Background
Lissie was born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois, USA - her father is a physician and her mother is an interior designer. She was interested in singing and music from an early age. She played the title role of the musical Annie at the age of nine. "In high school it seems like everyone has more drama than any other time in their life. So that was the time in my life where I really leaned on music as a way to stay sane" she said in an interview.
In her senior year of high school, Lissie was expelled over, what she described, as "something stupid that [she] did, but it was sort of like the culmination of just a lot of negative things that had happened". She got her degree at an alternative outreach center. She spent two years at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, during which time she would open for musicians who visited the city. She collaborated with DJ Harry of SCI Fidelity Records on the song "All My Life", which featured on television shows House, The O.C., Veronica Mars and Wildfire. After spending a semester in Paris, she finished her studies to pursue a career in music. In 2007, she produced a four-song EP that received some airplay on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic.
In early 2008, Lenny Kravitz invited her to be the opening act for his Love Revolution Tour, after a friend tipped him about her MySpace page. Later that year, "The Longest Road", a song she co-wrote with DJ Morgan Page reached #4 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. "We met under that idea that he was going to remix a song of mine (...) But we decided to work on a new song together", she told the Quad-City Times. The Deadmau5 remix of the track was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical" category.
Releases
EP - Lissie (2007 and re-released in 2013)
EP - Why You Runnin' (2009)
Her EP, Why You Runnin', produced by Bill Reynolds of Band of Horses, was released in November 2009 on Fat Possum. One of the songs, Oh Mississippi, was co-written with Ed Harcourt, whom she met through a mutual friend. The EP was listed amongst Paste magazine's "Eight Most Auspicious Musical Debuts of 2009". In early 2010, she toured various venues in the United Kingdom supporting Ohio-born singer-songwriter Joshua Radin.
Catching a Tiger (2010)
Lissie signed with Sony Music UK's Columbia Records. Her debut album, Catching a Tiger, was released on June 21, 2010. The album was recorded in Nashville in 2009 and produced by Jacquire King. The first single from the album, In Sleep, was selected as Track of The Day by Q Magazine on 13 March 2010. A second single, When I’m Alone, was released alongside the album; it would later be chosen by iTunes UK as their song of the year 2010.
Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire (2011)
EP - Covered Up With Flowers (2011)
Back to Forever (2013)
Lissie's sophomore album, Back to Forever, was released on September 8, 2013. It features the singles “Shameless” and “Further Away (Romance Police)”
EP - Love in the City (2013).
EP - Cryin' To You (2014)
In March 2014, Lissie released a critically acclaimed independent EP of cover versions called Cryin' To You. The 5-track EP features an eclectic mix of popular covers - Judas Priest’s Electric Eye, One Direction’s ballad The Story of My Life, Mother by Danzig, Hold On We're Going Home by Drake and Bob Dylan's To Ramona.
My Wild West (2016)
On February 12, 2016 Lissie released her 3rd studio album titled "My Wild West". The album has three singles: the promotional single Hero, the lead single Don't You Give Up On Me, and Daughters. My Wild West has an average grade of 73% on Metacritic.
Live at Union Chapel (2016)
Castles (2018)
On March 23, 2018 Lissie released her 4th studio album Castles. Generally receiving favourable reviews it has a rating of 76% on Metacritic. The album has a slower overall feel and includes prominent piano accompaniments on some tracks. The album has 4 singles; Boyfriend, Blood & Muscle, Best Days and Love Blows.
Compilation - When I'm Alone: The Piano Retrospective (2019)
EP - Thank You to the Flowers (2020)
Carving Canyons (2022)
Released September 16, 2022.
Story of My LIfe
Lissie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My heart's open, I'm empty for days
He tells me in the morning he don't feel the same about me in his bones
Seems to me that when I die these words there will be written on my stone
I'll be gone, gone tonight
I'm open wide
Holding on too tight
Story of my life
He takes me home
And drives all night to keep me warm
'Cause I'm frozen
Story of my life
He gives me hope
And spends my love
Until I'm broken inside
Story of my life
Written on these walls are colors that I cannot change
My heart's open here in its cage
And in the morning I can see him in the light upon the hill
I am broken, but untamed, still
I'll be gone, gone tonight
I'm burning bright
I've been holding too tight
With nothing in between
Story of my life
He takes me home
And drives all night to keep me warm
'Cause I'm frozen
Story of my life
He gives me hope
And spends my love
Until I'm broken inside
Story of my life
Story of my life
Story of my life
The lyrics to Lissie's song "Story of My Life" are about a relationship that is coming to an end. The singer describes their heart as being "open" and "empty" and how they are holding on to the thought that their partner will feel the same about them. However, in the morning, the partner tells them that they don't feel the same way. This causes the singer to feel broken inside and they imagine these words being written on their tombstone.
The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "Story of my life", suggesting that the singer has been in similar situations before, and this type of heartbreak is not new to them. The second verse includes the metaphor of a cage, suggesting that the singer's heart is caged and they feel trapped. They see their partner in the morning, but they are still broken, although they are still somewhat defiant and untamed. Despite this, they are still holding on too tight to the relationship, burning bright even though they know it will eventually come to an end.
The song deals with themes of heartbreak, loss, and the inevitability of endings. It also suggests that the singer may have gone through these types of situations before, which can either be seen as a resilience or a kind of repetitive pattern of pain. One interpretation of the song is that the singer knows what they're getting into when they enter a relationship, that they know the pain can be expected. Another is that they are trapped and unable to escape from the cycle of heartbreak, even when they know it's coming. Overall, the song is a melancholic portrayal of a crumbling relationship and the emotional turmoil that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Written on these walls are stories that I can't explain
The walls are covered in my experiences, some of which are too complex to put into words
My heart's open, I'm empty for days
I'm feeling vulnerable and alone for a prolonged period
He tells me in the morning he don't feel the same about me in his bones
He admits to not having strong feelings for me anymore
Seems to me that when I die these words there will be written on my stone
These experiences will be part of my legacy even after I'm gone
I'll be gone, gone tonight
I'm leaving very soon
I'm open wide
I'm open to new experiences and opportunities
Holding on too tight
But I tend to cling onto things too much
Nothing in between
I have a tendency to be all-or-nothing about things
He takes me home
He brings me back to where I feel safe and comfortable
And drives all night to keep me warm
He goes out of his way to make me feel cared for
'Cause I'm frozen
I'm emotionally stuck and need help getting out of my rut
He gives me hope
He encourages me and makes me feel optimistic about the future
And spends my love
He puts effort into our relationship and invests in us
Until I'm broken inside
But sometimes my emotions get the better of me and I end up hurt or upset
Written on these walls are colors that I cannot change
The walls bear witness to things that are permanent and beyond my control
My heart's open here in its cage
Even though my heart is exposed, it feels trapped and confined
And in the morning I can see him in the light upon the hill
I have moments of clarity where I can see things in a less emotional light
I am broken, but untamed, still
Even though I'm battered and worn down, there's still a spark of strength and resilience within me
I'm burning bright
I'm feeling passionate and alive in the moment
With nothing in between
But I still have a tendency to be all-or-nothing in my approach
Story of my life
This is just how things tend to go for me
Story of my life
These are just the experiences that make me who I am
Writer(s): Zain Javadd Malik, Julian C. Bunetta, John Ryan, Niall Horan, Jamie Scott, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam James Payne
Contributed by Muhammad D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.