The album was recorded at the world famous Steelworks Studio (Bryan Adams, Spice Girls) in collaboration with producer Andy Baker whose skills have helped break one of Sheffield's most exciting bands The Gentlemen. This truly unique sound blends acoustic grooves, energetic rhythms and vocal lines that you won't forget in a hurry. The voice of Philippa Hanna is unmistakable, whilst her songs are charming, memorable, and dig a little deeper than you first might expect.
It would appear that both talent and success runs in the family; her cousins Richard and Danny Macnamara are members of the hugely successful Embrace and her brother Stuart Zender is the former Jamiroquai bassist. And indeed, Philippa herself is no stranger to the music business; with a string of house-music collaborations, international performances and having recorded vocals for artists such as Spice Girl Emma Bunton, SClub and the legend that is Graham Kendrick. She has been described as one of the most distinctive vocalists around by producer Zarc Porter (Matt Redman,bwnn, tbc) and supported Kendrick in 2006 at his personal request after both artists appeared on BBC1's "Stranger In A Manger" series.
Whether in an intimate acoustic environment or a large concert setting, Philippa is both entertaining and engaging. Her appeal is far-reaching and has secured a return to Sheffield’s premiere music venue The Plug supporting folk-pop phenomenon Amy MacDonald. This summer alone she has secured a slot supporting Chris Tomlin, performances at New Wine and a trip to the Flevo festival in Holland; it would appear there is an increasing demand for this up-and-coming star.
Something Better
Philippa Hanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All that my heart was longing for
I felt it steal the breath from me
To see them washed upon the shaw
You didn't give me everything
I wanted
Coz you knew what I needed more
You brought it all together
Like finding buried treasure
Through closen doors and countless tears
You saw me standing here
This is my new horizon
The song after the silence
Thank God for stormy weather
And boats that never made it home
This is something better
To think I'd ever doubt your heart
When I could only see through clouded glass
But here standing on the other side
It's clear now
You always save the best for last
This is my something better
You brought it all together
Like finding buried treasure
Through closen doors and countless tears
You saw me standing here
This is my new horizon
The song after the silence
Thank God for stormy weather
And boats that never made it home
Forgive me for my lack of faith
Believing you were cruel at the time
Through everything that slipped away
You had this moment in mind
This is my something better
You brought it all together
Like finding buried treasure
Through closen doors and countless tears
You saw me standing here
This is my new horizon
The song after the silence
Thank God for stormy weather
The boats that never made it home
This is my something better
In this song, Philippa Hanna explores the idea that sometimes we may have dreams and desires that we are passionate about, but they do not come to fruition. We may feel disappointed or heartbroken when our hopes are dashed, but the song suggests that there is something better waiting for us on the other side. Even when we doubt and question the intentions of God, He always has our best interests at heart and saves the best for last. We need to trust that He has a plan for our lives, even when we cannot see it.
The lyrics of this song are written in a very heartfelt and emotional manner. The opening line, "So many dreams sent out to sea," is a powerful metaphor for the idea of putting your hopes and dreams out into the world and hoping for the best, but not always getting the outcome that you wanted. The line "Thank God for stormy weather and boats that never made it home" is an interesting one because it suggests that we should be thankful for the struggles and hardships that we face because they make us stronger and help us to appreciate the good things in life even more.
Line by Line Meaning
So many dreams sent out to sea
I had so many aspirations that I let go of
All that my heart was longing for
All my deepest desires that I wished for
I felt it steal the breath from me
I was so overwhelmed that it took my breath away
To see them washed upon the shaw
To see those hopes crushed and completely ruined
You didn't give me everything I wanted
You didn't grant each and every wish I had
Coz you knew what I needed more
Because you were aware of what was more important for me
This is my something better
This is the much better thing I have now
You brought it all together
You made it possible for everything to work out well
Like finding buried treasure
Like discovering something precious that was once hidden
Through closen doors and countless tears
Through difficult times and numerous heartaches
You saw me standing here
You noticed me and my struggles
This is my new horizon
This is my new beginning
The song after the silence
The joy and peace after the turmoil
Thank God for stormy weather
Grateful for hard times that brought me here
And boats that never made it home
And the ones who didn't make it through life's struggles
Forgive me for my lack of faith
I apologize for not trusting You enough
Believing you were cruel at the time
Thinking that You had bad intentions before
Through everything that slipped away
Despite everything I lose
You had this moment in mind
You had a better future in store for me
This is my something better
This is precisely the better thing I now have
Writer(s): Philippa Hanna, Tony Wood, Kyle Lee
Contributed by Gavin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@analuciasilva4364
I just wanted to say I'm completely surrendered to your voice and the messages from your worship songs. God Is great and this songs are a powerful praise to our amazing Lord. May God bless you always
@babsskett2757
Beautiful song. Beautiful voice. Thank you for this. God bless..
@maiyang9219
Such a beautiful song. Love all her songs. So very encouraging and comforting.
@jameshigginson8397
Its so refreshing to hear singers singing so great truths and exalting GOD.
@dmg1866
Especially the younger generation. Gives us hope. Yes God does work in mysterious ways.
@sharondavies9760
So poignant and beautiful. Thank you Philippa x
@pynshaiphawa8468
👍❤️🙏I'm blessed!
May our Saviour continues to bless you P.Hanna!I love you & yr voice is incredible!❤️😘😘
@TifaTyndal
Well, I wish there was something stronger than a "thumbs up" button. This song and your performance made tears well up in my eyes. I guess I had lost sight of hope a little and let my heart slip in really, truly trusting God's wisdom in my life and this song reminded me that going with God means going down a much better road--not just a tougher road. Also, the imagery really touched me--metaphor and analogy is kind of my heart language. Thanks for posting! You are doing good in this world. :)
@sharonewers5298
TifaTyndal me too god bless x
@erags415
This is the Most Beautiful Acoustic Song I've heard this year. Thank you.