Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Diamond Heart
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With red painted lips, and a Jezebel crown?
So have you heard I'm a singer now?
With reliquary eyes, and a diadem frown?
But I look for you,
In the diamond trees,
In a highway divine,
Your father died,
A month ago,
And he scattered his ashes,
In the snow
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you so well.
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you, oh well.
I had a man in every town,
And I thought of you each time
When I tore off my gown.
Changes have come,
And I cannot recall
The shape of your face,
Through the winters and falls.
But I look for you,
In the traffic seas,
In the bars I'm always frequenting.
Your father died,
Some months ago,
And we scattered his ashes,
In the snow
Oh,
The days are the hardest hours of the year
Oh,
The days are the hardest hours of the year
Oh,
The days are the hardest hours of the year
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you my dear.
She gave me a bird,
Made out of clay,
So I never will forget her.
And he gave me a book,
Made out of wood,
To fasten all the emblems.
She gave me a bird,
Made out of clay,
So I never will forget her.
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you so well.
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you, oh well.
In Marissa Nadler's song 'Diamond Heart,' the singer is reflecting on a past relationship and how time and distance have changed her memories and feelings for the person she used to know. She is now a dancer and a singer, painted up and attired in a way that hints at her new form of identity. But amidst her journey of life, she still looks for her former partner in the simple things around her, searching for a deep connection that she may have lost. She reminisces on the death of his father, which may be a reminder of the passing of time and how he and she have grown apart. Nadler's use of the diamond heart is a symbol of what is precious to her, and she is devastated that he is not in her life at present.
The repetitive chorus of "And oh, my lonely diamond heart, it misses you so well," suggests the deep longing that the singer is experiencing. She is vulnerable and lonely and is trying to find comfort in the memories and the tangible objects that remind her of the person she used to know. The lyrics "She gave me a bird, made out of clay so I never will forget her. And he gave me a book, made out of wood, to fasten all the emblems," emphasize the singer's desire to hold on to the past, knowing that it is something that will continue to be a part of her forever.
Line by Line Meaning
So do you know I'm a dancer now?
Do you know my current profession is that of a dancer?
With red painted lips, and a Jezebel crown?
I wear red lipstick and a seductive crown.
So have you heard I'm a singer now?
Do you know that I am now a singer?
With reliquary eyes, and a diadem frown?
I have pious eyes and a proud headband.
But I look for you,
Despite everything, I am still searching for you
In the diamond trees,
I search for you amidst a gleaming forest
In a highway divine,
I look for you in a holy road
Deliver me.
I pray for your help and salvation to reach me.
Your father died,
Your father has passed away
A month ago,
It has been a month since he died
And he scattered his ashes,
His ashes are scattered around
In the snow
They were scattered on the snow
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
I am so lonely and feel incomplete without you
It misses you so well.
The diamond heart longs for your presence deeply
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
I am still alone and incomplete without you
It misses you, oh well.
My diamond heart still craves for you
I had a man in every town,
I had multiple men in different towns
And I thought of you each time
However, I only thought of you every time I was with them
When I tore off my gown.
When I undressed and was alone with them
Changes have come,
Things have changed for me
And I cannot recall
I don't remember
The shape of your face,
I can't recollect the way your face looked
Through the winters and falls.
Through changing seasons and times
But I look for you,
My search for you continues
In the traffic seas,
I search for you amidst crowded and bustling areas
In the bars I'm always frequenting.
I also search for you in the common bars I go to
Some months ago,
It's been some time since
And we scattered his ashes,
We scattered his ashes
In the snow
On the snow-covered ground.
Oh,
Oh
The days are the hardest hours of the year
The days seem unusually difficult compared to other periods of the year
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
I'm still alone and incomplete without you
It misses you my dear.
My diamond heart strongly yearns for you
She gave me a bird,
Someone gave me a clay bird
Made out of clay,
It was made of clay
So I never will forget her.
So that I will never forget the person who gave it to me
And he gave me a book,
Someone else gave me a book
Made out of wood,
It was made of wood
To fasten all the emblems.
To keep all the symbols and ideas together
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
I am still incomplete and lonely without you
It misses you so well.
My diamond heart desperately craves for your presence
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
I am still incomplete and lonely without you
It misses you, oh well.
My diamond heart aches for your company
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: MARISSA NADLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tommyw3845
Lyrics:
So do you know I'm a dancer now?
With red painted lips, and a Jezebel crown?
So have you heard I'm a singer now?
With reliquary eyes, and a diadem frown?
But I look for you,
In the diamond trees,
In a highway divine,
Deliver me.
Your father died,
A month ago,
And he scattered his ashes,
In the snow
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you so well.
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you, oh well.
I had a man in every town,
And I thought of you each time
When I tore off my gown.
Changes have come,
And I cannot recall
The shape of your face,
Through the winters and falls.
But I look for you,
In the traffic seas,
In the bars I'm always frequenting.
Your father died,
Some months ago,
And we scattered his ashes,
In the snow
Oh,
The days are the hardest hours of the year
Oh,
The days are the hardest hours of the year
Oh,
The days are the hardest hours of the year
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you my dear.
She gave me a bird,
Made out of clay,
So I never will forget her.
And he gave me a book,
Made out of wood,
To fasten all the emblems.
She gave me a bird,
Made out of clay,
So I never will forget her.
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you so well.
And oh, my lonely diamond heart,
It misses you, oh well.
@salambo31
"Holidays are the hardest hours of the year." Love this.
@navahinueve
I love how simple her songs are. An unassuming beauty.
@Mbdnieto
When I hear this song I can't help but think about all the people who have left. That strong need of meet again and tell them how life is going, how you miss them and how every aspect of life has changed since their departure. "Holidays are the hardest hours of the year"
@peonmyhall
This song makes me want to buy a motorcycle and head out west never to be heard from again.
@WhiteRabbitTricks
just heard this for the first time on Radio6, just had to listen again...and again, and again :) so beautiful
@von9309
Just because certain people like this music, it doesn't mean they are emo and depressed individuals! !!! This music is peaceful.
@mikeingrassia7505
You can't safely rule it out though.
@user-kt1hd4dq3m
I'm emo and depressed tho
@Elkamika
This Woman's Voice !
@eloelotube
This song made me cry, it moved me so like no other song could, it touched my soul deeply. Thank you Marissa