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
No Way Home
Richard Hawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We don't get long and no rehearsal
So I'll shade my eyes and watch the shadows grow
'cause I'm not coming back
Maybe I've been too long in this town
Even the happy faces just bring me down
So maybe now it's time to move on
But it's too hard a road
I can't make it on my own
Yes it's too high a climb
It just breaks this heart of mine
No way home
I just sit here and count the time
Sometimes I'm frightened what's in my mind
The things that just seem to stick in there
I wouldn't want you to know
This is all the time that we have
All those ways to love you never get it back
So I'll wear shoes that walk the distance
'Cause I'm never coming back
And it's too hard a road
I can't make it on my own
Yes it's too high a climb
Oh this broken heart of mine
There's no way home
It's too hard a road
I can't make it on my own
Yes it's too high a climb
For this broken heart of mine
No way home
No way home
No way home
No way home
No way home
The lyrics of "No Way Home" by Richard Hawley depict the singer's melancholic and contemplative mood about his current situation in life. The song could be interpreted in different ways, but it seems to express the feelings of someone who is tired of his surroundings and the people he knows. The opening lines, "I'll see myself out of this world; We don't get long and no rehearsal" convey a sense of resigned acceptance of mortality but also of the finite nature of life. The lyrics suggest that life is precious and fleeting, and the singer feels he has to move on from his current situation, as it's too late for rehearsal.
The singer goes on to describe how the town he is in brings him down, and he feels it's time to move on. However, the road he envisions is difficult, and he doesn't feel capable of doing it on his own. The idea of the "too hard a road" and the "too high a climb" suggests a journey that is not only physically challenging but emotionally and mentally overwhelming. And the repetition of "no way home" implies a loss of hope or a feeling of hopelessness that he may not return to the place he is leaving.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll see myself out of this world
I will accept whatever comes at me without regret and move on.
We don't get long and no rehearsal
Life is too short and we have no way of knowing what will happen, so we must live in the present.
So I'll shade my eyes and watch the shadows grow
I will observe what is happening around me while keeping my distance.
'cause I'm not coming back
I am moving on and will not be returning to the same things as before.
Maybe I've been too long in this town
Perhaps I have overstayed my welcome and need to leave this place.
Even the happy faces just bring me down
Even the positive attitudes of others are not enough to lift me up and make me happy.
So maybe now it's time to move on
It is time to make a change and leave this place behind for good.
And hold that torch again
To rekindle the fire and passion I once had in my heart.
But it's too hard a road
The path to achieving my goals is difficult and challenging.
I can't make it on my own
I need help and support to overcome the obstacles I will face on this journey.
Yes it's too high a climb
The challenges I face are too great and seem impossible to overcome.
It just breaks this heart of mine
The journey is emotionally draining and takes a toll on my mental state.
No way home
There is no turning back from this decision to move on and start a new chapter in life.
I just sit here and count the time
I am waiting for the right time to leave, and it feels like it is taking forever.
Sometimes I'm frightened what's in my mind
I am scared of what kind of thoughts and emotions are swirling around in my head.
The things that just seem to stick in there
My thoughts and feelings seem to be stuck in my head and won't go away.
I wouldn't want you to know
I keep my thoughts and emotions hidden from others, not wanting to burden them with my problems.
This is all the time that we have
Life is short, and we must make the most of the time we have.
All those ways to love you never get it back
The opportunities to love and be loved are fleeting and should be seized while they still can.
So I'll wear shoes that walk the distance
I will equip myself with the tools I need to succeed on this journey and will not give up.
'Cause I'm never coming back
I am moving forward and will not look back or return to my old ways.
For this broken heart of mine
My heart has been shattered by my experiences, and it feels impossible to put it back together.
No way home
There is no going back, and I must continue climbing this tough road alone.
No way home
I am committed to this journey and will not turn back, no matter how difficult it may be.
No way home
I am determined to make a new life for myself and will not let anything stop me.
No way home
I am on this path until the end, and there is no going back to where I started.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: RICHARD WILLIS HAWLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind