Sometimes she plays solo and at others she is surrounded by a group of wonderful musicians consisting of Laura Wilkie, Siobhan Anderson and sometimes Louise Bichan (the fiddle pixies), Leo and Declan Forde and pianist Jennifer Austin.
She played the Communion night at Notting Hill Arts Centre in London, having had her track My Friend Fire, recorded and produced by Ben of Mumford and Sons. This was featured on the first Communion compilation album. .
Rachel has supported many acts, including Mumford & Sons on their Highlands & Islands tour as well as KT Tunstall, Newton Faulkner and John William Grant. Sermanni performed duets with both Faulkner and Grant.
The Fog
Rachel Sermanni Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will I play their little game and tell them
Deep, deep down I've been waiting for the fighting to begin,
Hold my hands up.
Deep sleep now under skies of pressing dark upon my dress,
Watch it turn from white to red under the
Bone clean moon I am clinging to this burning, shaking bed
Must I hold my hands up,
Mercy, mercy I've been caught
Lying with my darkest thought
They grabbed my wings and pinned me to the wall.
Oh light please try to hold your ground
Lift me up before I drown
The din creeps 'neath my skin and I can't hear no goodness speak.
From the neighbouring town there's a boy that comes to sing upon our
street,
I watch him from the window thinking
Deep, deep down he'd be richer if he just became a thief.
Still he holds his hands out.
I walk down to the river stand and shiver in the wind
Throw stones and watch them sink into the
Icy blue, let it rise about my ankles.
I don't want this darkness
But the sun just falls from it's sky.
Mercy, mercy...
The first verse of "The Fog" by Rachel Sermanni talks about the struggles of the singer as they come to face a challenge. The singer has heard a call from deep under the mountains, which may be symbolic of an obstacle that they feel they have to overcome. They must decide whether to play their "little game" and confront it or not. The next line is about waiting for the fighting to begin, which shows that the singer is ready for the challenge. However, they also seem to be apprehensive about what's to come, which is reflected in the line "Hold my hands up." The second half of the verse describes the singer's current state of mind. They seem to be in a trance-like state, represented by the phrase "deep sleep." The phrase "under skies of pressing dark upon my dress" creates a feeling of claustrophobia and anxiety, similar to being buried under something heavy. The line "Watch it turn from white to red under the bone clean moon" suggests that something violent is happening or is about to happen. Finally, the last line of the verse "Must I hold my hands up, my bloody hands up" is a call to action for the singer to take charge and face their challenge.
The second verse is about the singer being caught in a lie, and it is unclear whether it is a literal or metaphorical lie. The phrase "Lying with my darkest thought" suggests that it is the latter, and that the singer has done something they are not proud of. They feel trapped and helpless, and their wings have been "pinned to the wall." This could symbolize a loss of freedom or a restriction on their ability to act. The repeated plea for "mercy" represents the singer's desperate desire for forgiveness or a chance to start over. The following lines show a shift in focus to the outside world. The singer observes a boy singing on their street from their window, revealing their feelings of detachment and disconnection from others. The singer is tempted to criticize the boy for his choices, but they are also aware of their own moral shortcomings. The final lines of the verse describe the singer's physical surroundings, and the cold, bleak atmosphere suggests that they feel hopeless and lost.
Overall, "The Fog" by Rachel Sermanni is a poignant and introspective song about coping with self-doubt and facing challenges. The lyrics are rich in symbolism and create vivid images of the singer's mental and emotional state. The use of repetition and the plea for "mercy" create a sense of urgency and despair that is both haunting and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep, deep down under mountains I have heard them call my name,
I've been feeling a strong urge to go somewhere remote where the mountains are and live in solitude. It feels like the mountains are calling out to me.
Will I play their little game and tell them
I'm wondering if I should follow the call of the mountains even though it might not be the best decision in the grand scheme of things.
Deep, deep down I've been waiting for the fighting to begin,
I feel like I've been waiting for something significant to happen and I'm ready to face any challenges that come my way.
Hold my hands up.
I'm ready to fight for what I believe in.
Deep sleep now under skies of pressing dark upon my dress,
I'm sleeping in the darkness and it feels like the night sky is pressing down on me.
Watch it turn from white to red under the
I'm watching my dress change color from white to red, possibly indicating bloodstains.
Bone clean moon I am clinging to this burning, shaking bed
The moon is shining bright and it feels like my bed is on fire or shaking, perhaps due to a nightmare I'm having.
Must I hold my hands up,
I'm questioning whether I should continue to fight or give up.
My bloody hands up.
My hands are covered in blood, probably from the fight or the nightmare I'm having.
Mercy, mercy I've been caught
I've been caught doing something wrong and I'm asking for mercy.
Lying with my darkest thought
I've been lying to myself and others about my deepest, darkest thoughts.
They grabbed my wings and pinned me to the wall.
I've been immobilized or restricted from doing what I want or flying towards my goals.
Oh light please try to hold your ground
I'm asking for a glimmer of hope to keep shining and not fade away.
Lift me up before I drown
I'm asking for help to lift me out of this dark place before I become overwhelmed by it.
The din creeps 'neath my skin and I can't hear no goodness speak.
There's a constant noise or chaos surrounding me that's affecting my mental state and I can't find any positivity or goodness in it.
From the neighbouring town there's a boy that comes to sing upon our street,
There's a boy from the nearby town who sings on our street, and I can hear his voice from my window.
I watch him from the window thinking
I'm observing him from my window and my mind is wandering, possibly reflecting on my own life choices.
Deep, deep down he'd be richer if he just became a thief.
I'm speculating that the boy would be better off financially if he became a thief instead of singing on the street.
Still he holds his hands out.
Despite my conjecture, the boy continues to hold out his hands and sing, indicating his determination and passion.
I walk down to the river stand and shiver in the wind
I go to the river and stand there, feeling cold and shaking in the wind.
Throw stones and watch them sink into the
I throw stones into the water and observe them sink below the surface.
Icy blue, let it rise about my ankles.
The water is icy blue and I let it rise up to my ankles, perhaps to numb myself to the pain I'm feeling.
I don't want this darkness
I don't want to be in this dark place anymore.
But the sun just falls from it's sky.
It feels like the sun is setting and there's nothing I can do to stop it, further exacerbating my feelings of hopelessness.
Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Bruijnes
Goosebumps everytime i'm listening this song.
G.
What a beautiful discovery!
Wonderful voice.
Marlene Sammito
I love how sober this thing is: black and white, voice, music. It all seems very silent still perfectly melodic, I like it when it happens :)
Stella Lopez Gaffney
incredible voice. love this girl
Jamie Williamson
She offers an ethereal sound, a distinctive and delicate voice that navigates through well scripted lyrics and intelligently layered instruments...what is worse is that she is sublime live, charismatic yet demure.
bonapurple
So glad this song made the album. I saw Rachel Sermanni live at the Woodend Barn, and she was terrific in such a small venue.
The LonleyRose
Dark yet beautiful. I absolutely love this song. =)
Stephen Wilson
Soo much love for this song :D Good effort Rachel!
DardisMusic
Really looking forward to getting the new EP - this is really beautiful. Great work!
Yess Huertas
Wow wow wow !
Perfect voice ! ♡