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.
Is This Desire?
PJ Harvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sunset went down and down
Coldness cooled their desire
And Dawn said, "Let's build a fire"
The sun dressed the trees in green
And Joe said, "Dawn, I feel like a King"
And Dawn's neck and her feet were bare
Said, "I'm not scared"
Turned to her and smiled
Secrets in his eyes
Sweetness of desire
Is this desire enough, enough
To lift us higher, to lift above?
Hour-long, by hour, may we two stand
When we're dead, between these lands
The sun set behind his eyes
And Joe said, "Is this desire?"
Is this desire enough, enough
To lift us higher, to lift above?
Is this desire enough, enough
Enough inside? Is this desire?
The song “Is This Desire?” by PJ Harvey, is a composition of cryptic lyrics that are open to a myriad of interpretations. The lyrics of the song take a surreal nature, with vivid imagery painting the story of Joseph and Dawn, two lovers who seem to be lost in a world of their desires. The song is a mixture of literal and metaphorical descriptions of the events happening around them, which makes the meaning obscure but rich with symbolism.
The song seems to be exploring the themes of love, desire, and mortality, with the lovers possibly grappling with the brevity of life and the depth of their connection. The lyrics, "Hour-long, by hour, may we two stand, When we're dead, between these lands” could be interpreted as a metaphor for the shortness of life and the long-lasting impact of love beyond the physical realm. The song suggests that love and desire are not enough to satisfy our deepest longings, and we should look within ourselves to find fulfillment.
In summary, "Is This Desire?" by PJ Harvey is a song that explores the human experience of love, desire, and mortality. The lyrical imagery presents a surreal world seemingly lost in deep desires, and the song suggests that such desires are not enough to satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. The song seems to be inviting us on a journey of introspection and self-discovery, challenging us to look beyond our desires to find profound fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Joseph walked on and on
The song starts with the male character, Joseph, walking continuously towards his destination.
The sunset went down and down
As Joseph walks, he notices the sun setting continuously into the horizon.
Coldness cooled their desire
Once the sun sets, the temperature drops and the passion between Joseph and the female character, Dawn, cools down.
And Dawn said, "Let's build a fire"
To rekindle their passion and warm themselves up, Dawn suggests making a fire.
The sun dressed the trees in green
As morning comes, everything around them is covered in greenery from the sunlight.
And Joe said, Dawn, "I feel like a King"
As they bask in the morning sun, Joseph expresses contentment and feels like a king beside Dawn.
And Dawn's neck and her feet were bare
Dawn is barefoot and has an exposed neck, emphasizing her vulnerability and nudity.
Sweetness in her golden hair
Dawn's hair shines beautifully in the sunlight with a sweet fragrance.
Said, 'I'm not scared'
Dawn is not afraid of being naked and vulnerable in front of Joseph.
Turned to her and smiled
In response to Dawn's statement, Joseph smiles warmly at Dawn.
Secrets in his eyes
However, there's something mysterious or secretive about Joseph's expression.
Sweetness of desire
As they embrace and bask in sunlight, they feel the sweetness of their desire for each other.
Is this desire
The title line is asking if this strong desire between them is genuine or just a fleeting emotion.
Enough enough
The repetition emphasizes the doubt and uncertainty about the strength of their desire.
To lift us higher
Despite their doubts, they hope this desire will elevate their relationship to a new level.
To lift above?
They wonder if their desire is strong enough to take their relationship to new heights.
Hour-long, by hour, may we two stand
They hope their desire will last through the test of time.
When we're dead, between these lands
Even when they die, they hope their love will continue to bridge the gap between life and death.
The sun set behind his eyes
Joseph's expression is now dark, possibly indicating despair or a lack of hope.
And Joe said, "Is this desire?"
As the song ends, Joseph questions the genuineness of their desire and wonders if it's enough to hold their relationship together.
Enough enough
The song's final repetition of these words emphasizes the uncertainty and doubt about their desire.
Enough inside
They wonder if their desire is strong enough to sustain their relationship from within.
Is this desire
The song ends with the same question it began, leaving the listener to ponder the strength and genuineness of the desire between the two characters.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Polly Jean Harvey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Angela Roberts
Joseph walked on and on
The sunset went down and down
Coldness cooled their desire
And Dawn said, "Let's build a fire"
The sun dressed the trees in green
And Joe said, Dawn, "I feel like a King"
And Dawn's neck and her feet were bare
Sweetness in her golden hair
Said, 'I'm not scared'
Turned to her and smiled
Secrets in his eyes
Sweetness of desire
Is this desire
Enough enough
To lift us higher
To lift above?
Hour-long, by hour, may we two stand
When we're dead, between these lands
The sun set behind his eyes
And Joe said, "Is this desire?"
Is this desire
Enough enough
To lift us higher
To lift above
Is this desire
Enough enough
Enough inside
Is this desire
Roiy Benkel
Joseph walked on and on the sunset
Went down and down coldness
Cooled their desire and Dawn said
"Let's build a fire"
The sun dressed the trees in green
And Joe said
"Dawn I feel like a king"
And Dawn's neck and her feet were bare
Sweetness in her golden hair
Said "I'm not scared"
Turned to her and smiled
Secrets in his eyes
Sweetness of desire
Is this desire, enough enough
To lift us higher, to lift above ?
Hour long
By hour, may we two stand
When we're dead, between these lands
The sun set behind his eyes
And Joe said : "Is this desire"
Is this desire, enough enough
To lift us higher, to lift above ?
Is this desire, enough enough
Enough inside, is this desire ?
Felix
This song is litteraly the most perfect for these 2 scenes, Thomas and May making love passionately, in a beautiful and calm countryside house, while Arthur and John are in the dirty city full of mud, burning up an entire pub and killing 2 men inside.
This really shows the amazing contrasts of this wonderful series.
Peaky Blinders, we love you.
Angela Roberts
Joseph walked on and on
The sunset went down and down
Coldness cooled their desire
And Dawn said, "Let's build a fire"
The sun dressed the trees in green
And Joe said, Dawn, "I feel like a King"
And Dawn's neck and her feet were bare
Sweetness in her golden hair
Said, 'I'm not scared'
Turned to her and smiled
Secrets in his eyes
Sweetness of desire
Is this desire
Enough enough
To lift us higher
To lift above?
Hour-long, by hour, may we two stand
When we're dead, between these lands
The sun set behind his eyes
And Joe said, "Is this desire?"
Is this desire
Enough enough
To lift us higher
To lift above
Is this desire
Enough enough
Enough inside
Is this desire
Karolis Kaunas
one of the goosebump songs,
great stuff
💎 Shady Boujee 🍑
I'll never forget hearing PJ for the first time.
Badass Goddess energy.
Roiy Benkel
Joseph walked on and on the sunset
Went down and down coldness
Cooled their desire and Dawn said
"Let's build a fire"
The sun dressed the trees in green
And Joe said
"Dawn I feel like a king"
And Dawn's neck and her feet were bare
Sweetness in her golden hair
Said "I'm not scared"
Turned to her and smiled
Secrets in his eyes
Sweetness of desire
Is this desire, enough enough
To lift us higher, to lift above ?
Hour long
By hour, may we two stand
When we're dead, between these lands
The sun set behind his eyes
And Joe said : "Is this desire"
Is this desire, enough enough
To lift us higher, to lift above ?
Is this desire, enough enough
Enough inside, is this desire ?
Lili2Blink7
that pub scene was great. good cinematography and great song
Ivan
Musica simplesmente incrível.
James Gray
Bought this tape new for my gf way back in the day. I listened to it...kept it for myself.
oooops
Wtf is a tape?
genius2012
Peaky Blinders introduced me to this amazing song also!