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.
Red Right Hand
PJ Harvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go across the tracks
Where the viaduct looms
Like a bird of doom
As it shifts and cracks
Where secrets lie in the border fires
In the humming wires
Man, you know
On a gathering storm comes
A tall handsome man
In a dusty black coat
With a red right hand
Where the viaduct looms
Like a bird of doom
As it shifts and cracks
Where secrets lie in the border fires
In the humming wires
Man, you know
You're never coming back
On a gathering storm comes
A tall handsome man
In a dusty black coat
With a red right hand
PJ Harvey's song "Red Right Hand" is a haunting tune that paints a foreboding picture of a mysterious figure known only by his red right hand. The song begins with an invitation to the listener to take a walk to the edge of town, crossing the tracks and arriving at a viaduct. The viaduct is described as a "bird of doom" that shifts and cracks, and is perched ominously over a landscape where secrets are hidden in the border fires and humming wires. PJ Harvey warns that once you enter this world, you will never return.
On a stormy night, the tall, handsome man in the dusty black coat arrives, with his red right hand. The listener is not given any context as to who this man is or what he wants, but his presence is enough to set the tone for a story of danger and unease. The viaduct and its secrets are intertwined with the appearance of the mysterious figure with the red right hand, creating a sense of impending doom and a warning to stay away from the edge of town.
In "Red Right Hand," PJ Harvey's lyrics are dark and eerie, and the music complements the mood perfectly. The song is often used as a theme song for crime dramas and has become a cult classic. The lyrics hint at supernatural elements, and while they are open to interpretation, they create a sense of suspense and tension that keep the listener engaged until the very end.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a little walk to the edge of town
Venture to the outskirts of civilization
Go across the tracks
Transverse the railroad
Where the viaduct looms
Near where the overhead bridge casts a shadow
Like a bird of doom
Menacing and foreboding like an ominous bird
As it shifts and cracks
Unstable and fragile, it trembles and fractures
Where secrets lie in the border fires
Close to where clandestine information is kept, where danger lurks
In the humming wires
Electricity crackles in the air, a sign of danger
Man, you know
Dude, you're aware
You're never coming back
Returning is not an option
On a gathering storm comes
During turbulent weather appears
A tall handsome man
A commanding and striking gentleman
In a dusty black coat
Wearing a worn and dingy garment
With a red right hand
Sporting a sinister and ominous red-colored hand
Where the viaduct looms
Near where the overhead bridge casts a shadow
Like a bird of doom
Menacing and foreboding like an ominous bird
As it shifts and cracks
Unstable and fragile, it trembles and fractures
Where secrets lie in the border fires
Close to where clandestine information is kept, where danger lurks
In the humming wires
Electricity crackles in the air, a sign of danger
Man, you know
Dude, you're aware
You're never coming back
Returning is not an option
On a gathering storm comes
During turbulent weather appears
A tall handsome man
A commanding and striking gentleman
In a dusty black coat
Wearing a worn and dingy garment
With a red right hand
Sporting a sinister and ominous red-colored hand
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Mute Song Limited
Written by: Mick Harvey, Nick Cave, Thomas Wydler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Amanda Marques
Take a little walk to the edge of town
Go across the tracks
Where the viaduct looms
Like a bird of doom
As it shifts and cracks
Where secrets lie in the border fires
In the humming wires
Man, you know
You're never coming back
On a gathering storm comes
A tall handsome man
In a dusty black coat
With a red right hand
Where the viaduct looms
Like a bird of doom
As it shifts and cracks
Where secrets…
Ahmed Hassan
Take a little walk to the edge of town
And go across the tracks
Where the viaduct looms
Like a bird of doom
As it shifts and cracks
Where secrets lie in the border fires
In the humming wires
Hey man, you know
You're never coming back
Daniel
Take a little walk to the edge of town.
Go across the tracks.
Where the viaduck looms.
Like a birt of doom.
As it shifts and cracks.
Where secrets lie in the border fires.
In the humming wires.
Man, you know.
You're never coming back.
On a gathering storm comes.
A tall handsome man.
In a dusty black coat.
With a red right hand.
Wher the viaduct looms.
Like a bird of dooms.
As it shifts and cracs.
William Shd
Put this song at my funerals.
Godless
Fuck your god !!
Life Kid
For the Peaky Blinders ma'e.
Igor Novičić
@symphonic 94 what did he wrote?
ihtisham ulhaq
What an idiotic comment
Sheena K
How many are you expecting to have?
adumelial rothstein
Cillian Murphy was so epic in this AND he had a class A bunch of peers acting just the same with him. BEST crime drama I have ever seen! I HAD TO binge watch it at times. Had me on the edge of my seat!
I wonder where in the hell Steven Knight pulled this story out of his creative soul? Then again it was the music sound track that made this series high up on the satisfaction scale of cinema viewing.
Godless
Fuck your god !!
Demi Basan
@Anamya Jain i think his granddad was who arthut is supposed to be.
Anamya Jain
Steven knight family was shelby