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
Leave Your Body Behind You
Richard Hawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't leave with more than you've brought.
Love given lightly can never be owned,
A thing we feel but can never hold.
You leave your body behind you,
When you leave this place,
You leave your body behind you,
Kindness should be a way of life,
Not something you have to think about twice.
All you will be remembered for,
Is what folks say when you walk out the door.
You leave your body behind you,
When you leave this place,
You leave your body behind you,
And you make a space.
Is there anyone?
Is there anyone?
Is there anyone?
Is there anyone?
You leave your body behind you,
When you leave this place,
You leave your body behind you,
And you make a space.
Leave your body behind you,
Leave your body behind you,
Leave your body behind you,
Unchanged.
Is there anyone?
Is there anyone?
Is there anyone?
Is there anyone?
Leave your body behind you,
Leave your body behind you,
Leave your body behind you,
Leave your body behind you…
The lyrics of "Leave Your Body Behind You" by Richard Hawley touch upon the concepts of time, love, kindness, and memories. The opening line "Child of Eden your time is short, You can't leave with more than you've brought," suggests that our time in this world is limited, and we cannot take anything materialistic with us when we depart. The focus then shifts to the idea that love cannot be owned - it is something that is felt from the heart, but cannot be held physically. The line "Love given lightly can never be owned," emphasizes the importance of love in our lives, and how it should be given wholeheartedly without any expectations.
The chorus of the song, "You leave your body behind you, When you leave this place, And you make a space," talks about leaving the physical body behind when we die, and creating space for the memories that we leave behind. The following verse echoes the importance of kindness, and how it should be a way of life. The lyrics suggest that our actions and behaviors should be remembered by the people we leave behind, and that kindness is ultimately what defines us as people. The repetition of the line "Is there anyone?" at the end of each verse adds a poignant touch to the song, questioning the impact we make on the people around us.
Overall, the song conveys a message of leaving behind a legacy of love and kindness, and cherishing the memories we create while we are alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Child of Eden your time is short,
Life passes by quickly like the biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
You can't leave with more than you've brought.
You can't take any material possessions or wealth with you when you die.
Love given lightly can never be owned,
Love cannot be controlled or possessed, it is a feeling that comes and goes like the wind.
A thing we feel but can never hold.
Love is an intangible emotion that we experience, but we cannot grasp or hold onto it.
You leave your body behind you,
When we die, we leave our physical body behind as it is no longer needed.
When you leave this place,
The place refers to the physical world we live in, and when we die, we leave this world behind.
And you make a space.
Death creates space for new things to happen, for new life to emerge.
Kindness should be a way of life,
Being kind to others should be a natural part of our everyday existence.
Not something you have to think about twice.
We should not hesitate to show kindness, it should not require much thought or effort.
All you will be remembered for,
The only legacy we leave behind is the impact we had on others through our actions.
Is what folks say when you walk out the door.
Our reputation is based on how we treat others, and the impressions we leave behind when we exit their lives.
Is there anyone?
The repetition of this line suggests searching for a deeper connection with someone or something, beyond the superficialities of life.
Leave your body behind you,
Repetition of the idea of leaving one's body behind, emphasizes the transient nature of life.
Leave your body behind you,
Repetition emphasizes the importance of focusing on spiritual and emotional wealth over material possessions, which we cannot take with us when we die.
Leave your body behind you,
Repetition suggests a call to action to focus on living our lives to the fullest, and letting go of our ego and attachments.
Unchanged.
The repetition of this word suggests that the only thing that remains constant throughout life is change, and we should be prepared to embrace it.
Contributed by Aaliyah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
chloesbakingcorner
I just discovered the album this song is on last week, and have listened to it on repeat ever since. Like, to the point of obsession. Can't get enough!
Enrique Dunaway
i love the live version of this song in particular
Lady Fantasy
What a great song. Wonderful Artist,great guitar and voice
Tony Bates
Jarvis and Richard are my age, and I play guitar. First time I've regretted not being born up north...
Eddy Bamyasi
Not typical of most Hawley songs but love this. Could be a great Bond title song!
KeepTheFocus
Authentic, unique and most importantly, sounds very much true. Thanks Hawley.
Mike Kelly
The cord progression at the beginning sounds a little like Cream - Tales of Brave Ulysses
Mario Quesada
You're awesome, Richard!
Vienna00001
Great video of that song ! But nothing compares to the live performance of that great song.
blagart27
Is there anyway I can get the version of this that's on the storeyville documentary... slower is sweeter sometimes