separated by the imaginary boundary of a Venn diagram. The idea of being "lost" implies a disconnect, a sense of not being in control of the situation. Despite their proximity, they are unable to connect. The next lines provide a beautiful contrast between light and shadow as she looks around the room. The shards of light through the slats on the window provide a sense of beauty and wonder, yet they serve to highlight her feelings of loneliness and disconnection.

The final lines of the verse describe the singer disengaging from her partner, wanting to avoid any disruption to his sleep. She fumbles on her boots and leaves to go outside. The lyrics convey a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, almost like she is leaving a piece of herself behind. The sense of being 'black and blue' is a metaphor for feeling bruised, having been through something, and the disarming of the alarm shows a sense of control in the bedlam of life. All this adds up to create a feeling of peace that the singer can feel when she goes out for a walk alone.

Line by Line Meaning

I have lost you to sleep again.
My loved one has drifted off to sleep and I find myself unable to join them.

Sleeping as we do on opposite sides of a venn diagram
Although we share a bed, we are not physically close to each other as if we exist in different worlds.

I read the time in shadows on the wall
The darkness of the room plays tricks on me, and I can only estimate the hour based on the position of vagrant shadows.

The shards of light through the slats on your window
The golden slivers of light that break through your curtains remind me of the translucent remains of broken glass.

I ease myself from under your languid arm,
I remove myself from beneath your relaxed embrace.

Fumble on my boots and hear you breathe through your alarm I disarm it for you,
As I struggle to put on my shoes, I hear you breathing through your alarm. I turn it off for you, knowing you will not pay attention to it anyways.

You rarely heed it anyway I wouldn't want it to intrude upon your dream,
I know that you rarely bother to listen to the alarm, and I don't want it to disturb your slumbering thoughts.

School bell ring messing up the play
The sound of a school bell ringing disrupts the peacefulness of our home.

A note, Penned clumsily in this century's type-ruined hand
I leave behind a hastily written message, my handwriting a mess due to the dominance of technology in our times.

Saying gone down the shops for a walk I'll bring back some sandwiches
I inform you that I'm going out for some air and to pick up some food for us.

And then I kiss your face, the black and the blue tie it into my laces,
Before I leave, I gently kiss the bruises upon your face, tying them up in my shoelaces as a symbolic gesture of remembrance.

I don't want the wander blocking up the view
I don't want outside distractions to mar your calm state while I'm gone.

I stumble out into the afternoon.
I set off, slightly disorientated by the bright light of day after being inside for so long.

Still salty from drink and the late night pool I'll be gone an hour at most,
My senses still reeling from a night of heavy drinking and swimming, I tell myself I won't be away for too long.

You will be more diagonal I've a head on me in the post,
I assume when I return, you will still be fast asleep, perhaps even more diagonal than before. My mind is already preoccupied with the mail that may be waiting for me upon my return.

I know, a castle swallowed in the swell.
As I walk, I am aware of a looming sense of dread: something important may have been lost or swallowed up by the darkness or the sea ahead.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LISA MARGARET HANNIGAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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