At the age of 19, Nick moved to Havana, Cuba to study music and art. On returning to the UK, Nick enrolled at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies to study Ethnomusicology. In 2011, he left Portico Quartet to pursue his career as a solo singer-songwriter .
He released two EPs, The Trellis (Communion Records 2012) and Fever to the Form (Communion Records 2013), before his debut full-length First Mind landed on 12 May 2014. The album received a 2014 Mercury Music Prize nomination and was promoted with the singles Cucurucu and Meet me there.
April
Nick Mulvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the bank of the Regent's Canal
She always lives at the seas
Once in my mind, in my dream
And she sees every day more like cubes
Says we don't see the signs that we use
Just look, see the signs that we use
And you'll see every day more like a cube
And I go deaf and I go dumb
If I don't see the winter sun
I'm so glad the blue bells are here
I'm so glad that April is gone
'Cause she always lives at the sea
Once in my mind, in my dreams
'Cause she always lives at the sea
Once in my mind, in my dreams
Heaven mourns, she makes a beggar of me
And heaven mourns, she makes a beggar of me
A beggar of me, a beggar of me
A beggar of me, a beggar of me
A beggar of me, a beggar of me
A beggar of me, a beggar of me
The lyrics of Nick Mulvey's song April express the singer's longing to be in the presence of a woman named April who lives near Regent's Canal. He describes her as a mystical figure who sees the world in a unique way, able to perceive "signs that we use" and discern the connections between them. Meanwhile, the singer seems to be struggling with feelings of isolation and sensory deprivation, stating that he goes "deaf and dumb" without the sun's warmth and light. Despite his yearning for April's company, he also expresses relief that April is gone and celebrates the arrival of blue bells.
The song is somewhat enigmatic, but it has been interpreted as a reflection on the human need for connection and the ways in which we find meaning and beauty in the world around us. The name April itself has associations with spring and new beginnings, while Regent's Canal is a real-life waterway in London that has been used for transportation and recreation since the early 19th century. The use of the word "cubes" in the lyrics might suggest a sense of constriction or limitation, but also seems to hint at the idea of interlocking patterns and systems that we can learn to understand and navigate. Overall, the song is a poetic and contemplative meditation on the complexities and contradictions of the world we inhabit.
Line by Line Meaning
I go to see April
I visit my inner self represented as April
On the bank of the Regent's Canal
In a place where the water flows continuously
She always lives at the seas
April resides in a place that's vast and boundless
Once in my mind, in my dream
I recall my visualization of April
And she sees every day more like cubes
April perceives linear patterns in our day-to-day life
Says we don't see the signs that we use
April indicates that we overlook the signals we consume
Just look, see the signs that we use
April advises to observe the signs we absorb
And you'll see every day more like a cube.
April implies that regularity is inherent in our lives
And I go deaf and I go dumb
I become numb and indifferent to my surroundings
If I don't see the winter sun
If I fail to perceive the warmth and hope amidst the cold season
I'm so glad the blue bells are here
I'm happy to see the blooming of bluebells in springtime
I'm so glad that April is gone
I'm relieved that my inner self represented as April is not in my thoughts anymore
'Cause she always lives at the sea
April's abode is boundless and unpredictable
Heaven mourns, she makes a beggar of me
April's absence signifies a great loss and a feeling of poverty in me
A beggar of me, a beggar of me.
The absence of April makes me feel disoriented and lost
A beggar of me, a beggar of me
I am left with nothing but a sense of emptiness and despair
A beggar of me, a beggar of me
April's absence reduces me to a state of lack and want
A beggar of me, a beggar of me.
April's void in me has left me with nothing but poverty of spirit
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Nick Mulvey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind