The song lyrics come direct from the heart. They are often poetic, reflective and brutally honest, as seen in the lyrics of Bob Dylan and PJ Harvey. Juju's vocals can range from aggressive and powerful, similar to Deborah Anne Dyer (aka Skin of Skunk Anansie), as well as Patti Smith. She is also very comfortable with her bluesy Janis Joplin voice. On other tracks Juju's voice haunts and memorises, like Beth Orton with Sinéad O'Connor's conviction.
Original drummer Neil Greenaway left the band in 2011, and the live line-up now includes Elisa Zoot from Black Casino and the Ghost (vocals / percussion) and Mike Monaghan (drums / percussion).
Unlike many musicians, Juju spent all her childhood without listening to, or playing music. Throughout her youth and teenage years she dedicated herself to sport. As an athlete, she competed in many sporting events around the world, playing basketball at National League Level (Oxford Devils) and sporting a stint in the England U16s. She also trained with the Oxford United Football team, came first in many National and County Judo Competitions, competed in a number of County Cross Country Competitions and Bi-athlons (running and swimming).
It was only in her final years at school that she started to discover and explore music and writing.
"I used to find the intensity of music was something deeper than I could handle. But there was a part of me that was very attracted to that intensity and I realised that I could express myself with it. So eventually, I borrowed an old guitar, got a chord book and wrote a song."
Song had up until then been sleeping in her veins as both her French mother and grandfather were accomplished writers. But from then on, she endlessly wrote songs and busked them around Europe.
Juju has now overcome many hurdles for her trade: the likes of depression, drugs, and a career threatening throat condition. Two years without a voice, half a year with a chopped finger after cutting it on a luthier apprenticeship, are experiences that have made her music a result of her survival.
The name Little Fish is the result of Juju's daydream: "Feel free, I wake up in a head spin. I am me. I am just a Little Fish. I see what I see."
Little Fish often collaborate with Albanian artist and designer Bekim Mala (www.myspace.com/squarepictures) on their artwork and set design. There is no end to this creative and imaginative journey as only the Little Fish hold the eyes to the see.
Sites: Discogs, YouTube and LittleFishMusic.com (official)
Heroin Dance
Little Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the promises you held have gone,
Deep clear water or violent days?
Years pass in the shadows as we fade.
Where will I find protection?
From the lonely days when I cry alone,
Who’s gonna give me salvation?
Before I sleep you turn your back on me,
I fall to my knees in rage,
You raise your hand against my check,
World moves in spite of my pain.
Where will I find protection?
From the lonely days when I cry alone,
Who’s gonna give me salvation?
When above all I wanna be loved.
I don’t want to die alone,
Wanna say that I love back to someone,
I just want to be loved,
Will you take me to the last dance, my heroin?
If there’s another way to love,
There’s another way to fall,
If there’s another way to hurt,
Then I want to hurt more,
If there’s another way to take,
Then I want to take it all,
How long?
How long?
If there’s another way to move,
There’s another way to breath,
If there’s another way to take,
There’s another way to need,
If there’s another way to change,
Then I wanna stay the same,
How long?
How long?
I don’t want to die alone,
I just want to be loved,
Wanna say that I love back to someone,
Will you take me to the last dance? My heroin.
Charming blue vein,
Golden sun,
Let me fade to where the nightshade has gone.
The song "Heroin Dance" by Little Fish is rich in metaphors and imagery, describing the feeling of being lost and alone, searching for love and protection, and struggling to find a way out of addiction. The opening lines, "Rising blue smoke in golden air, Where the promises you held have gone" suggest a sense of disillusionment, as if something once held dear has faded away. The contrasting images of "deep clear water or violent days" suggest a choice between calmness and struggle, and the idea of "years pass in the shadows as we fade" gives a sense of time slipping away without anything changing.
The chorus repeats the longing for protection and salvation, and the desire to be loved. The lines "Before I sleep you turn your back on me, I fall to my knees in rage, You raise your hand against my check, World moves in spite of my pain" suggest a sense of betrayal and pain, and the feeling of being powerless to escape. Despite the darkness in the lyrics, the song ends on a note of hope and love, with the lines "I don’t want to die alone, Wanna say that I love back to someone, I just want to be loved, Will you take me to the last dance, my heroin?" These lines suggest a desire for connection, and the idea of being taken to the "last dance" suggests a final moment of joy and release.
Line by Line Meaning
Rising blue smoke in golden air,
The smoke around me is rising and I can see the golden sky above.
Where the promises you held have gone,
You broke your promises and I don't know where they went.
Deep clear water or violent days?
I don't know whether my future holds clarity or danger.
Years pass in the shadows as we fade.
As the years pass by, we slowly fade away into the shadows.
Where will I find protection?
I need to know where I can find safety.
From the lonely days when I cry alone,
During my times of loneliness, when I'm crying to myself.
Who’s gonna give me salvation?
Who can provide me with the salvation I need?
When above all I wanna be loved.
All I really want is to be loved and cared for.
Before I sleep you turn your back on me,
You turn away from me before I go to sleep.
I fall to my knees in rage,
I am filled with anger and fall to my knees.
You raise your hand against my check,
You physically harm me by striking my cheek.
World moves in spite of my pain.
The world continues to move on even though I am in pain.
I don’t want to die alone,
I am afraid of dying alone and unloved.
Wanna say that I love back to someone,
I want to tell someone that I love them too.
I just want to be loved,
All I really want is to be loved.
Will you take me to the last dance, my heroin?
Will you take me to my final dance before I pass away, my love?
If there’s another way to love,
If there is a different way to experience love.
There’s another way to fall,
There might be another way to experience failure.
If there’s another way to hurt,
If there is another way to feel pain.
Then I want to hurt more,
I want to experience more pain.
If there’s another way to take,
If there is another way to take something from someone.
Then I want to take it all,
I want to take everything that I can.
If there’s another way to move,
If there is a different way to move or act.
There’s another way to breathe,
There must be another way to experience life.
If there’s another way to take,
If there is another way to take something for myself.
There’s another way to need,
There must be another way to fulfil my needs.
If there’s another way to change,
If there is a different way to change who I am.
Then I wanna stay the same,
I want to remain who I am.
I don’t want to die alone,
I am afraid of dying alone and unloved.
I just want to be loved,
All I really want is to be loved.
Wanna say that I love back to someone,
I want to express my love to someone else.
Will you take me to the last dance? My heroin.
Will you dance with me for the last time, my love?
Charming blue vein,
A beautiful blue vein.
Golden sun,
A shining and stunning sun.
Let me fade to where the nightshade has gone.
I want to fade away to wherever I am meant to be after I pass away.
Contributed by Camden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
alen ilijić
Masterpiece song, this is.