Polly Jean "PJ" Harvey is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Prima… Read Full Bio ↴Polly Jean "PJ" Harvey is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments.

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.

The Sky Lit Up
PJ Harvey Lyrics

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I'm walking in the city tonight
I'm walking in the city at dark
Remembering, remember light
Thinking of nothing, and the shooting stars

And this world tonight is mine
A world to be remembered in
Think on a faded photograph

My hair longer than its ever been
And then,the sky lit up
The sky, my friend

And I'm lighter than I've ever been
I saw the trees crossing the moon
I saw the stars in the Heaven above
Shine on my own beautiful prayer
Shining on my own beautiful love

The sky lit up
And I'm dancing with him
In this city and in this town
I don't care what he's thinking of

Just take the car, just take my hand
The sky lit up

Overall Meaning

In the song "The Sky Lit Up", PJ Harvey paints a vivid picture of a city at nightfall. The song describes a moment in time where the singer is lost in a dreamlike state. The singer is walking alone through the city, reminiscing and observing. The lyrics "And this world tonight is mine, A world to be remembered in" show that the singer believes that this moment is exclusively hers and that it is one that she will likely remember vividly. PJ Harvey creates an atmosphere of solitude and introspection throughout the song.

The chorus of the song brings a sudden change. The sky lights up, and the singer feels lighter than ever before. The lyrics, "And I'm dancing with him, In this city and in this town, I don't care what he's thinking of" indicate that the singer is suddenly joined by someone special, and she is lost in the moment with them. The singer doesn't care about anything else at this moment; she just wants to be in his presence. The song is provocative yet submerges the listeners in a feeling of quietness as PJ Harvey's soft voice pairs perfectly with the lyrics and indie-rock instrumentals.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm walking in the city tonight
I am strolling around the city tonight

I'm walking in the city at dark
I am wandering in the dark, obscure city

Remembering, remember light
I am reminiscing about light

Thinking of nothing, and the shooting stars
I am contemplating about nothing and the shooting stars

And this world tonight is mine
This world belongs to me tonight

A world to be remembered in
A world to be recollected in memory

Think on a faded photograph
Reflect on a photo that has lost its color

My hair longer than its ever been
My hair is longer than it has ever been before

And then,the sky lit up
Then, the sky started lighting up

The sky, my friend
The sky, my companion

And I'm lighter than I've ever been
And now, I feel weightless