Born in Ireland in 1970. Perry Blake released his eponymous debut album in … Read Full Bio ↴Born in Ireland in 1970. Perry Blake released his eponymous debut album in 1998. It was to establish him as a massive cult artist across Europe. Critical reaction in the UK was also raptutous, with magazines like "Q" and "Uncut" shouting his praises from the rooftops. BBC Radio, Jo Wiley made his first two releases her singles of the week.

Neatly described as one of the world's best-kept secrets, Blake has released five studio albums, a sountrack to french movie "Presque Rien" and a live album recorded with an orchestra at Cirque Royale in Brussels.

In February 2005 Blake received a gold disc for two songs he co-wrote with Marco Sabiu for French icon Francoise Hardy. The album also won a French grammy.

Blake also had two songs featured in the movie "Trois Petites Filles", directed by Cannes award winning director, Jean-Loup Hubbert. He has collaborated with French Top 20 artist, Emilie Simon, performing a duet and scoring the choral arrangements.

Perry Blakes sixth studio album 'Canyon Songs' will be released in spring 2007. It's quite a departure from previous work with a strong melancholic country flavour.

Official website : www.perryblake.com

Widows by the Radio
Perry Blake Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Drink to our demolished home
Wher loss resides alone
Like a widow by the radio
Child, childhood is a place
Where sorrow comes of age
A widow by the radio

Try to understand

I couldn't hold your hand
I couldn't even hold a gun
Surely we could find
A reason or a sign
That everything's not gone for good

Autumn whispers through the trees
Cheap things to her and me
But patience wears a uniform
Nature take care of your sons
I think they have become
The Darlings of the universe

Try to understand
I couldn't hold your hand
I couldn't even hold a gun
Surely we could hide

A reason or a sigh
That everything is gone for good.

Overall Meaning

Perry Blake's Widows by the Radio paints a melancholic picture of loss, grief, and acceptance. The first verse sets an atmosphere of recognition for the destroyed home, where there is no one except the widow by the radio, mourning the past and living in its shadows. The line, "Child, childhood is a place where sorrow comes of age," emphasizes the tragic effects of growing up and discovering the reality of life. It implies that even in a time of innocence, where one should be carefree, sorrow still manages to take hold.

The second verse talks about a futile attempt to make things right. The line, "I couldn't even hold a gun," suggests a lack of power or inability to fight the inevitable loss. Despite trying to understand and find a reason, everything is "gone for good." The use of "Autumn whispers through the trees," symbolizes the gradual process of change that accompanies loss. Cheap things from the past become valuable, and one begins to see things in a new light. However, even though nature may take care of its children, it is still up to them to find their place in the universe.

Overall, the song is a portrayal of the harsh reality of life and the unavoidable loss that accompanies it. Even so, it suggests that by accepting and coming to terms with it, one can still find beauty and meaning in life.

Line by Line Meaning

Drink to our demolished home
Let's raise a glass to our destroyed home

Where loss resides alone
The place where all we have left is grief

Like a widow by the radio
Just like a widow waiting for news on the radio

Child, childhood is a place
My child, childhood is a time of innocence

Where sorrow comes of age
But it's also a time when we learn to deal with sorrow

A widow by the radio
Just like a widow waiting for news on the radio

Try to understand
Please try to comprehend

I couldn't hold your hand
I couldn't be there for you when you needed me most

I couldn't even hold a gun
I couldn't protect us - I was powerless

Surely we could find
Perhaps we could discover

A reason or a sign
A sign that gives us reason to hope