Phildel is a compo… Read Full Bio ↴Phildel is an up-and-coming musician from London.
Phildel is a compound name - made up of her two parents' names: Philip and Della. Her father is Hong Kong Chinese and her mother is Irish. Despite being off to a good start, at the age of 8, Phildel's life spiraled into what can only be described as a Dickensian-style story. Her parents divorced and her mother married a religious fundamentalist. Her name/religion/lifestyle/dress-code were changed by force, all of her possessions seized and music became a forbidden evil within the household. For the next decade Phildel was treated as a servant within her home. However, Phildel spent lunchtimes with her school piano with sympathetic music teachers, creating and playing her compositions relentlessly. She ran away from home at 17 to escape her home-life and to finally follow her dreams.
She got together a second-hand computer and some music demo software packages and began putting together her first home-demo. Within very little time, it attracted the attention of Roger Watson - former Chrysalis MD and his support of her lead to collaborations with Spike MaClaren at Massive Attack's studio and Sam Dixon (known for his collaborations with many artists including KT Tunstall and Duffy's 'Rockferry' album).
In 2007 her epic and moving music was used on one of the UK's most high profile advertising campaigns, followed by two more high profile filmic campaigns in France in 2008/2009.
During December 2008, Phildel joined the likes of Radiohead and Goldfrapp to become a Warner Chappell Music Publishing artist. She is currently working at the world-famous Metropolis Recording Studio, to complete her neo-classical album. This will be followed by the recording of her artist album later in 2009.
Celestial
Phildel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still journeys so far.
Celestial are the hearts,
Still love when love’s passed…
You are my rosary,
You are my rosary.
Turning my back to the light
Till it’s just me and the dark
Before your heart,
Here tonight.
I would abandon the moon,
Raise up the stars from their space
Till it’s just me and the dark
Before your heart
Here in this place.
Then you would be all I see.
Love is all I need,
Your touch, your heart.
Love is all I want,
One light still on.
You are my rosary,
But you were not sent for me…
I would abandon the moon,
Turning my back to the light
Till it’s just me and the dark
Before your heart,
Here tonight.
I would abandon the moon,
Raise up the stars from their space
Till it’s just me and the dark
Before your heart
Here in this place.
Then you would be all I see.
Then you would be all I see.
The opening lines of Phildel's song, "Celestial," are symbolic of the eternal nature of love. The metaphor of light from long-dead stars still journeying far proves that even though physical bodies decay and die, love endures beyond life. The term "celestial" means heavenly, and it is used to describe the heart. The celestial heart is love that lasts even after love has passed. The heart never forgets the love that has resided in it.
The main character, who is singing the song, longs for her beloved, who she considers her rosary, which is a symbol of devotion. The character is willing to give up everything for their love, even the moon and the stars, which are also symbols of great power and beauty. The singer's willingness to leave everything is indicative of her intense love and passion for her beloved. The character believes that the devotion of her love and the person she loves is paramount and is the key to unlocking the door to heaven.
The ending is bittersweet as the character realizes that the person she has placed her devotion in may not be meant for her. This realization is a testament to the fact that love can be selfless and unconditional. The character may never get the love she seeks, but her devotion will transcend that and keep her from self-destruction. "Celestial" is a song that speaks to the power of love and how it can endure and withstand even the most challenging of circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Light from long-dead stars
Still journeys so far.
The light from stars that have died a long time ago is still traveling great distances.
Celestial are the hearts,
Still love when love’s passed…
Hearts are celestial beings that still have the capacity to love even beyond the end of a romantic affair.
You are my rosary,
You are my rosary.
The object of affection is compared to a rosary. She repeats this line to emphasize the importance of the person in her life.
I would abandon the moon,
Turning my back to the light
Till it’s just me and the dark
Before your heart,
Here tonight.
She would forsake everything, even a source of light like the moon. She wants to be in the dark before the object of her love, as if radiating her own light is unnecessary when she's with the person she loves.
I would abandon the moon,
Raise up the stars from their space
Till it’s just me and the dark
Before your heart
Here in this place.
She would even displace the stars to be with the person she loves. She wants to be surrounded by the dark and to be with the person in the same vacant, intimate space.
Then you would be all I see.
Then you would be all I see.
The person she loves is overwhelmingly magnetic, and she only has eyes for that one person.
Love is all I need,
Your touch, your heart.
Love is all I want,
One light still on.
All she requires is love, in the form of the person's touch or being close to their heart. And that one light, the light from the person is all she requires or wants to have in her life.
But you were not sent for me…
Sadly, the person in her love was not meant for her, as underwritten by this lyric, despite her ardent desire for him.
Contributed by Bailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.