It was an encounter at Hawley's Sheffield home that led the longtime collaborator out of the shadows. Impressed by a home demo of his songs, both Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey urged Hawley to head into the studio and begin work on his first solo release. 2000's eponymous mini album encouraged Hawley to return to the studio once more. In 2001 Late Night Final, named after the cry of vendors selling the Sheffield Star evening newspaper on the streets of the city, was released to positive reviews from the press, if unspectacular sales. Two years later Hawley released Lowedges, another Sheffield reference, this time to the curiously named suburb of the city that had so entranced the young Hawley when he had seen it on the destination board of a bus. NME called Lowedges the "first great album of 2003" and it topped an end of year poll held by Virgin Radio.
In 2004 Hawley signed to Mute Records, a division of the giant EMI. Legal wrangling delayed Cole's Corner, Hawley's fourth release, until September 2005. Again Hawley mines the theme of his beloved home city, this time referencing the location where courting lovers meet. Cole's Corner eventually gained a nomination for the acclaimed Mercury Prize in 2006.
Hawley's work as a session musician and producer remains in high demand. After contributing towards her eponymous 2004 release, Hawley also supported Nancy Sinatra on her European tour in 2005. In the past, Hawley has also worked with artists as diverse as New York's A Girl Called Eddy, All Saints (he played the guitar solo on their cover of "Under the Bridge"), Nellee Hooper's soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet and with Jarvis Cocker's Relaxed Muscle project.
Aside from his solo and session work, Hawley occasionally tours with The Feral Cats, a side project that enables him to explore his interest in rockabilly music.
Possibly due to his aforementioned rockabilly interest, Hawley once auditioned for the role as guitarist in the rockabilly-inclined Morrissey's band.
Fiercely proud of his working class upbringing, Hawley recently described himself as "jurassic labour" in response to a question about the New Labour project. He lives in Sheffield, with his wife and children and is an avid Sheffield Wednesday supporter.
In 2007 Hawley released a new studio album, Lady's Bridge (the title refers to a bridge Hawley regulary crosses in his native Sheffield) again to much critical acclaim.
Hawley's album Truelove's Gutter was released in September 2009 and followed that October by a UK nationwide tour. The album was nominated for, and won the Mojo record of the year.
Following the success of his award-winning, hugely acclaimed 2009 album 'Truelove's Gutter', Richard Hawley will release his sixth studio album, 'Standing At The Sky's Edge' - his first for new label Parlophone - on 7th May.
Recorded at Sheffield's Yellow Arch Studio in 2011, 'Standing At The Sky's Edge' marks a seismic shift in direction for Hawley. The album is a euphoric, sonic assault on the senses, channelling elements of psychedelia, space rock and ragas with heavy riffs and raw, visceral guitar solos - as well as more familiar, tender moments - which will surprise Hawley's fans and peers alike.
www.richardhawley.co.uk
Before
Richard Hawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lent to the earth by the stars
But it won't be me
That sets you free
No it won't be me who closes the door on before.
Before.
Slivers of light hang in the dark,
But it won't be me
That sets you free
No it won't be me who closes the door on before.
Before.
But it won't be me
That sets you free
No it won't be me who closes the door on before.
Before.
Before.
She said don't look at the new moon through the glass,
Our eyes on the future that will pass
But it won't be me
That sets you free
No it won't be me who closes the door on before.
Before
Before
Before.
Richard Hawley's song "Before" is a melancholic but reflective ode to the inevitability of change and the futility of holding onto past moments. In the first two stanzas of the song, Hawley paints a picture of the transience of life and the passing of time. He sings about how human beings are lent to the earth by the stars, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of our existence. Hawley acknowledges that while our loved ones may place flowers in vases and slivers of light may hang in the dark, it won't be him that sets us free or closes the door on before. The repetition of the phrase "before" suggests that Hawley is fixated on a past moment that he cannot let go of, despite his knowledge that he cannot change the course of time.
The final stanza of the song shifts focus, as a woman advises Hawley not to look at the new moon through the glass. This line may be interpreted in several ways; perhaps the woman is warning Hawley not to cling to a fleeting moment, or is cautioning him against seeing the future too clearly. Regardless, Hawley repeats the refrain "before" several more times, reaffirming his understanding that he cannot change the past or predict what is to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we are
We exist in this world, having been brought here by some greater force or destiny
Lent to the earth by the stars
We were bestowed upon this world by some cosmic power
But it won't be me
That sets you free
I am not capable of helping you break free from your troubles or problems
No it won't be me who closes the door on before.
Before.
I cannot close the door on the past, as it is outside of my control
Slivers of light hang in the dark,
There is always hope and beauty present, even in the midst of darkness
Loving hands place the flowers in the vase
There is still love and care in the world, represented by the simple act of arranging flowers
She said don't look at the new moon through the glass,
Don't view the wonder and beauty of the world through an artificial or disconnected lens
Our eyes on the future that will pass
We are always looking towards the future, despite the fact that it is constantly fleeting and changing
Before
Before
Before.
The past is always present, lingering and affecting us in some way
Contributed by Christopher A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thomasgatrell2519
STUNNING ....a real work of the imagination , pictures painted in my mind set to soft rock . Thanks Richard ,this inspires me musically.