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.
The Longest Memory
Nerina Pallot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born with its twin, memory -
Rolling on, rolling down.
The queerest thing followed in its wake.
Makes me feel like dying, stark naked -
Rolling down, rolling down.
And you don't know night,
You don't know day -
And I do somehow, I do somehow.
See them folk on the hill - they ain't no friend of mine.
Don't knock on my door, they ain't got no time.
Ain't they proud, ain't they proud?
But I swear that I heard this story one time
About visions and greatness born to every child -
Rolling down, tears are rolling down;
Rolling down this state of mind.
All things being equal - at least in degrees -
Different, different pedigrees,
They're burning down the streets.
Take the burden to the streets.
Now that she's gone do you think we're all free?
Slipping the chains of history?
Tears are rolling down, they're still rolling down.
Oh it's pure and it's perfect and you know what they say?
The good book maketh good men -
Then they go to their graves.
Don't fear the fight.
Don't you fear the fight.
But the loneliness
Oh the loneliness
Yes, the loneliness is the longest memory
It's the longest memory
The song "The Longest Memory" by Nerina Pallot is a deep and poetic reflection on memory, identity, and the weight of history. The first verse sets the tone with beautifully crafted imagery that suggests that memory is always present, yet often difficult to see or understand. The lines "Birthed in a shadow only true eye can see, Born with its twin, memory" suggest that our collective memory is hidden in plain sight, and that the past is always with us, whether we acknowledge it or not. The following lines, "Rolling on, rolling down. The queerest thing followed in its wake. Makes me feel like dying, stark naked," add a sense of vulnerability and despair, as if the weight of history is almost unbearable.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the references to memory and history are more than just abstract concepts. The lines "See them folk on the hill - they ain't no friend of mine. Don't knock on my door, they ain't got no time. Ain't they proud, ain't they proud?" suggest that the singer is a member of a marginalized community, who is aware of the history of oppression and persecution that has led to their current situation. Yet, despite this knowledge, she also recognizes that there is a possibility for change and for a better future. The lines "All things being equal - at least in degrees - Different, different pedigrees, They're burning down the streets. Take the burden to the streets" suggest that even though people may come from different backgrounds and have different experiences, there is a common struggle against oppression and injustice.
The song ends with a haunting chorus that emphasizes the weight of loneliness and memory. The lines "But the loneliness, Oh the loneliness, Yes, the loneliness is the longest memory. It's the longest memory" suggest that even as we move forward and work towards a better future, the past is always with us, and that the memories of the struggles we have faced will never completely fade away.
Line by Line Meaning
Birthed in a shadow only true eye can see,
Something intangible and hidden from plain sight was born
Born with its twin, memory -
A new beginning came with the burden of past experiences
Rolling on, rolling down.
Life is a journey filled with ups and downs
The queerest thing followed in its wake.
Unexpected events seem to occur right after something important happens
Makes me feel like dying, stark naked -
The current situation is very uncomfortable and unpleasant
Rolling down, rolling down.
Life's journey continues
And you don't know night,
Some people are unaware of the darkness that exists in the world
You don't know day -
Some people are oblivious to the light that shines in their lives
You don't know why you feel this way,
Some people don't understand their own emotions or motivations
And I do somehow, I do somehow.
But the artist has some insight into the situation
See them folk on the hill - they ain't no friend of mine.
The singer dislikes or distrusts those people who are privileged or in power
Don't knock on my door, they ain't got no time.
The privileged or powerful people have no interest in interacting with the artist
Ain't they proud, ain't they proud?
The singer is mocking the arrogance of those in power
But I swear that I heard this story one time
The singer recalls a tale they were told earlier
About visions and greatness born to every child -
The story was about how every person has potential for greatness
Rolling down, tears are rolling down;
The memory of the story triggers an emotional response in the artist
Rolling down this state of mind.
The emotions the story arouses contribute to the artist's overall mental state
All things being equal - at least in degrees -
While people might have different backgrounds or circumstances, everyone is equal to some extent
Different, different pedigrees,
But people's histories and backgrounds still have an impact on their lives
They're burning down the streets.
There is unrest or rebellion occurring among some groups in society
Take the burden to the streets.
Those who are oppressed are fighting for change
Now that she's gone do you think we're all free?
The artist questions whether the removal of a powerful individual will have a positive effect on society
Slipping the chains of history?
They wonder if society is breaking free from the oppressive legacy of the past
Tears are rolling down, they're still rolling down.
The artist is still feeling emotional as they ponder these questions
Oh it's pure and it's perfect and you know what they say?
The singer is about to introduce a philosophical or religious concept
The good book maketh good men -
They reference the idea that a holy text can shape a person's character
Then they go to their graves.
But death is inevitable and everyone's time will come to an end
Don't fear the fight.
The artist encourages others to stand up for what they believe in and not be afraid of the battle
Don't you fear the fight.
They emphasize that message of courage and determination
But the loneliness
In spite of everything, the singer feels very alone
Oh the loneliness
They stress how intense that loneliness is
Yes, the loneliness is the longest memory
The longest-lasting and most deeply felt memory the artist has is the sensation of solitude
Contributed by Austin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kafka Takes Notes
Thank you for the memory
Tasia Alex
🖤