Phillips began her musical career as a vocalist in the early 1980s, singing background parts for Christian artists such as Mark Heard, Randy Stonehill, and others. After a short time, Phillips was signed to a solo contract with Myrrh Records (under her given name) where she went on to record four Christian pop albums: Beyond Saturday Night, Dancing with Danger, Black & White in a Grey World, and, The Turning, which teamed her with producer and future husband T-Bone Burnett. Throughout the Myrrh period, Phillips wrote more and more of her own songs and several were Top 10 singles on Christian radio.
Since Cyndi Lauper was popular at the time and also had an high-pitched, idiosyncratic vocal style, Myrrh insisted on promoting her as "the Christian Cyndi Lauper." Phillips was never comfortable with this image, and it was a bone of contention between her and the label. She began using the name "Sam" professionally in 1988 when she left Myrrh Records and signed with Virgin Records, partially in order to distance herself from her somewhat embarrassing Myrrh-imposed persona.
Like many Christian artists before her, she expanded into more secular content at the new label. She released The Indescribable Wow, which featured the orchestrations of Van Dyke Parks. Cruel Inventions, which was released in 1991, included a guest appearance from close friend Elvis Costello, and she (with her husband) supported Costello on his 1991 tour. 1994's Martinis & Bikinis was widely praised by music critics and was even nominated for a Grammy Award; this was Phillips' first nomination.
In 1995, Phillips made her silver screen debut in the Bruce Willis blockbuster Die Hard With a Vengeance, in which she played a mute terrorist. She was originally supposed to have a speaking part in the film but it was decided that her character would be silent, since it made her appear much more imposing and lethal, although it also placed her in a more stereotypically femme fatale role at the same time.
In 1996, Phillips released Omnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lambchop), which was more experimental musically and ended up being her worst-selling album to date. After releasing a contractual obligation "best-of" album for Virgin in 1999, the label dropped Phillips from their roster.
In 2001, Phillips signed with Nonesuch Records and released a stripped-down acoustic album called Fan Dance, which featured some of the most critically acclaimed songwriting of Phillips' career. Van Dyke Parks contributed string arrangements for a track or two. Phillips also began writing music for and scoring the television series Gilmore Girls, and even appeared on-screen during the final episode of season six, performing Taking Pictures. In 2004 she released A Boot and a Shoe, another collection of acoustic cabaret songs in the same vein as her previous album.
Sam returned with a new album don't do anything in 2008. In October 2009 Sam launched Long Play, an exclusively web-based membership site which promised subscribers 5 digital EPs and 1 full-length digital album over the course of about one year. A physical "best of" compilation of Long Play songs, titled Solid State, was released in June 2011.
Libera Me
Sam Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pull my heart away
From love I long to taste
Why do I run away
When I come face to face with anything I need
I am so afraid
If I keep hoping
When my heart is open
That you will walk away
Like you were never there
And I don't know all the truth
From the lying
But I know that I need you
Because I am dying
From being held by hell
In a cell of blinding fear
Libera, libera, libera me
From this dark dream
To the life stream
Libera, libera, libera me
From this bruised soul
Living half-whole
Libera, libera, libera me
I know there is a place
Free from no borders
Before I turn this grace
Into disorder
I've got to find a way
Out of this chaos
The lyrics to Sam Phillips's "Libera Me" express the singer's struggles with fear and running away from love. She sings about how she is afraid to open her heart and that she may lose the one she loves if she does. She feels trapped in a dark dream, held captive by feelings of fear and uncertainty about the future. However, she expresses hope for finding a way out of the chaos and into a life stream, where she may find the freedom to love and be loved.
The song's title, "Libera Me," is taken from the liturgical text of the Catholic Requiem Mass, which translates to "Deliver Me." The repetition of the phrase throughout the chorus adds to the overall plea of the singer, both for deliverance from her internal struggles and for guidance towards a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
Dreams that I can't trace
I have dreams that I cannot understand or explain.
Pull my heart away
My emotions pull me away from what I truly desire.
From love I long to taste
I desire to experience love, but am held back by my own fears.
Why do I run away
I often flee from situations that require vulnerability and emotional openness.
When I come face to face with anything I need
When I am confronted with what I truly desire, I tend to retreat and keep my distance.
I am so afraid
I am gripped with fear and anxiety in many aspects of my life.
If I keep hoping
Despite my fears, I continue to hold on to hope.
That there will come a day
I yearn for a time when I am no longer held back by my own fears and insecurities.
When my heart is open
I desire to be emotionally vulnerable and open with others.
That you will walk away
I fear being abandoned or rejected by those I care about.
Like you were never there
I fear forgetting those who are important to me, or being forgotten myself.
And I don't know all the truth
I recognize that there is much I don't understand or comprehend about my own thoughts and feelings.
From the lying
I am concerned about deception and insincerity in myself and in others.
But I know that I need you
Despite my fears, I recognize that having the support and companionship of others is essential for me.
Because I am dying
Without support and connection, I feel like a part of me is fading away or dying.
From being held by hell
I feel trapped in a painful and difficult emotional state, as if suffering in hell.
In a cell of blinding fear
My fears restrict me, holding me in a place of darkness and anxiety.
Libera, libera, libera me
Set me free, set me free, set me free.
From this dark dream
Free me from this troubling and confusing emotional state.
To the life stream
Allow me to experience healthy and fulfilling relationships with others.
From this bruised soul
Heal the emotional injuries I have suffered, which have left me feeling damaged and incomplete.
Living half-whole
Despite my best efforts, I feel incomplete and unfulfilled.
I know there is a place
I believe that there is a better, healthier way of living than what I am currently experiencing.
Free from no borders
A life without limitations or restrictions is possible and desirable.
Before I turn this grace
Before I squander or misuse the opportunities and blessings in my life.
Into disorder
Before my life becomes chaotic and unmanageable due to my own fears and insecurities.
I've got to find a way
I must take action and seek out a better way of living.
Out of this chaos
I must break free from the cycle of fear, anxiety, and self-doubt that dominates my life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LESLIE PHILLIPS, T-BONE BURNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mikel Lopez
I love Leslie Phillips...
Libérame!!!!!
mctonedef
She was wonderful as Leslie, and wonderful as Sam. Beautiful talent, beautiful voice and a beautiful, pensive soul.
Janette Keys
I had The Turning first on album, then bought the tape and when it came out on CDI got that. It is for sure in my top 50 discs of all time.
Gum Nut
Leslie was just the best. So much pain in these songs. She did the right thing for her mental health stepping away from the CCM scene, or was she kicked out I can't remember. She remains in the everlasting arms.
CHO's Channel
I don't care if she calls herself "Sam" or "Leslie", i just love her! What an amazing talent! have been a fan since "before" her first album; still am.
Gregory Derksen
As Leslie, she was interchangeable with so many others...As, Sam, she's unique and real...Why would you want empty and shallow?
Nelson Cruz
She definitely performed a lot better as Leslie. She's almost lifeless here. I miss the old Leslie.
loveistruth 5*7*
I love Leslie Phillips ever since I can remember. I don't know why she walked away from the CCM. I think it had something to do with her love life and her manager. But I always pray for her that she would remember her first love in the anointing that she had. I know that God is married to the backslider. And I pray for her all the time. And I know that one day we will hear her singing those glorious Tunes in the new Heaven and Earth. Much blessings peace faith hope and love
fares faria
she's the badass girl from die hard 3. a good actress too. peace
Samantha B.
is anyone else having audio troubles with this song?