Her 2006 debut solo album entitled Beloved One was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize and was released through Lou's own label Infinite Bloom. Rhodes' second album, Bloom (A&G Records/Infinite Bloom), was released in October 2007. Her third album, One Good Thing (Motion Audio/Infinite Bloom), was released in early 2010.
She released her third solo album One Good Thing in 2010 and became an author in 2012 with her children's picture book, The Phlunk (Strata Books). Follow-up, The Phlunk's Worldwide Symphony was published in 2014.
In 2012 Rhodes also contributed an essay to The First Time I Heard The Smiths, part of an ongoing series where musicians/writers tell their stories of first hearing the music of an iconic artist or band.
Rhodes released the singles "All The Birds" in April, and "All I Need" in June 2016. A month later, the album theyesandeye was released through Nude records. The album includes a cover of the song "Angels" originally performed by The xx. Other musicians on the album include Ian Kellet (guitars), Nikolaj Bjerre (drums), Danny Keane (strings) and [atist]Tom Moth (harp).
Sister Moon
Lou Rhodes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She laughed at me
Under a night-time tree
My sister moon told me
Youd be here soon
Missing you like I do
Missing you like I do
I prayed she spoke true
Then through the dark
Came a fiery spark
A shooting star told me
You were never far
Missing you like I do
I prayed he spoke true
Missing you like I do
I prayed he spoke true
Doubt plays with me
When youre away
Though my heart knows the truth
On my mind she preys
Then tender night
Wrapped her blanket tight
Of deepest blue telling me
You were ever-true
Loving you like I do
I prayed she spoke true
Loving you like I do
I prayed she spoke true yeah
Loving you like I do
I know
that it's true
Loving you like I do
I know that it's true
Lou Rhodes's Sister Moon begins with a depiction of the singer meeting the titular character, sister moon, under a night-time tree. Sister moon tells Lou that the person she is missing will be coming back to her soon, and Lou prays that the prediction comes true. The second verse describes the moment when Lou sees a shooting star through the darkness, and it reminds her that the person she misses is not far away. She again prays for the person's return, hoping the shooting star's message is true. The third verse sees Lou struggling with doubt in the absence of the person she misses. Her heart knows the truth, but her mind is preyed upon by doubt. Then, the tender night wrapped in a blanket of deepest blue tells Lou that the person she misses is ever-true, and she knows that she loves them.
At its core, the song's lyrics suggest the universal experience of absence and the yearning to be reunited with someone who is absent. The imagery of sister moon and the shooting star is used to portray the hope that one has while missing someone, while the metaphor of the tender night comforts us that our loved ones are ever-true.
Line by Line Meaning
Sister moon
Addressing the moon as a sister
She laughed at me
Moon's reaction, laughing at the singer's situation
Under a night-time tree
Location and time of the event
My sister moon told me
Repeating the moon's message of hope and reassurance
Youd be here soon
Assuming that the artist's loved one will come back soon
Missing you like I do
Reiterating the singer's strong emotions for the loved one
I prayed she spoke true
Expressing the hope and desperation behind the singer's longing
Then through the dark
Continuation of location and time
Came a fiery spark
Imagery of shooting star as a sign of hope
A shooting star told me
Narrating the artist's experience of receiving a hopeful message
You were never far
Message from the shooting star being about the loved one's proximity
Doubt plays with me
Acknowledging the artist's insecurity and anxiety
When youre away
Specification of the cause behind the doubts
Though my heart knows the truth
Reassurance from the heart regarding the loved one's faithfulness
On my mind she preys
Personifying doubt as a predator of thoughts and emotions
Then tender night
Introducing a new image of the night as gentle, kind and comforting
Wrapped her blanket tight
Symbolism of night wrapping the artist in comfort and warmth
Of deepest blue telling me
Blue color representation of stability and trustworthiness
You were ever-true
Reiteration of the loved one's honesty and loyalty
Loving you like I do
Messaging the intensity of the artist's love
I prayed she spoke true
Expressing gratitude and hope for the comforting message received earlier
Loving you like I do
Continuing the message of intense love
I know
Concluding the song with a shorter and stronger version of the previous line
Writer(s): Louise Rhodes Copyright: A & G Songs Limited
Contributed by Samantha H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.