Renee developed a great love for music at an early age and honed her voice by singing
along with the radio. Before long she was entering talent contests and appearing in
local musical productions. Her aspirations for stardom were documented on video and
became the subject of two E! television documentaries,
"The Making of a Child Star" and "The Journey Continues".
In 1995, Renee appeared in her first commercial, the award winning ad for Levi Jeans.
In 1998 she did a Segento Cheese commercial.
She made her first foray in TV in 1995 in "Streets Of Laredo".
In 1998, Renee appeared in the episode "Doodlebug" in "Touch By An Angel".
In 1999, she was seen in two shows, "Chicken Soup For The Soul" and "Providence".
In 1999, Renee’s first major motion picture roles were "The Insider",
starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, and "End Of Days" with
Arnold Schwarzenegger. And, in 2000, she appeared in "Space Cowboys".
In 2002, she had her first major role in the CBS comedy "Still Standing", a four year run.
But, by 2002, Renee’s second career, her singing career, began to take shape.
After she saw the movie "Pleasantville", she fell in love with Etta James’s "At Last",
which began a love affair with the music of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald,
Anita O’Day and the Great American Songbook.
Then Renee was able to perform with Eddie Reed’s Swing Band playing LA area clubs.
In September 2002, she released "By Request" to commemorate her club performances.
"At Last" being one of the tracks.
Renee gained the attention of Grammy Award winning producer David Foster
and subsequently signed a contract with the Warner Records label.
In 2003, 13 year old Renee performed at the Playboy Jazz Festival singing
"At Last" to an amazed jazz audience, who gave Renee a standing ovation.
Bill Cosby, whose jazz band backed Renee quipped that “she’s only 13
and knows only one song”.
Finally, in May 2004, all elements of Renee’s career came together.
On the "Still Standing" final episode, of the second season, she performed "Summertime",
in a dream sequence, the first track on her self-titled CD "Renee Olstead",
produced by David Foster, released that month.
The release started Renee on a whirlwind promotional tour starting with
the "Today Show" and "Jazz At Lincoln Center Spring Gala" in NYC.
Montreux Jazz Festival, as part of a European tour, David Letterman and
finally Oprah ended a busy 2004. Renee’s CD was #5 on the
Billboard Jazz Chart, for 2004, after many rave reviews.
In 2004, Renee recorded two songs for movie soundtracks.
She recorded "Merry Christmas In Love" for the Italian movie "Christmas In Love"
and "A Love That Will Last", a track on her CD, was used in "Princess Diary 2".
Also, in the summer of 2004, Renee’s next film "13 Going On 30" was released.
During and after the end of the "Still Standing" run, in the Spring of 2006,
Renee continued to perform her music around the world.
She performed in numerous charity events in the US.
Renee again toured Europe, this time with B.B. King, performed in Live 8,
in Berlin, and with Chris Botti and at the "Unite The Stars" charity event,
in South Africa.
Performance highlights include the "28th Gift Of Life Celebration" hosted
by George Lopez, with Renee performing "Midnight Man" with David Foster,
in 2007. The Java Jazz Festival, in 2008, "My Baby Just Cares For Me",
where Renee received the International Jazz Talent Award, and the "Hit Man:
David Foster And Friends" tribute to David Foster with Renee performing Through The Fire, in 2008.
In 2008, she recorded her third movie soundtrack with "Ain’t we Got Fun"
for the movie "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl".
TV came back in the picture, in 2008, as Renee was cast in the series
"The Secret Life Of The American Teenager" as Madison.
In the final episode, of the second season, again her two careers came together,
as Madison sang "Fly Me To The Moon" and
"Someone To Watch Over Me" at a wedding reception.
In 2009, Renee’s long awaited CD "Skylark", again produced by David Foster,
was released, and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
Discography:
2000: Stone Country
2000: Unleashed
2002: By Request
2004: Renee Olstead
2009: Skylark
Official Web Site: www.ReneeOlstead.com
Official Fan Site: www.ReneeOlstead.info
Skylark
Renee Olstead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have you anything to say to me?
Won't you tell me where my love can be?
Is there a meadow in the mist
Where someone's waiting to be kissed?
Skylark
Have you seen a valley green with spring?
Over the shadows and the rain
To a blossom covered lane
And in your lonely flight
Haven't you heard the music in the night?
Wonderful music, faint as a will o' the wisp
Crazy as a loon, sad as a gypsy serenading the moon
Oh skylark
I don't know if you can find these things
But my heart is riding on your wings
So if you see them anywhere
Won't you lead me there?
Oh skylark
I don't know if you can find these things
But my heart is riding on your wings
So if you see them anywhere
Won't you lead me there?
The song "Skylark" by Renee Olstead is a beautiful ballad that speaks of longing and hope. The singer reaches out to a skylark, asking if it has any information about where her love might be. She wonders if there is a meadow in the mist where someone is waiting to be kissed. The use of nature as a metaphor for love and longing is very effective in this song.
The second verse of the song describes a valley green with spring where the singer's heart can journey over the shadows and the rain to a blossom-covered lane. This verse speaks of hope and the possibility of finding love, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. The skylark is asked if it has heard the music in the night, and whether it has experienced the wonderful but faint music that is crazy as a loon and sad as a gypsy serenading the moon. This juxtaposition of beauty and sadness is typical of love songs, and it adds depth to the song.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the singer's heart is riding on the skylark's wings, and she implores the bird to lead her to where her heart's desires can be found. The use of the skylark as a metaphor for hope and possibility is very effective in this song, and the beautiful melody and lyrics combine to create a very moving piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Skylark
The song opens with the singer calling out to the skylark, whom she considers an ethereal being, to ask whether it has any message or omen for her.
Have you anything to say to me?
The singer is imploring the skylark to deliver a message that could help her search for her lost love.
Won't you tell me where my love can be?
The singer is requesting the skylark to guide her to the location where her love could be found.
Is there a meadow in the mist
The artist wonders if amidst all the fog and uncertainty, there's a clearing or pathway that could lead her to her love.
Where someone's waiting to be kissed?
The artist hopes that the meadow she envisions is a place where her love is waiting for her, so that they can share a romantic moment together.
Have you seen a valley green with spring?
The singer asks the skylark if it has come across a lush valley in spring, that she could travel to.
Where my heart can go a journeying
The singer longs for an ideal destination that can fulfill her heart's wanderlust and heal her broken spirit.
Over the shadows and the rain
The artist wants to journey to a place beyond her emotional turmoil and seeks to escape from her pain and suffering.
To a blossom covered lane
The artist desires to leave her troubles behind and take a stroll down a path enveloped in floral beauty and joy.
And in your lonely flight
The artist observes the skylark in its solitary flight and wonders what it hears and sees during its sojourns.
Haven't you heard the music in the night?
The singer wonders whether the skylark, with its heightened perceptions, can hear the melodies of the night sky.
Wonderful music, faint as a will o' the wisp
The artist describes the music she hears in her dreams as utterly transcendent, yet alluringly elusive.
Crazy as a loon, sad as a gypsy serenading the moon
The singer paints a picture of the diverse emotions she experiences while listening to the mystical music, often feeling both insane and melancholic at the same time.
Oh skylark
The singer once again addresses the skylark, still hoping for it to lead her somewhere promising.
I don't know if you can find these things
Despite her faith in the skylark, the singer acknowledges that there's no guarantee the bird can help her locate her love or lead her to a place of solace.
But my heart is riding on your wings
The artist is holding on to a glimmer of hope that the skylark will eventually come through for her and is willing to take the risk of traveling with the bird.
So if you see them anywhere
The artist reiterates her plea to the skylark, urging it to keep searching and notify her if it finds the meadow, valley or lane she seeks.
Won't you lead me there?
The singer's final request is for the skylark to act as her loyal guide, and take her to the place where she can finally experience the happiness she yearns for.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind