Biography
Melissa McClelland was born in Chicago, Illinois. She spent her youth in Burlington, Ontario before developing her career in Toronto. McClelland married Luke Doucet on June 24, 2006; the two have played together on numerous stages, including at the 2006 Calgary Folk Music Festival. He has produced three of her records, Stranded in Suburbia, Thumbelina's One Night Stand and Victoria Day.
In 2006 McClelland opened for Matthew Good's solo acoustic tour across Canada. During the tour the two singers closed Matthew Good's set with a duet performance of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt".
She also works with Sarah McLachlan, providing backing vocals at her live shows. McLachlan makes a guest appearance on the song "Go Down Matthew" from McClelland's album Thumbelina's One Night Stand.
Performing live.
"Skyway Bridge" (off of Thumbelina's One Night Stand) features Greg Keelor from Blue Rodeo. Additionally, McClelland is the only guest artist on Blue Rodeo's 2008 live album, "Blue Road".
In 2007 McClelland opened a tour with Jesse Cook and sang on his recording of "It Ain't Me Babe" (a Bob Dylan cover) which was released on his 2007 album Frontiers. "It Ain't Me Babe" was released as a single from that album, which spent 3 weeks in the top position on Billboard's world music charts.
Also in 2007, McClelland's "Passenger 24" won in The 6th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Americana Song.
McClelland's song "Rooftop" was featured on the 2005 soundtrack CD of the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. The song was played on the ending montage of the 2004 episode "Time Stands Still Pt. 2", in which a main character, Jimmy Brooks (Aubrey Graham) was shot by a bullied student, Rick Murray (Ephraim Ellis). She also performed the theme song for the children's reality show This Is Daniel Cook.
Discography
2001: Melissa McClelland (Daddy Warbucks Records/independent)
20 April 2004: Stranded in Suburbia (Orange/Universal)
23 May 2006: Thumbelina's One Night Stand (Orange/Universal)
14 April 2009: Victoria Day (Six Shooter Records)
Stranded in Suburbia
In 2004 McClelland released Stranded in Suburbia on Orange Record Label. In the same year, her side-band Ladybird Sideshow released a live album entitled Ladybird Sideshow Live at the Orange Lounge'.'
Thumbelina's One Night Stand
McClelland's followup album, Thumbelina's One Night Stand was released in 2006. Reviews drew attention to the eclectic nature of the album. Exclaim! Magazine described the album as "impossible to pin down stylistically, as it segues from roots-y rock ("Passenger 24") to country ("Taxi Ride") to chamber pop ("Solitary Life") to folk (a cover of Randy Newman’s "Dayton Ohio") and blues ("Go Down Matthew")."
Victoria Day
In late 2008 Melissa McClelland began work on Victoria Day, her fourth album, and first for Six Shooter Records. Victoria Day was scheduled for release on April 14, 2009. The album was recorded at Canterbury Music by Jeremy Darby, and was produced by Luke Doucet.
Victoria Day has a vintage 1950s sound, combining dixieland with "high lonesome twang". "Seasoned Lovers", from Victoria Day, features vocals from Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith.
Whisper
Melissa McClelland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The radio, softly singing static
The sky's a circus of dark clouds hanging over me
The ground will open up and swallow what is left
And there is a calm beneath the storm that's brewing in my chest
I whisper the things I'll never say
The mourners pass me with sorry smiles hanging from their faces
And flowers line the window sill torturing my senses
I'll hold my breath until the petals fall away
And the earth has frozen over all the things I'll never say
I whisper the things I'll never
I whisper and let the pieces fall away
The quiet finds its way beneath the bedroom door
And marks each space between the footstep and the floor
The house is shaded like it sees the future written on me
I whisper the things I'll never say
I whisper and let the pieces fall away
I whisper the things I'll never say
I whisper and let the pieces fall away
The first verse of this melancholic song, "Whisper," by Melissa McClelland, sets the scene with the singer describing the early morning hours as a night filled with a looming sense of anxiety. The static-filled radio and dark clouds in the sky serve as symbols of the overwhelming sense of dread that has overtaken the singer. The idea of the ground opening up and swallowing what is left is like an ominous premonition that something terrible is about to happen, but the singer finds a sense of calm in the midst of the brewing storm. This calmness is contrasted with the singer's intense emotions which are brewing within, causing unrest in the singer's chest.
In the chorus, the singer alludes to the fact that there are things they've been keeping hidden and decides to finally let them go. The idea of whispering is an intimate, yet secretive way of expressing oneself. The singer whispers the unsaid things that have been weighing on their mind and feels a sense of relief as the pieces start to fall away.
In the second verse, the singer is searching for solace within their home while experiencing the grieving process. The mourners are metaphorically passing by, but they can only offer their sorry smiles as sympathy. The flowers on the windowsill are torturing the singer's senses, as they remind them of something they're trying to forget. The idea of holding one's breath until the petals fall away is like waiting for time to pass so the pain will slowly subside. In this verse, the sense of loss is emphasized as the singer whispers what they cannot say aloud.
The third and final verse depicts the quietness of the household and how the singer is unable to escape the future that has been written for them. The singer continues to whisper the things they cannot say aloud, finally letting the pieces fall away. The song leaves the listener with a sense of inevitability and acceptance of what may come, which can be both frightening and comforting at the same time.
Line by Line Meaning
Six A.M., the night is breathing down my back
It's early in the morning and I'm feeling the pressure of the night that just passed.
The radio, softly singing static
I turn on the radio but there's only white noise.
The sky's a circus of dark clouds hanging over me
The weather is gloomy and it feels like the world is closing in on me.
The ground will open up and swallow what is left
I feel like everything I have left will be taken away from me.
And there is a calm beneath the storm that's brewing in my chest
Despite the chaos around me, there's a sense of serenity within me.
I whisper the things I'll never say
I'm sharing my deepest thoughts and feelings but only in a hushed voice.
I whisper and let the pieces fall away
I'm letting go of the parts of myself that I've been holding onto.
The mourners pass me with sorry smiles hanging from their faces
People offer condolences but their expressions reveal their own sorrow.
And flowers line the window sill torturing my senses
Although the flowers are a tribute to someone, their fragrance is overwhelming and painful.
I'll hold my breath until the petals fall away
I'll try to endure the suffering until it subsides.
And the earth has frozen over all the things I'll never say
My unspoken thoughts and emotions have been buried and will never be revealed.
The quiet finds its way beneath the bedroom door
Even in the stillness of the night, there's a sense of restlessness.
And marks each space between the footstep and the floor
Every movement leaves a trace and highlights the emptiness of the space.
The house is shaded like it sees the future written on me
The environment feels ominous and it almost seems like it's predicting something fateful.
I whisper the things I'll never say
I voice my innermost thoughts in the quietest way possible.
I whisper and let the pieces fall away
I release the pieces of myself that have been holding me back.
Contributed by Peyton C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kihyun's left buttcheek
I know her old guitarist =D