Her debut album Come Away with Me was released in 2002 and sold 26 million copies worldwide. It won 5 Grammy Awards in 2003. This album was produced by Arif Mardin.
Her second album, Feels Like Home, with folk tendency, is the highest-selling album in the history of Blue Note Records with over a million copies sold within the first week. Norah Jones was listed among the most influential people of 2004 by the Time Magazine.
On January 30, 2007 Norah Jones released her third album, Not Too Late - a collection of 13 original songs, itunes includes a bonus live track of the song Sinkin' Soon. This was the most pre-ordered album of all time on Amazon.com.
Her fourth studio album, The Fall, was released on November 17, 2009.
Her fifth studio album ...Little Broken Hearts was released on May 1, 2012 and she collaborated with Danger Mouse for its production. The Happy Pills Songfacts reports that the album was recorded at Danger Mouse's Los Angeles studio during the fall of 2011. The record was co-written by Jones and Danger Mouse, with the pair handling the majority of the instrumentals. Jones teamed up with the producer after she contributed vocals to his Rome project with Daniele Luppi.
The daughter of Beatles-influencing sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, Jones doesn't closely follow any particular genre, rather she brings her unique jazzy flavor to songs with roots in country, folk, Americana, and modern light jazz, pop and rock.
1. New York City
Norah Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't remember when it's time to go
When I look in the mirror
Tracing lines with a pencil
I remember what came before
I wanted to think there was endless love
Until I saw the light dim in your eyes
Sometimes there's love that won't survive
New York City
Such a beautiful disease
New York City
Such a beautiful,
Such a beautiful disease
Laura kept all her disappointments
Locked up in a box behind her closet door
She pulled the blinds and listened to the thunder
With no way out from the family store
We all told her things could get better
When you just say goodbye
I'll lay awake one more night
Caught in a vision I want to deny
And did I mention the note that I found
Taped to my locked front door
It talked about no regrets
As it slipped from my hand to the scuffed tile floor
I rode the train for hours on end
And watched the people pass me by
It could be that it has no end
Just an action junkie's lullaby
New York City
We were full of the stuff that every dream rested
As if floating on a lumpy pillow sky
Caught up in the whole illusion
That dreams never pass us by
Came to a tattooed conclusion
That the big one was knocking on the door
What started as a mass delusion
Would take me far from the place I adore
New York City
The lyrics to “New York City” by Norah Jones and Peter Group Malick are a tale of reflection, disappointment, and coming to terms with the harsh realities of love and life. The opening lines sets the theme for the entire piece – a sense of uncertainty, of inability to control one’s destiny. The singer cannot remember what lies ahead and what the future holds, and as a result, their mind wanders to the past – tracing lines with a pencil, trying to remember what came before. The eventual realization that love can be fleeting and not always survive leads to a questioning of everything – including the allure and beauty of New York City, which is painted as a “beautiful disease.” The song is filled with stories of disappointment, love lost, and hopelessness, as characters like Laura keep their disappointments locked away, and the singer ruminates on the possibility of an elusive dream.
The song is notable for its fusion of genres, as it blends together elements of folk, blues, rock, and jazz. The use of the saxophone adds to the bluesy, jazzy feel of the piece, but it's the piano that dominates the song, providing a melancholic melody that very few artists of Norah Jones’s caliber could replicate. The repetition of the phrase “New York City” is meant to drive home the point that the city seems both beautiful and toxic. The singer cannot help but be seduced by its charm, but at the same time, it is a place of disappointment, a place where dreams die. Interestingly enough, the song is also notable for its use of rich imagery, from the tracing of lines with pencils to the note taped on the front door, and the lumpy pillow sky, all helping to paint a picture of despair and melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't remember what I planned tomorrow
My mind is clouded and I cannot recall what I had planned for tomorrow
I can't remember when it's time to go
I have lost track of time and cannot remember when I need to leave for my destination
When I look in the mirror, Tracing lines with a pencil
As I look in the mirror, I carefully trace my physical features with a pencil
I remember what came before
Through my reflection, my past memories resurface in my mind
I wanted to think there was endless love
I yearned for a love that would never falter or diminish over time
Until I saw the light dim in your eyes
However, I realized the love I thought was eternal was fading away as reflected in your eyes
In the dead of the night I found out
In the late hours of night, I came to the realization
Sometimes there's love that won't survive
Love can sometimes fail to endure the challenges it faces
New York City, Such a beautiful disease
Despite the allure of the city, it is rife with hardships and difficulties
Laura kept all her disappointments, Locked up in a box behind her closet door
Laura bottled up all her frustrations and disappointments and hid them away in a box inside her closet
She pulled the blinds and listened to the thunder, With no way out from the family store
She shut the blinds, listened to the sound of thunder, and felt trapped working in her family's business with no escape
We all told her things could get better, When you just say goodbye
Despite our encouragement for her to move on, it was not that simple to leave everything behind and start anew
I'll lay awake one more night, Caught in a vision I want to deny
I will spend one more sleepless night dwelling on a reality I wish were untrue
And did I mention the note that I found, Taped to my locked front door
May I remind you of the note I discovered stuck to my front door, secured under lock and key
It talked about no regrets, As it slipped from my hand to the scuffed tile floor
The note reassured me that there was no need to regret our past, but I lost my grip on it and it fell to the worn out floor
I rode the train for hours on end, And watched the people pass me by
I boarded a train and rode it for hours, observing as the people around me went about their daily lives
It could be that it has no end, Just an action junkie's lullaby
It is possible that this ride may never end, and it is just a temporary distraction for thrill-seekers like myself
New York City, We were full of the stuff that every dream rested
New York City had captivated us with the potential to achieve any dream imaginable
As if floating on a lumpy pillow sky, Caught up in the whole illusion, That dreams never pass us by
It felt as though we were weightlessly and effortlessly soaring through the sky, caught up in the illusion that our dreams would never escape us
Came to a tattooed conclusion, That the big one was knocking on the door
However, I eventually came to a permanent realization that a pivotal moment or opportunity was near
What started as a mass delusion, Would take me far from the place I adore
The original idea I shared with many, turned out to lead me far away from the place I cherish most
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WINFRED LOVETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on I Turned Your Picture to the Wall
Down by the Riverside - Noah Wall - Lyrics
I’m gonna lay down my heavy load,
Down by the riverside,
Oh yeah
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my heavy load,
Down by the riverside,
I’m gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
I ain’t a gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
No I ain’t a gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
I ain’t a gonna study war no more
I’m gonna put on my long white robe,
Down by the riverside
Oh yeah
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna put on my long white robe,
Down by the riverside
I’m gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
I ain’t a gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
I ain’t a gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
I ain’t a gonna study war no more
Musical Interlude
Well, I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield,
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield,
Down by the riverside
I’m gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
I ain’t a gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
I ain’t a gonna study war no more
I ain’t a gonna study war no more,
Anonymous
on The Nearness of You
The Nearness Of You - Camille Thurman -Lyrics
Its not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
Its just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
Its just the nearness of you
When you're in my arms
And I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams do come true
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me
The right to hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night
The nearness of you
Saxophone Musical Interlude
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me
The right to hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night
The nearness, the nearness of you