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
You Don
Richard Hawley Lyrics
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You know and nothing feels right
And it won't do again
You say you're gonna leave me now
You're turned away on your side, you kill the light from my eyes
You played to deceive me now
Like a thief in the night you stole the love from my world
And you don't miss your water 'til your river runs dry
Well I hope that you know
That I'll still see your eyes In the deep of my soul
All the days of my life
And you say you're gonna leave me now
You're turned away on your side, you kill the light from my eyes
You played to deceive me now
Like a thief in the night you stole the love from my world
And you don't miss your water 'til the river runs dry
And you don't miss your lover 'til they're waving goodbye
Bye bye bye bye
You're turned away on your side, you kill the light from my eyes
You played to deceive me now
Like a thief in the night you stole the love from my world
And you don't miss your water 'til your river runs dry
And you don't miss your lover 'til they're waving goodbye
And you don't miss your water 'til your river runs dry
And you don't miss your lover 'til they're waving goodbye
And you don't miss your water 'til your river runs dry
And you don't miss your lady 'til she's waving goodbye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
The song "You Don't Miss Your Water" by Richard Hawley is a classic story of heartbreak and regret. The lyrics revolve around a lover who has been deceived and left behind by their partner. The first lines of the song are a call out to the lover in question as they lie awake at night, unable to shake off the feeling that something is wrong. The chorus carries the message that they don't realize the value of their partner or the love they had until it's gone, likening it to missing water only when the river runs dry.
The second verse offers a glimmer of hope that despite the betrayal, the singer will always remember their lover and keep their memory in their heart forever. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the message that it's too late to realize the worth of what they had, and the song ends in a bittersweet tone with the goodbye being the last word.
The song's lyrics were inspired by a classic soul song of the same name by William Bell. Richard Hawley, a lifelong fan of soul music, was introduced to the song by his father, who played the original vinyl record for him when he was a child. Hawley's version is a heartfelt tribute to the original with its own unique interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
In the still of the night I call out your name
During the calm and quiet of the night, I desperately call your name
You know and nothing feels right
You know that everything feels wrong and unbearable without you
And it won't do again
I can’t bear to go through this pain and heartache again
You say you're gonna leave me now
You’ve decided to abandon me
You're turned away on your side, you kill the light from my eyes
You’ve turned your back on me, and it’s like you’re deliberately causing me deep emotional pain and sadness
You played to deceive me now
You’ve manipulated and lied to me
Like a thief in the night you stole the love from my world
You took away the love and happiness that I had in my life like a thief in the night
And you don't miss your water 'til your river runs dry
You don’t realize how much you need something until it is taken away from you
And you don't miss your lover 'til they're waving goodbye
You don’t realize how much you need and love someone until they leave you
Well I hope that you know
I hope you are aware
That I'll still see your eyes In the deep of my soul
Your memory will always be with me, deeply ingrained in my soul
All the days of my life
I will always carry you in my heart for the rest of my life
Bye bye bye bye
Goodbye
You don't miss your lady 'til she's waving goodbye
You don’t realize how much you need a woman until she’s gone and never coming back
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD WILLIS HAWLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind