Until only last year, Roxanne was working full-time as a high-flying banker in the city. The City’s loss is our gain. Her forthcoming debut album, Remember Me, is an understated, subtle delight, a record of perfect pop songs, but each concealing a hidden heart. Produced by Anthony Galatis and Rick Barraclough and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig (U2, Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat Dolls, No Doubt , Rolling Stones), her songs combine the honeyspun melodies of, say, early Bangles with a voice as spine-tinglingly clear as Natalie Imbruglia circa Torn.
Roxanne Emery was born in Southampton and studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Warwick University before going on to become a trader in the city. She has always been a gifted musician (she is a grade 8-level pianist and a clarinettist) and last Autumn she quit the bank, her flat, and the capital itself, and moved up to Manchester, and into an apartment with her close friend and her older brother, Gareth (himself rated the 7th biggest DJ on the planet).
She has performed at Alexandra Palace and has created an album that has taken shape with the kind of natural ease other artists could not help but envy.
Late
Roxanne Emery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll find her by the window waving
She's always on time
She always gets the questions right and,
The Nineties girl
With her saucer eyes
And her chocolate curls
She'll never love you cause' she's to damn cool
And, do you hear, hear the children scream
How do we learn, now that our teacher is gone?
Do you see, see that little girl
How do I learn, now that my role model's gone?
The noughties girl
You'll, you'll find her in the back row laughing
She's never on time
But you know if she fails,
Then she's gonna cry
And the naughty girl, oh
She's set to learn
The black mark how does it feel
By your name it's like a scar that won't heal
Do you hear, hear the children scream
How do we learn, now that our teacher is gone.
Do you see, see that little girl,
How do I learn now that my rolemodels gone.
And, I know you, get the best holidays
You've been gone for so long, lets count the days
So stop this, cause' I've had enough
Come home, where I'm gonna love you so much
Do you hear,
Hear the closing bell
See the smoke oh
And what's that smell
Do you see, see that I don't cry
I can't feel without you, so how can I
So stop this cause' I've had enough
My last words to you were
'I'm gonna miss you so much'
And the one lesson, please don't cry
You never taught was how to say goodbye
Goodbye, Goodbye does it come in time
Goodbye, Goodbye hope it comes in time
The song "Late" by Roxanne Emery is about the different generations of women who have grown up and attended school. The first verse describes a woman from the 80s generation who is diligent, always on time, and knowledgeable. The second verse describes a woman from the 90s who appears sweet and innocent but is actually too cool to fall for anyone. The third verse talks about a woman from the noughties, who is carefree and tends to laugh things off, but still has a vulnerable side. And finally, the fourth verse is about a "naughty girl" who has made mistakes and is seeking redemption, but it seems that the mistakes she has made will stay with her like a scar. In the chorus, there is a recurrent question: "How do we learn, now that our teacher is gone?" This echoes the feeling of being lost or uncertain after losing the guidance of someone who was important, whether it be a mentor, a parent, or even a friend. The song highlights the fact that some lessons cannot be taught and sometimes we have to teach ourselves, even the hardest things like saying goodbye.
Overall, the song carries an upbeat and catchy tune, contrasting with the sadness of the lyrics. There is a sense of longing and reminiscence, with the lyrics highlighting the importance of empathy, understanding and self-love.
Line by Line Meaning
The eighties baby
Introducing a girl born in the 80s
You'll find her by the window waving
She is often seen by the window waving at someone
She's always on time
She is very punctual
She always gets the questions right and,
She is often correct in answering questions
The Nineties girl
Introducing a girl born in the 90s
With her saucer eyes
She has very large eyes
And her chocolate curls
She has curly brown hair
But don't be fooled
Do not underestimate her
She'll never love you cause' she's to damn cool
She is too cool to fall in love with you
And, do you hear, hear the children scream
Asking if you can hear the children screaming
How do we learn, now that our teacher is gone?
Asking how the children will be taught now that their teacher is gone
Do you see, see that little girl
Asking if you can see a particular little girl
How do I learn, now that my role model's gone?
Asking how this little girl will learn now that her role model is gone
The noughties girl
Introducing a girl born in the 2000s
You'll, you'll find her in the back row laughing
She is often at the back of the room laughing
She's never on time
She is always late
But you know if she fails,
If she fails, you will know
Then she's gonna cry
She will cry if she fails
And the naughty girl, oh
Introducing a girl who is naughty
She's set to learn
She is eager to learn
The black mark how does it feel
Asking how it feels to have a black mark on her record
By your name it's like a scar that won't heal
Having a black mark by your name is like a wound that won't heal
Do you hear, hear the children scream
Asking again if you can hear the children screaming
How do we learn, now that our teacher is gone.
Repeating the question of how the children will learn now that their teacher is gone
Do you see, see that little girl
Asking again if you can see the little girl
How do I learn now that my rolemodels gone.
Repeating the question of how this little girl will learn now that her role model is gone
And, I know you, get the best holidays
Addressing someone who gets the best holidays
You've been gone for so long, lets count the days
Counting the days since this person has been gone
So stop this, cause' I've had enough
Telling this person to stop whatever they're doing because the artist has had enough
Come home, where I'm gonna love you so much
Asking this person to come home where the singer will love them very much
Do you hear,
Asking if you can hear something
Hear the closing bell
Asking if you can hear the sound of the closing bell
See the smoke oh
Noticing smoke
And what's that smell
Asking about a particular smell
Do you see, see that I don't cry
Asking if you can see that the singer is not crying
I can't feel without you, so how can I
The artist cannot feel anything without this person, so how can they
My last words to you were
Referencing the singer's previous words to this person
'I'm gonna miss you so much'
The singer said they will miss this person very much
And the one lesson, please don't cry
Referring to a lesson that this person should not cry
You never taught was how to say goodbye
This person never taught how to say goodbye
Goodbye, Goodbye does it come in time
Questioning if saying goodbye gets easier with time
Goodbye, Goodbye hope it comes in time
Hoping that saying goodbye gets easier with time
Contributed by Chloe D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.