Nizlopi released their first album, Half These Songs Are About You, in 2004 under FDM Records. It featured the singles "JCB" and "Girls". In 2007, Nizlopi received an 'Impala Platinum' award recognising sales of Half These Songs Are About You in Europe.
"JCB" was written about the dyslexia suffered by Luke at school and his escape to accompany his father at work, and was released as a single in June 2005, reaching number 160 in the UK Singles Chart. The single was then re-released in the UK on 12 December 2005, reaching number one the following week on 18 December 2005, selling more than twice the number of copies than their closest competitor, Westlife. Dermot O'Leary gave the track extensive airplay on his BBC Radio 2 show. Some bookmakers put it in the running for the honour of Christmas number one, but it was beaten by the winner of the second series of the UK version of The X Factor, Shayne Ward's debut single, "That's My Goal." "JCB" topped the charts for five consecutive weeks, giving them a Gold Single in the UK and a Double Platinum Single in Ireland. Both the single and video spent time at #1 on iTunes in the UK and Europe, with 100,000 plus downloads and 1,000 full track downloads to cell phones in one week.
A mini-EP containing six songs, titled ExtraOrdinary, was released on 4 September 2006. The six tracks included two that had been released before — "Helen" and "Yesterday" which were previously released on the JCB and Girls EPs respectively.
The band's second album, Make It Happen, was released on 31 March 2008. The album includes Martyn Barker (percussion/drums), Andy Simms (piano), Jonnie Fielding (violin), Jack Hobbs (vocal/scratching), Rory Simmons (trumpet), Kadially Kouyate (kors & Senegalese vocals), The Individuals Dedicated to the Ministry of Christ choir and a contribution by the poet Benjamin Zephaniah.
On 10 February 2010 an e-mail was sent out to all mailing list subscribers confirming that the band had split up after being together for 17 years. Luke Concannon stated "And that after many wild meanderings and much confusion I feel I must go on, on my own from here. That my dream is now to do another project, not Nizlopi, and to build a new life. So.this is good bye from Nizlopi. We are no more! Wow, there you go I said it. Scary as it is."
In 2012, the duo announced they would perform at the Union Chapel as a tribute to their friend Tony Moore. They officially announced their reunion in 2013, posting on their website that "Nizlopi have decided that we would love to play some shows together this year. So we are!" They have since played several festivals and headlining shows in the UK and Europe.
LAY DOWN
Nizlopi Lyrics
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Let go, and lay down
WeÂ're messing the world up, by beating her so hard
I Wanna take you in my arms down by the sea, and lay down
Cos IÂ've been burning so much
Every face looks strange
Dream sweetly all night
And Dream of rain, to wash away
All the years I mis-behaved
All the trying, all the words
All the running, all the girls
IÂ'll lay down
And dream tonight baby
Dreaming might save me
Sleepings courageous
Dreaming might save us
Dream and then do
Dream and then do
Dream and then do
What our quiet heart tells us too
The lyrics to Nizlopi's song, "Lay Down," speak about the desire to let go and relax from the stresses of life. The first two lines, "One of these days, I'm gonna lay down, Let go, and lay down," signify the singer's intention of taking a moment to rest and detach from the daily challenges. The song follows a theme of rejuvenation and emotional healing.
The next stanza appears to suggest the singer's worry about how human activity and lifestyle are negatively affecting the world. He then expresses his desire to escape from the situation with someone he loves: "I wanna take you in my arms down by the sea, and lay down." The singer seeks comfort and solace in the company of his partner.
In the last part of the song, the singer highlights the need to introspect and deal with inner turmoil. He struggles with feelings of fatigue and loneliness, and the song seems to suggest that dreaming and introspection are two ways of healing. The chorus emphasizes the importance of following one's heart and pursuing the things that matter most, and it suggests that any worthwhile action or change should first come from within.
Overall, Nizlopi's "Lay Down" is a hopeful, introspective song that encourages listeners to take time to rest, reflect, and pursue their hearts' deepest desires.
Line by Line Meaning
One of these days, I'm gonna lay down
Someday, I will let go all the worries and stresses of life and take rest.
Let go, and lay down
Relax and find peace by lying down.
We're messing the world up, by beating her so hard
Our cruel deeds are harming and destroying the world.
I Wanna take you in my arms down by the sea, and lay down
I desire to be near the sea with you, holding you in my arms and finding solace by resting.
Cos I've been burning so much
I have been experiencing and coping with intense emotional pain.
Every face looks strange
I cannot recognize people's faces due to the impact of my emotional pain.
I Need to rearrange my insides
I have to reorganize my thoughts and emotions to heal and move on.
Dream sweetly all night
I want to have peaceful dreams throughout the night.
And Dream of rain, to wash away
I want to dream of rain, which serves as a symbol of cleansing, and watch it wash away my troubles.
All the years I mis-behaved
I seek forgiveness for all the inappropriate and unwise decisions I made, which have contributed to my emotional pain.
All the trying, all the words
I regret all the attempts I made and the unkind things I said, which added to my suffering.
All the running, all the girls
I repent all the times I ran away from my problems and all the relationships that did not work out.
I'll lay down
I will let go and rest, seeking inner peace.
And dream tonight baby
I aspire to dream tonight, finding solace in my dreams.
Dreaming might save me
Maybe dreaming will be the saving grace I need to heal.
Sleeping's courageous
It takes bravery to take that step to sleep and dream, knowing that the nightmares and emotional pain could return.
Dreaming might save us
Dreaming could be the key to save us from our emotional pain and the chaos of the world.
Dream and then do
Dream first, and then take steps towards fulfilling our aspirations.
Dream and then do
Dream first, and then take steps towards fulfilling our aspirations.
Dream and then do
Dream first, and then take steps towards fulfilling our aspirations.
What our quiet heart tells us too
Listen to our inner voice and follow it, to lead us to where we are meant to be.
Contributed by Jayce A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.