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
Soldier On
Richard Hawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're the apple of my eye
The bells I hear them ring
And in the churchyard children sing
For so long
For so long
I've soldiered on
For so long
Another blessed morning comes
Thy will on earth be done
Blundered into the abyss
To seek the wonders of your kiss
I still can taste your lips
My hands upon your hips
For so long
For so long
I've soldiered on
For so long
As the stars they slowly die
Thunder cracks across the sky
These are the words I've longed to say:
Be with me, my love, always
But no our moonlit silhouettes they part and fade
I'm left with a loneliness that has no name
For so long
For so long
I'll soldier on
For so long
Never say goodbye
You're the apple of my eye
The lyrics of Richard Hawley's song Soldier On convey a sense of eternal and unwavering love in the face of adversity. The opening lines "Never say goodbye, you're the apple of my eye" suggest a deep and abiding affection that endures through all trials and tribulations. The reference to bells ringing and children singing in the churchyard evokes a sense of nostalgia and simplicity, perhaps implying a longing for a return to a more innocent time. The repetition of the phrase "For so long" suggests a sense of weariness or perseverance in the face of prolonged struggle.
The second verse continues to emphasize the singer's devotion, as they describe having "blundered into the abyss" in search of their beloved's kiss. The imagery of "tasting your lips" and "hands upon your hips" is sensual and intimate, further cementing the theme of enduring love. However, the final lines of the verse hint at the possibility of separation or loss: "I'm left with a loneliness that has no name." Similarly, the third verse emphasizes the impermanence of life, with the metaphor of stars dying and thunder cracking across the sky. The singer expresses a desire for their love to last forever but acknowledges the inevitability of change and loss: "But no our moonlit silhouettes they part and fade."
Overall, Soldier On is a poignant and introspective meditation on love and survival. It suggests that even in the face of hardship and sorrow, the power of love can sustain and inspire us.
Line by Line Meaning
Never say goodbye
Don't ever leave me, don't say goodbye
You're the apple of my eye
You are the one that I love the most
The bells I hear them ring
I can hear the wedding bells ring
And in the churchyard children sing
There are children singing in the churchyard
For so long
I have waited for this moment for a long time
For so long
I have been patient for so long
I've soldiered on
I have kept going through hardships
Another blessed morning comes
Another day has come
Thy will on earth be done
I wish for your will to come true on earth
Blundered into the abyss
I have fallen into darkness
To seek the wonders of your kiss
I have searched for the magic of your kiss
I still can taste your lips
I can still remember your kiss
My hands upon your hips
I remember holding you tightly
As the stars they slowly die
The stars are disappearing
Thunder cracks across the sky
There is thunder in the sky
These are the words I've longed to say: Be with me, my love, always
I want to be with you forever and ever
But no our moonlit silhouettes they part and fade
Our shadows under the moon are disappearing
I'm left with a loneliness that has no name
I'm feeling an indescribable loneliness
I'll soldier on
I will keep going despite the difficulties
For so long
It has been a long time
Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Coisas de Ada
Soldado Em Marcha (tradução)
Quem quer saber
Tudo o que é o ouro está enferrujando
Ninguém vai saber
Quando as estações param e mudam e ...
Até onde nós fomos
Até onde vamos
É o aqui e o agora
E o amor pelo som
Dos momentos que nos mantem em movimento
Ondas quebram por um longo tempo
O farol solitário, agredido
Amanhã ela some
E se não, algum dia, de alguma forma
São estas mãos, um desperdício
Bem, esse lado de mortalidade é
Me assusto com a morte
À morte
Não pense em tudo
Apenas mantenha sua cabeça baixa
E não pense sobre tudo
Soldado em marcha, soldado em marcha
Mantenha o seu coração no chão
Soldado em marcha, soldado em marcha, mantenha o seu coração
Perto do chão
Não pense sobre tudo
Apenas mantenha sua cabeça baixa
Não pense nisso
Em tudo
Sim, você vai me levar hoje à noite
Sim, você vai me levar hoje à noite
Sim, você vai me levar hoje à noite
Ooooh ... hoje à noite
Soldado em marcha
Soldado em marcha
Mantenha o seu coração
Perto do chão
Mauro Pinto de Andrade
I remember listening to this exact video for the first time 6/7 years ago, after watching "Banksy - exit through the gift shop" documentary (which features Richard's Tonight The Streets are Ours as the opening).
I was pretty much of a metalhead and didn't stick up listening to this "slow/boring" kind of music, but something in this day said to me "keep listening... untill the end" and I WAS IN TEARS after the apex of this masterpiece, like how godly magnificent feeling I was able to experience simply by being patient towards something new...
Anyway, here I am in 2020 being all quarantined and nostalgic about it
Mick O'leary
I cried for days on end after hearing this song for my brother, when my niece(My Bro's Daughter)died from cancer at 20 years of age! What a song!
Peter Wollaston
I love this man's voice. He has an eerie quality. Would have loved to have had the opportunity of seeing him live, but cannot get to gigs now.
josh
No song will Ever come close to how this makes me feel. You are a special special man mr Hawley
No Name
♥️
Csaba Pankotai
just like this other great briton here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zak7Z17hPU0
Almondo Commando
josh
No scribe or no orator could have put it better than you.....
Peace to you brother.....
Noel Johnson
Rama jr...someone you had...and then no longer had...ponder that at length...this is what the melancholy in the song means...it's not often such a feeling is expressed so clearly, but in this case it is, and all hail Richard Hawley for doing so...
josh
Rama Jr, it's the longing for somebody you never seem to have, or have had and now don't, nothing I've ever heard strikes a chord with me like this song does, I cannot tell you what its like as I wouldn't do it justice, but imagine the person you love the most and x10 and you'll get somewhere close to how much this song means to me
Noel Johnson
The man has moments of sheer, inspired beauty and perfection...