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 Sea Calls
Richard Hawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To go sailing to new lands
They pay for your worth
Bread, drink and a berth
Ah honey, I've got to go
The ship took the crew off to new lands
The boson piped all hands
A journey to the unknown
Ah honey, I've got to go
The road bends
Back to where we sent
The signals out to the men
Did they make it on board
With fire and the sword?
Ah honey I've got to go
Can you hear the winds blow?
It shakes your spirit and your soul
I've tried to stay true and stay on land
But the call of the ocean
Is so hard to ignore
It's why I'm leaving your door
Ah honey, I've got to go
I've seen, a ship with a black sail
When the wind howls and the ghosts wail
Dead men they don't bite
Their faces haunt me at night
Ah honey I've got to go
Can you hear the waves roar?
And no sound of the shore
It shakes you spirit and your soul
I dream of sailing the oceans
In a galleon all golden
Dead trees in the hearth
The way they burn it warms the heart
Ah honey, I've got to go
The years passed
We traveled and sailed west
I'll buy you a new dress
With all of my gold
Free your spirit and your soul
Ah honey, I've got to go
Can you hear the winds blow?
Shakes your spirit and your soul
I've got to go
The song "The Sea Calls" by Richard Hawley is a melancholic ballad about the call of the sea and the wanderlust it inspires in the singer. The singer is an old hand, that is a sailor with experience, who hears the call of the sea and must answer it. The song begins with the sea calling out to the singer, urging him to go sailing to new lands. The shore offers payment in the form of bread, drink, and a berth, but despite a lover's plea for him to stay, he cannot resist the call.
The chorus features Hawley's signature crooning, as he describes the power of the wind and waves and their ability to shake one's spirit and soul. The second verse describes the singer's history with the sea, including a haunting encounter with a ship with a black sail and dead men onboard. Despite these frightening experiences, the draw of the sea remains too strong and the singer dreams of setting sail on a galleon with all the gold his travel has earned him.
The final verse describes the singer's travels, journeying westward across the sea and offering to buy his lover a new dress with his wealth. Although the idea of leaving behind his lover and everything he knows is a painful one, the call of the sea is too strong to resist.
Overall, "The Sea Calls" is a powerful meditation on the lure of the unknown, the beauty and terror of the ocean as a metaphor for the unknown, and the melancholy that goes along with letting go of the familiar and risking everything for adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
The sea calls, out to an old hand
The sea beckons to an experienced sailor.
To go sailing to new lands
To embark on a journey to unfamiliar territories.
They pay for your worth
The crew is compensated according to their value.
Bread, drink and a berth
The crew is provided with basic necessities and accommodations.
Ah honey, I've got to go
The decision to leave is difficult, but the call of the sea is strong.
The ship took the crew off to new lands
The vessel set sail for uncharted territories.
The boson piped all hands
The boatswain summoned all crew members on deck.
And with it you'll go
The journey into the unknown is inevitable.
A journey to the unknown
A voyage full of uncertainty and risk.
The road bends
The path ahead is uncertain and may require a change in plan.
Back to where we sent
Returning to the location where communication was sent out.
The signals out to the men
Messages were sent to the crew members.
Did they make it on board
Were all the crew members able to join the ship?
With fire and the sword?
Was violence necessary to ensure the crew members' presence?
Can you hear the winds blow?
The sound of the wind emphasizes the power of nature.
It shakes your spirit and your soul
The intensity of the elements awakens primal emotions.
I've tried to stay true and stay on land
The artist attempted to resist the call of the sea and live a domestic life.
But the call of the ocean
The irresistible pull of the sea.
Is so hard to ignore
The desire to sail is too strong to resist.
It's why I'm leaving your door
The artist must leave their loved one to pursue their passion.
I've seen, a ship with a black sail
The artist has witnessed a foreboding sight at sea.
When the wind howls and the ghosts wail
In moments of eerie howls and ghosts' cries at sea.
Dead men they don't bite
The threat of dead sailors is not physical, but mental.
Their faces haunt me at night
The memory of the dead crew members lingers on.
Can you hear the waves roar?
The sound of the waves is immense and powerful.
And no sound of the shore
The absence of familiar noise and safety is eerie.
I dream of sailing the oceans
The singer's passion for sailing runs deep.
In a galleon all golden
A particularly ornate and valuable ship.
Dead trees in the hearth
Scorched wood is used to create warmth indoors.
The way they burn it warms the heart
Even simple comforts at sea can inspire warmth and comfort.
The years passed
The time spent at sea has no clear markers.
We traveled and sailed west
The crew has journeyed into the Western territories.
I'll buy you a new dress
The artist plans to spoil their absent loved one.
With all of my gold
The value of their years spent at sea is displayed in riches.
Free your spirit and your soul
The singer wishes to lift their loved one's spirit.
Shakes your spirit and your soul
The experience of sailing invokes deep emotion.
I've got to go
The decision to leave is made final.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD WILLIS HAWLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind