Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automatic Dlamini as a vocalist, guitarist and saxophonist. The band's frontman, John Parish, became her long-term collaborator. In 1991, she formed an eponymous trio called PJ Harvey and subsequently began her career as PJ Harvey. The trio released two studio albums called Dry (1992) and Rid of Me (1993) before disbanding, after which Harvey continued as a solo artist. Since 1995, she has released a further nine studio albums with collaborations from various musicians including Parish, former bandmate Rob Ellis, Mick Harvey and Eric Drew Feldman, and has also worked extensively with record producer Flood.
Among the accolades Harvey has received are both the 2001 and 2011 Mercury Prize for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000) and Let England Shake (2011), respectively, making her the only artist to have been awarded the prize twice. She has also garnered eight Brit Award nominations, seven Grammy Award nominations and two further Mercury Prize nominations. Rolling Stone awarded her three accolades: 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter, and 1995's Artist of the Year. Rolling Stone also listed Rid of Me, To Bring You My Love and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea on its list of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2011, she was awarded for Outstanding Contribution To Music at the NME Awards. In the 2013 Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music.
Goodnight
PJ Harvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Prairieland
Got it all, got
Gun in hand
Here I sleep
Dungarees
They're all my husband
Put on me
We have the stars
We have the trees
We have everything
We need to feed
I'll make babes
You'll make chairs
We'll sell them at
The county fair
We'll walk on
We'll walk tall
We'll dance once a week
The union hall
We'll have the stars
We'll have the trees
We'll have everything
We need to feed
Here I am
Prairieland
I got it all, got
Gun in hand
I'll sweep the porch
I dust his room
We'll sleep together
On our chair at noon
We have the stars
We have the trees
We have everything
We need to feed
We have the stars
We have the trees
We have everything
We need to feed
The lyrics to PJ Harvey's "Goodnight" are introspective and poetic, exploring the life of a woman living in Prairieland, who seems to find stability and comfort in the simple things of life. The woman speaks of having everything she needs to survive, from the land she lives on to the people around her. She even appears to be content with the idea of having children and selling the furniture they make at the county fair. The lyrics seem to suggest that the woman feels safe and secure in her world, despite perhaps feeling confined and restricted at times.
Furthermore, the woman's life appears to revolve around her husband, who put the dungarees on her and seems to play a crucial role in her life. She mentions that they sleep together on their chair at noon, which could signify that they are happy and content with each other's company. The lyrics are simple yet evocative, painting a vivid picture of a woman and her world, and the sense of contentment she feels despite her many challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I am
I am present in this place
Prairieland
This place is open and grassy
Got it all, got
I possess everything I need
Gun in hand
I am armed for protection
Here I sleep
I am at rest
Dungarees
I wear blue jeans
They're all my husband
These jeans were given to me by my partner
Put on me
They were placed on me
We have the stars
The night sky is ours
We have the trees
The forest belongs to us
We have everything
We lack for nothing
We need to feed
We must nourish ourselves
I'll make babes
I will have children
You'll make chairs
You will craft furniture
We'll sell them at
We will offer them for purchase at
The county fair
The local festival
We'll walk on
We will continue to move forward
We'll walk tall
We will carry ourselves with pride
We'll dance once a week
We will enjoy a weekly dance
The union hall
The designated location for social gatherings
Here I am
I am present in this place
Prairieland
This place is open and grassy
I got it all, got
I possess everything I need
Gun in hand
I am armed for protection
I'll sweep the porch
I will clean the entrance to our home
I dust his room
I remove the dust from his living quarters
We'll sleep together
We will rest beside each other
On our chair at noon
On a piece of furniture beneath the sun
We have the stars
The night sky is ours
We have the trees
The forest belongs to us
We have everything
We lack for nothing
We need to feed
We must nourish ourselves
We have the stars
The night sky is ours
We have the trees
The forest belongs to us
We have everything
We lack for nothing
We need to feed
We must nourish ourselves
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: POLLY HARVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@poeticjournalism
This is perfection from start to finish. I've lost count of how many times I've seen this performance, and it still feels like the first time.
@belleofkilronan8565
Everything about this performance is chill-inducing. Magical powers, this woman bewitches.
@KABBARANKS
Still brilliant, all these years later. Loved it then, probably more so now. The audience, including me, were absolutely in her pocket. Fantastic.
@RoelHovenga
God, I loved this song for such a long time.
@BadSpeech
this performance leaves me speechless...
@ruddegore
fantabulous!!!! Love the walking stick banging!
@herrgolf
I do love this song.
@LordRandal1990
We have the stars We have the trees We have everything We need to feed
@SumoDudes
GOD!!!That's perfect!!!!
@jonsoulfire6891
This is the moment I fell for her. The queen of the crop.