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.
Hold Tight
Nerina Pallot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little bit of brief wondering
And it's started out with ice-cold
Kids with nothing to lose
And I don′t suppose that you think
That it's something
I don't suppose that it bothers you still
Hold steady!
Hold tight,
See where it goes
Just a little bit, just a little bit
Just a little bit, don′t take
This you can't erase,
This will not be scared
I have the storm
In the moonlight we walked in the park at night
We played golf under statues of lennon
Our hearts bound for breaking at dawn
And I don′t suppose that it means much of anything
And I don't suppose that you think of it too
But it′s the hold tight
Hold steady!
Hold tight,
We're back in the game
Just a little bit, just a little bit
Just a little bit over
Just a little bit, just a little bit
Just a little bit over again
And I don′t suppose that you think much of anything
But I really hope that you think of me still
'Cause it's the hold tight
Keep steady!
Hold tight,
Back in the game!
Hold tight
Hold steady now!
Hold on
Hold tight
Hold steady
Hold tight
We′re back in the game
Just a little bit, just a little bit
Just a little bit over
Just a little bit, just a little bit
Just a little bit over again
The lyrics of Nerina Pallot's "Hold Tight" are filled with nostalgia for the past and the longing to hold onto memories that have already passed. The song starts by talking about a lost thing, something that was once there and can't be found anymore. It's about a time when kids had nothing to lose and would wonder aimlessly without any direction. The singer is talking to someone and tells them that they don't think it bothers them, but they want to hold tight and see where it goes.
The next stanza takes us on a walk in the park at night by the moonlight, playing golf under the statues of Lennon with our hearts bound for breaking at dawn. The singer knows that the other person doesn't think much of anything about it, but they still hope that they think of them.
The chorus is a repetitive call to hold tight, hold steady, we're back in the game. The singer is trying to hold onto something that they lost, hoping to get it back again. They want to hold tight and not let go of what once was, even if it means just a little bit.
Overall, "Hold Tight" is a song about nostalgia and the pain of letting go of memories. The singer is trying to hold onto the past and keep it alive, hoping that it will come back to them. They want to hold tight, keep steady, and stay in the game, even if it's just a little bit.
Line by Line Meaning
It’s the kind of lost thing, really
This thing is something that isn't necessarily important, but it still feels like it's missing.
A little bit of brief wondering
There's a bit of curiosity associated with it, but it's not something that lasts for very long.
And it's started out with ice-cold
The situation began in a very cold, unfeeling way.
Kids with nothing to lose
The people involved in the situation were young and felt like they had nothing to lose.
And I don’t suppose that you think
I don't expect you to consider this situation at all.
That it's something
That it's anything important or meaningful.
I don't suppose that it bothers you still
I don't think this situation is something that still affects you.
But it's the hold tight
Even though this situation might not be significant, it's still worth keeping in mind.
Hold steady!
Stay calm and keep your composure.
Hold tight
Remember to hold on and not let go.
See where it goes
Be patient and wait to see how things develop.
Just a little bit, just a little bit
We only need a small amount of patience to see what happens.
Just a little bit, don't take
Don't take too much or assume too much from this situation.
This you can't erase,
This is something that can't be undone or taken back.
This will not be scared
This situation won't be influenced by fear or insecurity.
I have the storm
I am capable of handling the situation, even if it gets difficult or chaotic.
In the moonlight we walked in the park at night
We shared a moment that was peaceful and romantic.
We played golf under statues of Lennon
We engaged in a fun activity, even in the presence of iconic figures.
Our hearts bound for breaking at dawn
Even though things seemed good, we knew that something might go wrong the next day.
And I don't suppose that it means much of anything
This situation might seem insignificant or forgettable.
And I don't suppose that you think of it too
I doubt that this situation is on your mind at all.
But it's the hold tight
Still, it's worth holding on to this memory or moment.
Hold steady!
Stay calm and keep your composure.
We're back in the game
Despite setbacks or challenges, we're still moving forward.
Just a little bit over
We've only just passed a small hurdle.
Just a little bit, just a little bit
We only need a small amount of patience to see what happens.
Just a little bit over again
We might face similar challenges again, but we've been through it before.
And I don't suppose that you think much of anything
I still don't expect you to consider this situation at all.
But I really hope that you think of me still
Still, I hope that you remember me and our shared experiences.
Hold tight
Remember to hold on and not let go.
Keep steady!
Stay calm and keep your composure.
Hold on
Don't give up or let go.
Hold steady
Stay calm and confident.
Hold tight
Remember to hold on and not let go.
We're back in the game
Despite setbacks or challenges, we're still moving forward.
Just a little bit over
We've only just passed a small hurdle.
Just a little bit, just a little bit
We only need a small amount of patience to see what happens.
Just a little bit over again
We might face similar challenges again, but we've been through it before.
Writer(s): Nerina Natasha Georgina Pallot
Contributed by Sarah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Karen
Absolutely love this song!!! Great job Nerina!!!
Jon Davies
Wow only 300 views ? one of Nerinas best tracks ever! Can't wait to see you at Exeter Pheonix again soon! Jon