Venable performed in numerous theatrical and musical productions as a youth with the San Francisco-based Young People's Teen Musical Theater Company. She was also in the cast of the Lewis Carroll-themed musicals "Right Mind" and "Right Mind is Nowhere" directed by George Coates.
Her original one-act play "Annie Beckstead Does Her Homework" won at the Rocky Mountain Student Theater Project in Telluride, CO. She attended Bennington College as a Dramatic Writing and then a Music major before deciding to pursue music as a career.
In 2004 Venable moved to Brooklyn where she continues to compose and perform with longtime-collaborators Todd Sickafoose and Alan Lin. Her songs are noteworthy for their striking melodies and complex subject matter, and she invites comparison with musicians Elliott Smith and Mazzy Star.
Her albums include You Talking to Me? (1996), No Curses Here (1998), Down Easy (2000), Boots (2002), The World Is Bound by Secret Knots (2003), and The Summer Storm Journals (2007).
Noe is rumoured to have a second new album in the works, "a concept album-rock-opera-story thing" (the first being the recently released SSJ, a collection of songs), as stated on one of her rant room entries on her website.
Tower
Noe Venable Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have been holding in my hands
There is an ocean
I have been holding back for years
Where I was standing
Now I am rocking to and fro
Will you still love me
After you see this tower come down?
We used to play at
Light as a feather stiff as a board
We used to play at
Listening in to the darker world
Oh how strangely
Applicable those games seem now
Will you still know me
After you see this tower come down?
Girl I've forgotten
How to be brave could you show me how?
Girl I'd forgotten,
Where did you go? I'm lonely nowâ?¦
That's when it struck me
And I rang out just like a bell
She'll be there laughing
In the place where the tower fell
Bricks and mortar
Raining down on the little ones heads
Bricks and mortar
Raining down on the little ones little ones
You will awaken
Your sensuality
You will awaken
It's an eventuality
Here comes an ocean
I've been holding in my hands
Here comes and ocean
I've been holding back for years
The song "Tower" by Noe Venable appears to be about the aftermath of a major event, possibly a literal tower collapsing. The first stanza suggests that the singer has been holding something back or hiding something from their partner, symbolized by an "ocean" in their hands. The second stanza references childhood games and the "darker world" they used to listen in on, perhaps indicating a loss of innocence. The singer asks if their partner will still love them after witnessing the tower falling, which could represent the revelation of a secret or the emotional fallout from a traumatic event.
The third stanza introduces a female character who the singer has apparently lost touch with and is now feeling lonely without. The sudden realization that she will be there "laughing / In the place where the tower fell" suggests that she has weathered some kind of upheaval and found a way to move on. The final stanza seems to offer hope for the future, as the singer speaks of an ocean that they have been holding back for years finally arriving, and the awakening of sensuality for the listener.
Overall, "Tower" seems to be a song about loss and change, and the ways in which we cope and find meaning in difficult situations. The tower represents something solid and permanent that has now been destroyed, possibly indicating a loss of trust or stability in the singer's life. However, the final stanza suggests that there is potential for growth and transformation in the aftermath of this event.
Line by Line Meaning
There is an ocean
There is something inside of me that I cannot contain
I have been holding in my hands
I have been trying to control and hold onto it
I have been holding back for years
I have been suppressing this side of myself for a long time
Where I was standing
I used to be in a different place emotionally
Now I am rocking to and fro
I am feeling unsteady and unsure
Will you still love me
Are you going to stick around through difficult times
After you see this tower come down?
After I am vulnerable and exposed
We used to play at
We used to engage in childhood activities
Light as a feather stiff as a board
Trying to communicate with the supernatural or paranormal
Listening in to the darker world
Attempting to tap into a world beyond our own
Oh how strangely
It's interesting how those games relate to my current situation
Applicable those games seem now
Those games are more relevant to my life now
Will you still know me
Will our connection remain the same
Girl I've forgotten
I have lost my confidence
How to be brave could you show me how?
I am looking to you for guidance and support
Where did you go? I'm lonely nowâ?¦
I miss your presence in my life
That's when it struck me
I had a moment of clarity
And I rang out just like a bell
I had a realization that shook me to my core
She'll be there laughing
I know you will be there for me, even through tough times
In the place where the tower fell
In the aftermath of a challenging situation
Bricks and mortar
The tangible and material things
Raining down on the little ones heads
The negative effects that the adults' actions have on the children
Raining down on the little ones little ones
The cycle of harm repeats through generations
You will awaken
You will become more in touch with yourself
Your sensuality
Your physical and emotional desires
It's an eventuality
It's inevitable that you will explore this aspect of yourself
Here comes an ocean
I can no longer hold back my emotions
I've been holding in my hands
I've been trying to suppress my feelings
Here comes and ocean
I can no longer contain this part of myself
I've been holding back for years
I have been repressing my true self for a long time
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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