Growing up in New Zealand, and with her mother being a flautist and a music teacher, Ludlow began playing piano when she was four years old. As a teenager, she took vocal lessons and played the violin. She learned the viola and guitar at Bethlehem College in Tauranga. When she was 18, she relocated to London to attend the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance for vocal performance.
in 2018, Ny Oh released her first single, "Georgia," and her first EP, "Without".
In 2022 and 2033, she toured with Harry Styles as a multi-instrumentalist on his Love on Tour.
Be Free
Ny Oh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When i was young
That i′d find you
I started pretending that
Love was a myth from a book
I was so sure i was destined to live my life waving
Goodbye to the ones that tried their hand
At loving me
Now i've played several roles
In the comedy that i′ve been living
The angel, the healer, the pauper
The dancer
The fool
And your love was fire
That turned all of those masks into ashes
While you held the actress whose face was all covered in soot
Be free your love is like water
It changes but it never stops
Be free you love is like water
It changes
But it never stops
Now and again i still think about all of the loving
That i could of had if you'd only just come around then
But that's not the way that we can play our games
Pretty darling
Cos the past is a wall built from heaven
Down to all of our sins
Be free your love is like water
It changes but it never stops
Be free you love is like water
It changes
But it never stops
Be free your love is like music
It changes but it never stops
Be free you love is like music
It changes
But it never stops
In the opening lines of Ny Oh's song Be Free, the lyrics reveal a sense of loss and hopelessness. The singer has stopped believing in finding true love from a young age. The idea of love is perceived as a myth from a book, and the singer has resigned to the fate of waving goodbye to those who have tried to love her. She then goes on to describe different roles she has played in her life, including the angel, the healer, the pauper, the dancer, and the fool. These roles are her shields, and her love is the fire that turned all of them into ashes.
The chorus then repeats the phrase, "Be free, your love is like water, it changes but it never stops." This repetition emphasizes the natural, fluid nature of love. Love is never stagnant, but it changes and adapts with time. By the end of the song, the singer seems to have come to terms with the past and acknowledges that dwelling on what could have been is pointless, as the past is a wall that separates us from our sins.
Line by Line Meaning
I stopped believing
I lost faith
When i was young
Beginning at an early age
That i’d find you
That I would find true love
I started pretending that
I began to act as if
Love was a myth from a book
Love was not real
I was so sure i was destined to live my life waving
I believed I was doomed to push away
Goodbye to the ones that tried their hand
Saying farewell to those who attempted
At loving me
To love me wholeheartedly
Now i’ve played several roles
Assuming various personas over time
In the comedy that i’ve been living
In my blissful existence
The angel, the healer, the pauper
A caretaker, a fixer, a beggar
The dancer
The performer
The fool
The jester
And your love was fire
Your love ignited flames within me
That turned all of those masks into ashes
Causing my different personas to fade away
While you held the actress whose face was all covered in soot
Embracing the one who was once hidden by her guise
Be free your love is like water
Your love flows freely
It changes but it never stops
Although it is always changing, it never falters
Now and again i still think about all of the loving
Occasionally, I ponder all the love that could have been
That i could of had if you’d only just come around then
If only you had appeared during those times
But that’s not the way that we can play our games
But that is not how our fate is meant to go
Pretty darling
My dear
Cos the past is a wall built from heaven
The labyrinthine past is determined by fate
Down to all of our sins
And our own shortcomings
Be free your love is like music
Your love is melodious
It changes but it never stops
Although it evolves, it remains endless
Writer(s): Naomi Judith Ludlow
Contributed by Lucy S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
alyssa eden
i live in sydney, australia and i woke up at 5 am to hear this masterpiece and it’s so worth it!! nyoh is so inspiring and seems like such a genuinely sweet person.
Ny Oh
Thank you for the support, this is the cutest message... i hope to held you in a nice sleepy place at 5am xx
DernLud
This woman is so damn gifted. This song resonates. Such a gorgeous song. ❤️❤️❤️🤩
Ramsey-Michele Pruitt
I love this song so much. Her voice, the melody, the harmonies are all so timeless yet so new. Like I feel like nothing else sounds like it, but I feel like I could find it on a Joni Mitchell album too. The backdrop and echoes of the church are so beautiful too! Mesmerizing. And Ny Oh’s smile is so contagious. Okay I’ll stop gushing now. Haha! Thank you Ny Oh for this song!! It’s been my soundtrack since it came out! 💛
Ny Oh
Thank you for this song!! <3
Natalie
This is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard in my life. I hope one day I will hear it live ❤️
Alyssa
I'm in complete awe. I had a really bad day and was just going to turn my phone off and get into bed and read, but I'm so glad I remembered that I saw this video earlier and wanted to watch it because it completely changed my day. Just gorgeous.
Ny Oh
<3
Adam B
I listen to youtube while I work on autoplay and it has been a long time that a song in the background made me stop working and brought a tear to my eye. Recently my world is full of so much noise and sometimes pain--it is freeing to hear a song that puts a little stillness and peace back into it. Thanks.
Holly Way
Heard you playing at Lochs last night and I’m so in awe of you 😍 the most breathtaking sound I’ve heard in a looong time 🌷✨ stay magical xx