Lucy Woodward (born October 27, 1977, in London, England) is a singer-songw… Read Full Bio ↴Lucy Woodward (born October 27, 1977, in London, England) is a singer-songwriter who had a hit in February 2003 with Dumb Girls. In 2005 she won a BMI Pop Award for writing Stacie Orrico's single More to Life. Lucy has released 3 studio albums, "While You Can" (2003), "Lucy Woodward Is...Hot & Bothered" (2007) and "Hooked!" (2010).

Lucy was born in London, but was raised in Amsterdam and New York City. She has a very musical background: her British father is a composer and conductor and her New Yorker mother is a musicologist and an opera singer.

Raised on classical and Middle-Eastern music, Lucy studied piano and flute before asking for singing lessons at age 12. She attended a Bronx high school renowned for its music department and made her first recordings singing house music in her friends’ basements. She spent part of each summer in music camp and part in Holland, where she frequently locked herself up in her father’s studio and listened to jazz and old R&B records. At 16 she was accepted into the Manhattan School of Music to study jazz, but after a year decided to learn her songwriting and performing skills on her own. She spent the next few years performing in swing-organ trios, working as a session singer, waiting tables, and singing jazz standards in Greenwich Village restaurants. She started off singing in jazz cafes and singing for tips or dinner. "You sing with a piano player and a tip jar on top of the piano." She said in an interveiw on NZGirl.

In 2003 Lucy signed with Atlantic Records and recorded her debut album While You Can, out of which came the Top 40 hit “Dumb Girls,” produced by Kevin Kadish; other songs on the record were produced by John Shanks at Jim Henson Studios. Although her efforts won her some mainstream notoriety, making slick, radio-ready pop proved artistically unsatisfying for her.

The following year, Lucy was asked by producer friend Jaime Houston to record a version of the big-band tune "It's Oh So Quiet" for the Disney film Ice Princess. The song had originally been recorded by Betty Hutton in 1948 and was subsequently popularized by Björk. Lucy credits it as being a major creative turning point for her, one that inspired much of the writing in her second album.

Lucy began her musical reinvention on her second album, the independently released Lucy Woodward Is... Hot and Bothered (2007), a transitional effort that incorporated R&B grooves and electronic beats, while mining deep-rooted jazz influences. Hot and Bothered was produced by longtime collaborator Itaal Shur and Tim K. . Barnes & Noble named her “Artist of the Month” for August 2008. Released in 2007 on Atlantic, it was initially only available through iTunes, on July 29, 2008 getting a physical release exclusively through Barnes & Noble.

Lucy’s third album, Hooked!, was recorded at Stratosphere Sound in New York and Jim Henson Studios in Hollywood and released on Verve Records in 2010. It was largely produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T-Rex), but included contributions by Justin Stanley (Nikka Costa, Sheryl Crow), Itaal Shur and Tim K. Lucy penned much of the record with songwriters Dan Petty and Michelle Lewis, claiming she had been inspired by the music of Peggy Lee and Django Reinhardt. One song on the album, “Another Woman,” was written for her by longtime inspiration Nellie McKay (also Verve), who is also featured on background vocals.

In 2011, Lucy was asked to tour with Pink Martini after the band’s singer China Forbes had to undergo vocal surgery. Her quick study of Pink Martini’s repertoire of Croatian, Japanese, French, English and Turkish songs did not go unnoticed in the music press. She toured cross-continent with the band for a number of concerts the same year, including performances at the Toronto and Montreal jazz festivals and Ravinia, as well as a three-night stint with the San Francisco Symphony (Donato Cabrera conducting).

http://www.lucywoodward.com

Too Much To Live For
Lucy Woodward Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hello there, don't hang up
Before you get any ideas
I know that I was a, a pain in the ass out of fear
Of princes with tiny troubles weighing me down
And oh, I've wasted so much time
With these stupid thoughts on my mind

You won't find me cryin over somethin dumb

No, no, no
I've got too much to live for
Cause hangin on to yesterdays ain't no fun
No, no, no
I've got too much to live for

Cause I'm tired of singin the blues, that ain't really blues
They're just bad excuses
Some bad excuses

Oh, oh, oh

It takes over
It gets bigger
Consumes my every inner thought
Anxiety attacks me
Neurotic fit, and then I drop

Well I'm poppin this little bubble
And lovin the sound

And I, I been around the world
And seen a lot of smiles from folks with nothin

You won't find me cryin over somethin dumb
No, no, no
I've got too much to live for
Cause hangin on to yesterdays ain't no fun
No, no, no
I've got too much to live for

Cause I'm tired of singin the blues, that ain't really blues
They're just bad excuses
Some bad excuses

Oooooh, yea!

Oh, ah, oh, yea

You won't find me cryin over somethin dumb
And overreacting won't keep you young
Everybody loves the drama sometimes
Well I'll be changing my ways, cause I'm over it

You won't find me cryin over somethin dumb, no!
I've got too much to live for
Cause hangin on to yesterdays ain't no fun
Oh, no, nooooo

Cause, well I'm tired of singin the blues, that ain't really blues
They're just bad, bad excuses
Well I'm tired of singin the blues, that ain't really blues
They're just bad excuses

No, oh, no

Just bad excuses
With no uses
Some bad bad excuses

I got too much to live for

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Too Much to Live For" by Lucy Woodward convey a sense of hope and determination to move on from the past and look toward the future with optimism. The opening lines of the song show that the singer is acknowledging and taking responsibility for their past mistakes and behavior, which were driven by fear and anxiety. The phrase "princes with tiny troubles" may refer to insignificant issues that caused the singer to react in an extreme way.

The next lines, "And oh, I've wasted so much time / With these stupid thoughts on my mind," suggest that the singer has reached a point of self-awareness and is ready to let go of these negative thoughts and emotions. They declare that they will not waste any more time crying over trivial matters and instead choose to focus on the positive things they have to live for. The repeated refrain of "I've got too much to live for" reinforces this message of determination and resilience.

The bridge of the song describes how the singer's anxiety can consume their thoughts and lead to panic attacks. However, they then declare that they are "poppin this little bubble" and breaking free from these negative emotions. The final verse further emphasizes the singer's resolve to move on from their past and make positive changes in their life. They acknowledge that everyone loves drama and negativity at times, but they are choosing to change their ways and leave those feelings behind.

Overall, "Too Much to Live For" is a hopeful and empowering song about overcoming negativity and anxiety and choosing to focus on the good things in life. It encourages listeners to let go of their past mistakes and fears and to embrace a positive and optimistic outlook.

Line by Line Meaning

Hello there, don't hang up
The singer is addressing someone on the phone and asking them not to hang up yet.

Before you get any ideas
The singer wants to clarify something before the other person jumps to conclusions.

I know that I was a, a pain in the ass out of fear
The singer acknowledges that they were problematic at times due to their own anxieties and worries.

Of princes with tiny troubles weighing me down
The singer is referencing fairy tale stories where damsels in distress would often have to rely on a prince to save them from their problems, regardless of how small they might be.

And oh, I've wasted so much time
The singer is reflecting on how much time they have spent worrying and overthinking things.

With these stupid thoughts on my mind
The singer is frustrated with themselves for having thoughts that don't serve them well.

You won't find me cryin over somethin dumb
The singer is asserting that they won't waste their time crying over trivial matters.

I've got too much to live for
The singer has many reasons to live and won't let small things get in the way of that.

Cause hangin on to yesterdays ain't no fun
The singer is aware that dwelling on past problems is not enjoyable or productive.

Cause I'm tired of singin the blues, that ain't really blues
The singer is tired of feeling down and doesn't want to use false excuses to justify those feelings.

They're just bad excuses
The singer acknowledges that their excuses for feeling bad aren't valid or helpful.

It takes over
The singer is describing how anxiety can feel like it's taking over their life.

It gets bigger
Anxiety can escalate and cause more problems if not addressed.

Consumes my every inner thought
Anxiety can take up all of someone's mental energy and focus.

Anxiety attacks me
The singer is describing the physical and emotional toll that anxiety can take on a person.

Neurotic fit, and then I drop
The singer is expressing how anxiety can make them feel out of control and exhausted.

Well I'm poppin this little bubble
The singer is deciding to take action and change their mindset.

And lovin the sound
The singer is enjoying the process of breaking free from their anxious thoughts.

And I, I been around the world
The singer has gained perspective from traveling and seeing how others live their lives.

And seen a lot of smiles from folks with nothin
The singer has noticed that some people who have very little material possessions are still able to live happy and fulfilling lives.

And overreacting won't keep you young
The singer is acknowledging that overreacting and stressing over little things is not good for their health and wellbeing.

Everybody loves the drama sometimes
The singer recognizes that people can enjoy drama, but they don't want to be a part of it anymore.

Well I'll be changing my ways, cause I'm over it
The singer is making a conscious decision to change their mindset and live a more positive and fulfilling life.

Just bad excuses
The singer is reiterating that their excuses for feeling bad are not valid or helpful.

With no uses
The singer is emphasizing that their negative thoughts are not productive and won't help them in any way.

Some bad bad excuses
The singer is acknowledging that their excuses for feeling bad are not good enough and they need to change.

I got too much to live for
The singer has many reasons to live and wants to focus on the positive things in life.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: LUCY WOODWARD, ITAAL SHUR, TIM KVASNOSKY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS