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.
Moments of Pleasure
Nerina Pallot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some moments of pleasure
I think about us lying
Lying on a beach somewhere
I think about us diving
Diving off a rock, into another moment
Oh God I can't stop laughing
This sense of humour of mine
It isn't funny at all
Oh but we sit up all night
Talking about it
Just being alive
It can really hurt
And these moments given
Are a gift from time
On a balcony in New York
It's just started to snow
He meets us at the lift
Like Douglas Fairbanks
Waving his walking stick
But he isn't well at all
The buildings of New York
Look just like mountains through the snow
Just being alive
It can really hurt
And these moments given
Are a gift from time
Just let us try
To give these moments back
To those we love
To those who will survive
And I can hear my mother saying
"Every old sock meets an old shoe"
Isn't that a great saying?
"Every old sock meets an old shoe"
Here come the Hills of Time
Hey there Maureen,
Hey there Bubba,
Dancing down the aisle of a plane
The song "Moments of Pleasure" by Nerina Pallot is a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing the moments of joy we experience. The opening lines "Some moments that I've had, some moments of pleasure" set the tone for the song, as Pallot acknowledges the transience of these moments. She then imagines lying on a beach or diving off a rock with a loved one, savoring the beauty of the moment.
The song then takes a darker turn as Pallot remembers an incident that struck her as funny but is ultimately tragic. She recalls the case of "George the Wipe," who likely suffered from a neurological condition causing him to repeatedly wipe his face. Pallot recognizes the insensitivity of finding humor in someone else's suffering and admits that her sense of humor is flawed. Nevertheless, she and a friend stay up all night talking about it.
Throughout the song, Pallot emphasizes the preciousness of life and the need to appreciate every moment. The chorus repeats the lines "Just being alive, it can really hurt, and these moments given are a gift from time." Pallot concludes by urging listeners to cherish their loved ones and pass on the gift of beautiful moments to those who will survive after them.
Line by Line Meaning
Some moments that I've had
Reflecting on the moments from my past
Some moments of pleasure
The moments of joy and happiness that I have experienced
I think about us lying
Recollecting the memory of us relaxing and resting on a beach somewhere
Lying on a beach somewhere
Being in the moment with the one I care about most
I think about us diving
Recalling a moment where we took a leap of faith from a rock to another moment
Diving off a rock, into another moment
Risking the present moment for the anticipation of an unknown moment that could bring us happiness and joy
The case of George the Wipe
Reflecting on a humorous moment regarding a person named George the Wipe
Oh God I can't stop laughing
The humorous moment brings me great joy and makes me laugh uncontrollably
This sense of humour of mine
Admitting that my sense of humor may not be funny to others
It isn't funny at all
Realizing that my humor may not be humorous to others
Oh but we sit up all night
Even with a lack of humor, the moment is still special enough to stay awake all night talking about
Talking about it
Enjoying the company and the moment, rather than the content of the conversation
Just being alive
Recognizing the struggles of being alive, through pain and suffering
It can really hurt
Acknowledging that living is not always easy, and can often be painful
And these moments given
Contemplating the idea that moments of pleasure and happiness are a gift from time
Are a gift from time
Recognizing the rare and precious nature of joyful moments - they are given to us by the passage of time
On a balcony in New York
Recalling a moment standing on a balcony in New York
It's just started to snow
Observing the first snowfall of the season
He meets us at the lift
Being greeted by a person, like Douglas Fairbanks, at an elevator
Like Douglas Fairbanks
Comparing the person seen to the iconic film actor
Waving his walking stick
Demonstrating the greeting with a walking stick
But he isn't well at all
Realizing that the person being greeted may be sick or struggling in some way
The buildings of New York
Seeing the cityscape of New York in the snow
Look just like mountains through the snow
Seeing the city in a new way, transformed by the snow
Just let us try
Asking for the opportunity to try and give these moments of pleasure and joy back to those we love
To give these moments back
Returning the gift we have received from time and life
To those we love
Share the moments of joy and happiness with those who mean the most to us
To those who will survive
Sharing these memories with those who will live on and remember us long after we are gone
And I can hear my mother saying
Hearing the words of my mother being replayed in my head
"Every old sock meets an old shoe"
Remembering a saying that my mother used to repeat
Isn't that a great saying?
Appreciating my mother's humorous saying as an adult
"Every old sock meets an old shoe"
Repeating the humorous saying and sharing it with others
Here come the Hills of Time
Anticipating the future and the changes it will bring
Hey there Maureen,
Starting a conversation with a girl named Maureen
Hey there Bubba,
Greeting someone named Bubba with a similar salutation
Dancing down the aisle of a plane
Describing a joyful moment of dancing on a plane, presumably with Maureen or Bubba
Contributed by Eliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Frank Scott
For a massive Nerina/Kate fan, this is heaven!❤️
Mandy Green
For me, too.
Andrew Birchall
This is one of my two favourite cover versions by Nerina, as I really liike love will tear us apart as well.
Gabe
Not sure who Nerina is but I love this cover of Kate's song! Tonally, this is stands pretty well against the original.
Geordie Anaïsfan
Simply divine. Loved the original by Kate, love this exquisite version. My wife still desires the dress you wore at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh in 2006.
Darren Lee Sumner
Yet again. Simply beautiful x
Geraldine Allen
Awww my favourite uber talented gals ❤️
Alan Muddypaws
Nerina, you are spoiling us!
👍❤👏👏👏👏
Alcir Ferreira
<3 good morning!