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
The Nights Are Made For Us
Richard Hawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be with you when I'm dreaming love and you'll tell me it's alright
My eyes closed, my thoughts calm and now I'm locked in
I'll just wait and sink back down and I'll be with you again tonight
The nights are made for us
All our days are cursed
It feels so right to lust
And we're here because
The nights were made for us
The lyrics to Richard Hawley's "Nights Are Made For Us" suggest the idea of finding solace and comfort in the night, specifically in the company of a lover. The first verse portrays a peaceful scene where the leaves of the day fall and dissolve into the night. The singer is with their lover in their dreams, where they find the reassurance that everything will be okay. The line "my eyes closed, my thoughts calm and now I'm locked in" leads us to believe that the singer is relieved from their troubles by the presence of their significant other.
The chorus emphasizes the idea that the nights are meant for the two of them. "All our days are cursed" suggests that perhaps their lives are difficult during the day, but in the night, they find solace in each other. The use of the term "lust" indicates that their relationship may be based on physical attraction rather than emotional. However, the sense of comfort they find with each other is enough to help ease their pain and heal their losses. Ultimately, they are together in the night, where they belong.
Line by Line Meaning
Day's leaves are falling, they melt into the night
As the day ends, we transition into the night and let go of our worries.
I'll be with you when I'm dreaming love and you'll tell me it's alright
Even though we may be physically apart, we will always be together in our dreams and provide each other with comfort.
My eyes closed, my thoughts calm and now I'm locked in
When I close my eyes and focus on my mind, I am able to find peace and clarity.
I'll just wait and sink back down and I'll be with you again tonight
I am willing to wait for the night to come, so we can be together once again.
The nights are made for us
The night time is intended for us to connect and be together.
All our days are cursed
Our days are filled with obstacles and hardships that we must overcome together.
It feels so right to lust
Our passionate love for each other feels natural, and it helps us overcome our struggles.
It helps to heal the loss
Our love helps us cope with the pain and loss that we experience throughout our lives.
And we're here because
Our love has brought us together, and we are grateful for it.
The nights were made for us
Once again, the night time was designed for us to be near each other and connect.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD WILLIS HAWLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind