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.
riverWide
Noe Venable Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or else how do you explain the scattered light?
The mirror must be broken
And the day dissolving into night
They think I am sleeping
But I woke up on the edge of the river wide
Of all the broken pieces
Of all the pieces I can find
There is one keeps sticking in my mindâ€"
“hurry past the border
Everyone is waiting for you on the other side of
Where you hide, love,
By the riverwide
The lyrics to Noe Venable's "RiverWide" could be interpreted in many ways, but on the surface, it seems to indicate a sense of dissociation or detachment from the world around the singer. The first line suggests that the world is fragmented or chaotic in some way, like a broken mirror scattering light. The line "and the day dissolving into night" could be seen as a metaphor for the entropy or breakdown of the world around her. The second stanza indicates that others around her may not be aware of her struggles, as they believe she is sleeping when in fact she is awake and noticing the broken pieces around her.
The chorus seems to be a call to action or a plea to herself to overcome the boundary or divide that separates her from others. The phrase "everyone is waiting for you on the other side" could indicate that she is holding herself back from some experience or connection that she desperately needs. The final line "by the riverwide" suggests that there is some greater consciousness or connectedness waiting for her, possibly symbolized by the river.
Overall, the lyrics seem to be an exploration of feelings of fragmentation, disconnection, and the need to break through those barriers to connect with others and a greater sense of purpose or meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
The mirror must be broken
Something is wrong, as evidenced by the scattered light.
Or else how do you explain the scattered light?
The scattered light cannot be explained unless something is broken or wrong.
And the day dissolving into night
As the day ends and night begins, something is changing or shifting.
They think I am sleeping
Others believe that the artist is unaware or inactive.
But I woke up on the edge of the river wide
Contrary to what others think, the artist is alert and present, near a large river.
Of all the broken pieces
There are many fragments or parts that are incomplete or damaged.
Of all the pieces I can find
Despite the many pieces, the singer is still looking for more information or clues.
Of all the diamond splinters
There are fragments or bits of something valuable or precious.
There is one keeps sticking in my mind
One of these precious pieces stands out in the artist's thoughts or memories.
hurry past the border
Move quickly beyond the boundary or limit.
Everyone is waiting for you on the other side of
People are anticipating or expecting the singer's arrival on the other side of the border.
Where you hide, love,
The place where the artist's beloved is hidden or kept secret.
By the riverwide
The location of the beloved's hiding place, near a large river.
Contributed by Anthony D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.