In August of 2008, Nate released his first professionally recorded EP, "Songs From the Shade". In the spirit of Jack Johnson, "Songs" is a simple, acoustic project with an emphasis on harmony. Nate sets himself apart from the mainstream by pulling his lyrics from real life experiences, and then relating these experiences to issues that actually matter. Songs about love and justice make up the bulk of his content, and everything orbits around the desire for an abundant life, a life that is more than merely living and breathing, paired with a deep disgust for apathy and complacency.
Nate's live shows range from solo performances to full band concerts rounded out by guitars and djembe. During his live show, he has no trouble connecting with his audience. In Nate's own words, "I try to be really honest and genuine and because of this, the music deals with topics and issues that many are not willing to touch on or write about. The music isn’t loud and it doesn’t overshadow the lyrics. The music does not solely ride on a ‘catchy tune’, but I try to really say something worthwhile and convicting. Anyone can sing a melody, but I try to focus on harmony as much as possible because that’s what gives me chills when I listen to music and I want to effect people that way as well."
Nate's desire is to write music that inspires people to act, whether that action is supporting his music or general philanthropy. He's not starving yet (his mom's chicken pot pie is way too good for that), but his true desire is to make music into what he does for a living, and for that to happen he needs your help. So buy the cd, come to the shows, clap your hands, and pray that the vision in his music will spread; that swords will be beaten into plowshares and that jubilee will become reality.
Real Love
Nate Hale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At least how other people define it
There was pleasure there I won't deny
But there is more than pleasure in this life
Something's wrong about this I just know
I can feel it hurting in my soul
And I told myself that I will not regret
We could go on loving just like this
But it's so hollow
Yeah, I feel so hollow
And I will not be the reason you trip
Cuz' that's a hypocrite
And then I'd be a hypocrite
And if this is love then I just must resist
There's more to love than this
Yeah, there has to be more than this
And if beauty is only high heels, makeup, lipstick
I want none of it
Yeah, I want none of it
I'd rather be seduced by true beauty, modesty and purity
Oooooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
If love is the reason that we exist
Well, we gotta get a grip
You get a better grip
Oh man
I need to redefine a few more words
Before I go movin any forwards
Love and dating and relationship
The true meaning of the words always slip
But they won't be slipping, no not this time
This time I'm gonna get it right
And I've told myself that I will not regret
Doin', doin' the right thing
We could go on loving just like this
But it's so hollow
Yeah, I feel so hollow
And I will not be the reason you trip
Cuz' that's a hypocrite
And then I'd be a hypocrite
And if this is love than I just must resist
There's more to love than this
Yeah, there has to be more than this
Cuz' if beauty is only high heels, makeup, lipstick
Well, I want none it
Yeah, I want none of it
I'd rather be seduced by true beauty, modesty, and purity
Oooooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
If love is the reason that we exist
Well, we gotta get a grip
Get a better grip on it
In Nate Hale's song Real Love, the singer questions what it means to truly love someone and ponders the emptiness of a love that is based solely on pleasure. The singer mentions feeling something that other people call love and acknowledges the pleasure that comes with it, but asserts that there must be more to love than just pleasure. The singer believes that something is wrong with the way love is typically defined and can feel the pain of this realization in their soul. The singer decides that they will not be a hypocrite by continuing a love that they know is hollow and meaningless, and instead seeks to redefine their understanding of love, dating, and relationships.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the importance of true beauty, modesty, and purity, rejecting the notion that beauty is only found in high heels, makeup, and lipstick. The singer insists that there must be more to love than this shallow understanding of beauty and that true love requires us to get a better grip on what it means to love and be loved. Ultimately, the singer wants to do the right thing and truly understand the meaning of love before moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I have felt this thing that they call love
I have experienced what people call love
At least how other people define it
At least based on how other people describe it
There was pleasure there I won't deny
I admit there was pleasure in it
But there is more than pleasure in this life
But life has more to offer than just pleasure
Something's wrong about this I just know
I have a feeling that something is not right
I can feel it hurting in my soul
I sense pain deep within me
And I told myself that I will not regret
I made a promise to myself that I won't feel sorry about
A doin', doin' the right thing
Doing what is right
We could go on loving just like this
We could continue this love affair
But it's so hollow
But it feels empty
And I will not be the reason you trip
I won't be the cause of your downfall
Cuz' that's a hypocrite
Because that would be hypocritical
And then I'd be a hypocrite
And that would make me a hypocrite
And if this is love then I just must resist
And if this is love, I must say no to it
There's more to love than this
Love has more to offer than just this
Yeah, there has to be more than this
Yes, there must be something more
And if beauty is only high heels, makeup, lipstick
And if beauty is only defined by cosmetics
I want none of it
I don't want it
I'd rather be seduced by true beauty, modesty and purity
I prefer to be attracted by genuine beauty, modesty, and purity
If love is the reason that we exist
If love is what gives life meaning
Well, we gotta get a grip
Then we need to understand it better
Oh man
Oh my
I need to redefine a few more words
I must redefine some more terms
Before I go movin any forwards
Before I move forward
Love and dating and relationship
Love, dating, and relationships
The true meaning of the words always slip
The real definitions of these words are often overlooked
But they won't be slipping, no not this time
But not this time, I won't overlook them
This time I'm gonna get it right
This time I'll understand it correctly
Get a better grip on it
Understand it better
Contributed by Juliana E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.