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.
Wind
PJ Harvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
High up on the hills
A place for making noises
Noises like the whales
Here she built a chapel with
Her image on the wall
A place where she could rest and
A place where she could wash
She dreamt of children's voices
And torture on the wheel
Patron-Saint of nothing
A woman of the hills
She once was a lady
Of pleasure, and high-born
A lady of the city
But now she sits and moans
And listens to the wind blow
I see her in her chapel
High up on a hill
She must be so lonely
Oh Mother, can't we give
A husband to our Catherine?
A handsome one, a dear
A rich one for the lady
Someone to listen with
Catherine is a character that PJ Harvey wrote about in her song, Wind. Catherine is described as someone who loves to be on high places, more specifically, on hills. This is where she built a chapel with her image on the wall. This place is where she can rest and wash, while also listening to the wind blow. Catherine is seen as someone who isn't afraid to make noises, which could be interpreted as her being independent and not constraining herself to societal norms.
The song also describes that Catherine had dreams of children's voices and torture on the wheel. It is hinted that she may have been a lady of the city and indulged in pleasure in her past. Now, she sits in her chapel, isolated and lonesome. The song ends with the singer asking for Catherine to be given a husband who can listen to her.
Line by Line Meaning
Catherine liked high places
Catherine enjoyed being in elevated locations
High up on the hills
Specifically, Catherine liked being high up on the hills
A place for making noises
Catherine could make different sounds in this location
Noises like the whales
The sounds Catherine would make were similar to those made by whales
Here she built a chapel with
In this location, Catherine constructed a chapel
Her image on the wall
She decorated the chapel with her own image
A place where she could rest and
Catherine created this chapel as a space of relaxation and
A place where she could wash
Hygiene was also an important factor in this location
And listen to the wind blow
She could also hear the sound of the wind
She dreamt of children's voices
Catherine had a desire to hear the laughter and playfulness of children
And torture on the wheel
In contrast, she also fantasized about people being punished with the wheel torture device
Patron-Saint of nothing
Catherine did not devote herself to any particular patron saint
A woman of the hills
She established herself as a lady within the hillside community
She once was a lady
At one time, Catherine was a woman of status
Of pleasure, and high-born
While she was high-born, Catherine also lived a lifestyle of pleasure
A lady of the city
Her former life in the city was defined by her status as a wealthy woman
But now she sits and moans
Currently, Catherine is unhappy and she expresses this through groans and murmurs
And listens to the wind blow
Despite her grief, she still finds comfort in the sounds of the wind
I see her in her chapel
The singer has a visualization of Catherine within her chapel
High up on a hill
This time, the chapel is specific to being on top of a hill
She must be so lonely
From the outside view, Catherine appears to be experiencing a lot of loneliness
Oh Mother, can't we give
The artist appeals to their mother to take action
A husband to our Catherine?
The suggestion is made that Catherine needs a husband or partner
A handsome one, a dear
To be specific, they want Catherine to find someone attractive and kind
A rich one for the lady
Another quality would be the financial wealth of the potential partner
Someone to listen with compassion and without fear
Ultimately, the singer wants Catherine to have a companion who will listen to her and provide comfort
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHEIN GARCIA, JOSE GARCIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheDrapetomanic
It's incredible how different each album of hers is, stylistically.
@cheddarpuff
So true!
@TheDrapetomanic
@@cheddarpuff can't stop listening to PJ!
@cheddarpuff
@@TheDrapetomanic This might well be her best album.
@TheDrapetomanic
@@cheddarpuff It's hard to decide what her best is for me.
@harrymay2528
That's the UK for you.
@beathekitten
remember when pj harvey invented the asmr
@Amandanumnum
LMAO
@joerevere937
I came LOOKING for this song when I first heard about ASMR. Weird that someone else mentioned it 2 years ago, FIRST COMMENT showing.
@lifemusic1980
Bob Ross but she is definitely top 5