Pallot was born in London, but spent most of her childhood on the island of Jersey. Her mother is from India, whilst her father is native born from Jersey. Early in life, she spent some time living in India, but spent most of her early school years in Jersey. From there she won a scholarship to Wellington College, a famous military public school in England. Her time at this school provides much of the personal inspiration behind her single Everybody’s Gone to War as several of her school friends were directly involved in the Iraq war.
Nerina Pallot is classically trained in singing and piano, and then engaged in a peripatetic career around the fringes of the music industry. Outside these various industry-related jobs, Nerina Pallot was an active part-time musician with an ambition to follow a career in performing and song writing. At some point her career took her to her favourite job of this time, as PA to the music industry executive Andrew King; a key figure in the management of Pink Floyd from its earliest days. Still following her ambition to pursue a musical career, Pallot signed to Polydor in her mid-20s, despite misgivings from Andrew King. This signing resulted in the release of an album containing self-penned songs; the ironically titled Dear Frustrated Superstar (2001). However, singles released from this album failed to make a sales mark as did the album. Following this, Nerina Pallot was dropped by Polydor among some bitter recriminations which are documented on her web site. This experience was later to lead to the writing of Mr. King, a touching, and very probably unique tribute to a senior music industry executive.
Following this episode, Nerina Pallot returned to University to study English with a partially formed plan to become an English teacher. However, during her studies she rekindled a love of lyrical English and started to write again. The song Idaho came from this period, using the state as a metaphor for the place where she wanted to actively steer her life, rather than just letting it drift. Idaho, Mr. King, and Everybody’s Gone to War became three of the tracks that made up her second album Fires. This was, in part, financed by money from her publishers, Chrysalis, who had remained faithful, and partly through re-mortgaging her home. As important was the extensive good-will and contacts that she could call upon within the industry in both London and Los Angeles. The eventual album was released under her own label Idaho which, despite rave reviews, failed to make significant sales headway. This, and subsequent activities, lead to an early termination of her degree course, but she has expressed a desire to complete it.
Nerina Pallot persisted by extensively touring the country, and sometimes Europe, supporting acts such as Missy Higgins, Sheryl Crow, James Blunt, Suzanne Vega, Joseph Arthur, and Ray LaMontagne. This, and a very active and acerbic presence on MySpace resulted in a considerable word-of-mouth following. Typical of many of her contemporary artists in the Internet world, she is strongly supported by a group of dedicated fans, connected via so-called social networking sites. Nerina Pallot also benefits from support within influential parts of the media including the BBC.
Eventually this activity and support resulted in Nerina Pallot being signed to the Warner label 14th Floor who specialise in promoting acts with a partially established following. Fires received a slight makeover, and was re-released under the 14th Floor label. Everybody’s Gone to War was released as a single with a video filmed in a Los Angeles supermarket in the style of a Hollywood war film, save being staged as a “food-fight”. A second single, a remixed Sophia, was released in early October 2006. Learning to Breathe is to be released in early 2007 as the third single under the 14th Floor label.
During the summer of 2006 Nerina appeared at many music festivals, promotional and charity events. For the autumn months she is touring intensively in the UK and Europe as a headline act.
During her early 2007 tour of the UK and Ireland, Nerina Pallot reprised several songs from her Dear Frustrated Superstar period, possibly marking a coming to terms with a dark period in her career.
In 2007 Nerina Pallot was nominated for a Brit Award in the Best British Female category won by Amy Winehouse. Such was the unexpected nature of this nomination to her, that she had already set the date, St. Valentine’s day 2007 for her marriage to the music video producer Andrew Chatterley, both briefly leaving the reception in London for the award show.
Nerina Pallot released her third studio album "The Graduate" in 2009, on her own label. Nerina worked with many writers for the album but when it came down to the final tracklist only Pallot written material has made the cut. She wrote in her blog that she had approximately 60 viable songs. The album title refers to Pallot's 2009 graduation from university with a first-class honours English Literature degree.
Nerina Pallot and her husband Andy Chatterly wrote the title track and third single, "Better Than Today" from Kylie Minogue's 2010 studio album, "Aphrodite". Pallot signed with Geffon Records and released "Year Of The Wolf" in 2011. The album's title comes from her son, Wolfie, with whom she was pregnant during the recording of the album. Lead single "Put Your Hands Up" was originally written for Kylie Minogue.
All Bets Are Off
Nerina Pallot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lay your cards on the table
Draw down the moon
All bets are off
'Cause I know you're not able
And everything will be ending soon
I don't speak, I don't feel
But this hurt is unreal
So I'm holding on
I don't speak, I don't feel
But I know what it takes
This is how it feels when a heart breaks
This is how it feels when a heart breaks
Just one more time
Let me dream of fresh fortune
Just one more time
Freak show divine
All the things that I can't do
Crowd and muddle my mind
Was it always ever this?
Were we condemned to an end?
A bitterness that tastes so sweet
No matter what I do
Must I always think of you
Forever, forever?
I don't speak, I don't feel
'Cause I know that it's over
But this hurt is unreal
So I'm holding on
I don't speak, I don't feel
But I know what it takes
This is how it feels when a heart breaks
This is how it feels when a heart breaks
When a heart breaks
I don't speak, I don't feel
'Cause I know that it's over
But this hurt is unreal
So I'm holding on
I don't speak, I don't feel
But I know what it takes
This is how it feels when a heart breaks
This is how it feels when a heart breaks
Oh, this is how it feels
So this is how it feels.
In "All Bets Are Off" by Nerina Pallot, the singer is addressing someone who is unable to commit to a relationship. They are asked to be honest and reveal their true intentions. The singer knows that the relationship is about to end, and the lyrics address the feelings of pain and heartbreak that come with the end of a relationship.
The line "Draw down the moon" suggests that the situation is beyond the singer's control, and they are at the mercy of the other person. The singer pleads with the other person to be honest and lay their cards on the table. The phrases "fresh fortune" and "freak show divine" suggest that the singer is aware that their relationship has become a game that one of them is bound to lose. The singer is willing to dream of a fresh start, yet the things they cannot do muddle their mind.
The recurring lines "This is how it feels when a heart breaks" and "I don't speak, I don't feel, but I know what it takes" convey the sense of numbness that comes with the pain of a breakup. Despite the hurt, the singer is holding on to the relationship and hoping for a change of heart from the other person. The song ends with the realization that this is how it feels to have a broken heart, and the singer must accept it and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
All bets are off
Everything that was certain is now uncertain
Lay your cards on the table
Be honest and open about your intentions
Draw down the moon
Attempt to control the uncontrollable
'Cause I know you're not able
Because I know you're not capable of following through
And everything will be ending soon
This situation is coming to an end soon
I don't speak, I don't feel
I am emotionally numb
But this hurt is unreal
Despite my numbness, the pain is still very real
So I'm holding on
I am refusing to let go
But I know what it takes
I understand what needs to be done to move on
This is how it feels when a heart breaks
Heartbreak is an all-consuming, unbearable pain
Just one more time
One last chance to live in denial
Let me dream of fresh fortune
Give me false hope for a better future
Freak show divine
This charade is absurd but must be accepted
All the things that I can't do
I am limited in my ability to move on
Crowd and muddle my mind
Thoughts of you make it hard to focus on anything else
Was it always ever this?
Has our situation always been doomed to fail?
Were we condemned to an end?
Were we destined for this outcome?
A bitterness that tastes so sweet
Despite the pain, there is a strange comfort in bitterness
No matter what I do
There is nothing I can do to change the outcome
Must I always think of you
You are constantly on my mind
Forever, forever?
Will this pain last forever?
Oh, this is how it feels
This is the reality of heartbreak
So this is how it feels.
This is the stark realization of the pain of a broken heart
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ANDY CHATTERLEY, NERINA NATASHA GEORGINA PALLOT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
seimusiclabel
extremely talented she is going places ."nerina will will blow the charts away , keep on doing what you do best .You write beautiful music".Stef
Giovanna Longo
Beautiful song by a great artist! Everyone should be able to listen to it!!!
Natália Luana Rocha
I'm so in love with this song 💜
AWayAway96
I heard this and I fell in love with you, Nerina. Now I know all your songs by heart.. I learnt them in 2 weeks! And I just can't get enough!
Carla Martin
Lovely! Really like this track! Have only just been introduced to talented young artist and am really enjoying!
lou lou
sums up the heartache of a relationship ending perfectly :( stunning acoustic version she's so underrated
Ronald Meijer
A beautiful song by the fabulous Nerina Pallot.
66GOONER
Amazing,I loved "Love will tear us apart"cant decide which is best now this is superb!
MMG - Moon Man Guitar
She is amazing!!! 🥰🥰🥰
jumpseat767
really touching voice!