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
Standing At the Sky
Richard Hawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though tonight was the best night that we've had
I'll put away my old suit and say goodbye
Cause something is with us tonight
Oh come on now sweetness don't you cry
The living here hasn't been easy for a while
I'll put away my old shoes and say goodbye
Yeah I'm leaving on the next train that's blowing round the bend
And I'll be there by the morning and I won't be back again
'Cos I've just seen the ending to our story
Well something is
Yeah something is
Yeah something is with us tonight
I'm going away to the station in the rain
I'm sorry sweetness but there's nothing more to say
I've put away all my old things, this is goodbye
'Cos something is with us tonight
Yeah I'm leaving on the next train that's blowing round the bend
And I'll be there by the morning and I won't be back again
'Cos I've just seen the ending to our story
Well something is
Yeah something is
Yeah something is With us tonight
The lyrics to Richard Hawley's "Standing at the Sky's Edge" convey a sense of sadness and finality, with the singer leaving his lover behind and preparing to depart on a train. The opening lines, "I'm going away now sweetness, don't be sad / Though tonight was the best night that we've had," suggest that the singer's decision to leave is not an easy one, and that despite the good memories they share, he knows that he must go.
As the song progresses, the sense of finality becomes even stronger, with the singer acknowledging that "there's nothing more to say" and that he has "put away all [his] old things." However, there is a sense of something larger at play, with the repeated refrain that "something is with us tonight." This could be interpreted in many ways – perhaps the singer is referring to the memories he and his lover share, or to the sense that their time together was always meant to come to an end.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of bittersweetness and almost melancholy longing. The mellow guitar and dreamy, almost hypnotic quality of the singer's voice serve to enhance this feeling, creating a sense of nostalgia and wistfulness.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going away now sweetness, don't be sad
I'm leaving, but please don't be upset
Though tonight was the best night that we've had
Even though tonight was great, I still have to go
I'll put away my old suit and say goodbye
I'm packing up and leaving for good
Cause something is with us tonight
There's a feeling in the air tonight
Oh come on now sweetness don't you cry
Please don't cry, this has been hard for both of us
The living here hasn't been easy for a while
We've been struggling to get by for some time now
I'll put away my old shoes and say goodbye
I'm packing everything and saying farewell
'Cos something is with us tonight
There's an unexplained aura surrounding us tonight
Yeah I'm leaving on the next train that's blowing round the bend
I'm taking the next train out of here
And I'll be there by the morning and I won't be back again
I'll arrive at my destination in the morning and I won't be returning
'Cos I've just seen the ending to our story
I can see how our story is going to end
Well something is
There's a feeling of finality in the air
Yeah something is
The situation is undeniable
Yeah something is with us tonight
There's an unshakeable sense of closure tonight
I'm going away to the station in the rain
I'm leaving while it's raining outside
I'm sorry sweetness but there's nothing more to say
I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do about this
I've put away all my old things, this is goodbye
I've said goodbye to all my possessions and now it's time to say goodbye to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD WILLIS HAWLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wild Talks Ireland
Saw him do an acoustic version of this in Cork a few weeks ago. Worth the ticket just to hear it. Epic.
anthony duvall
nice one
Dave McIroy
Saw his as support for Pulp in Dublin. Yeah, was really good.
David Canales
all the stuff i have heard from this guy...very lush. more than a song, he strives to create a set of emotions with his music
lee goodison
Outstanding song. The musical of the same name is terrific. Hopefully it gets close to your home town in the near future. 10/10.
Adam Walker
This is utterly amazing! Very glad that I just discovered you (with some help). Very eager to check out the rest of your music.
winterofyouth
what an incredible song/ songwriter.
Ian Tully
Fantastic album, reminds me so much of Mark Lanegan, brilliant music!
Victor Lazarini
Muuuuuuuuuuuito bom! Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery good!
1trevorjohn
Great song, great album