Sheila Elizabeth Nicholls (born 9 February 1970 in Colchester, Essex) is a … Read Full Bio ↴Sheila Elizabeth Nicholls (born 9 February 1970 in Colchester, Essex) is a British singer-songwriter, now residing in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California.

Whilst growing up, Nicholls attended Felsted School. She first found fame for performing cartwheels whilst streaking at an England vs. Australia cricket match at Lord's in May 1989, in which she joined fellow school players Derek Pringle and John Stephenson on the field of play; this footage was later included in the video Streaker, narrated by George Best.

Nicholls travelled to the United States later in 1989 and began performing with her band, Sheila Nicholls and the Splendid Frock, in New York City in the mid-1990s.

Nicholls then moved to Los Angeles where she recorded a solo album, the critically acclaimed Brief Strop, and started her own label, Essex Girl Records.

Shortly thereafter, Nicholls signed a deal with Hollywood Records, which began distributing Brief Strop. The song "Fallen for You," from the album, became a hit on College Radio stations and found its way onto the best-selling soundtrack for the movie High Fidelity. She toured extensively with the album, including several gigs alongside k.d. lang.

In mid-2002, Nicholls released her second album, Wake, in which she worked with producers Glen Ballard and Jez Colin. The album's first single, "Faith," co-written with Ballard, received ample radio play and reached the pop charts. Nicholls third album, "Songs From the Bardo" was released in August 2009.

Bed
Sheila Nicholls Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

midnight air tumbles ocean thro my window
and from my bed im searching the stars,
quite aware through my stare I asked you in though
under sheets, slide your voice your guitars.

here I am, lying in bed with him but im thinking of you ,
here I am lying in bed lying to myself, im thinking of you

the planets are baring the secrets of us,
in each of my memories resides one more layer of dust
cos when I still choose to feel you my eyes cannot breathe
so few knew this freedom that in you and in me I receive

here I am...

so what did you say to yourself when you finally went home?
did you just walk through the door
and ask will you love me again?
love me again, love me again.

here I am

Overall Meaning

trying to make sense of Sheila Nicholls's song "Bed", which describes a situation where the singer is lying in bed with someone but thinking of someone else. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery, with the "midnight air" tumbling through the singer's window and the "planets baring the secrets of us." The singer is aware of their own lies to themselves, as they "still choose to feel" the person they are thinking of. The song ends with a poignant question asked of the imagined person: "what did you say to yourself when you finally went home? / did you just walk through the door / and ask will you love me again?"

The song is a complex exploration of the emotions that can arise in a situation where one person is physically present but emotionally absent. The use of cosmic imagery, from the stars to the planets, adds to the sense of distance and longing in the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

midnight air tumbles ocean thro my window
The ocean breeze enters my room at midnight.

and from my bed im searching the stars,
I am lying in bed, gazing at the stars.

quite aware through my stare I asked you in though
I invited you into my thoughts with my stare.

under sheets, slide your voice your guitars.
Your voice and guitar intertwine under the sheets.

here I am, lying in bed with him but im thinking of you ,
I am with him in bed, but my thoughts are consumed by you.

the planets are baring the secrets of us,
The planets reveal secrets about us.

in each of my memories resides one more layer of dust
Each memory becomes increasingly blurry over time.

cos when I still choose to feel you my eyes cannot breathe
Thinking of you takes my breath away.

so few knew this freedom that in you and in me I receive
Only a few understand the freedom we share.

so what did you say to yourself when you finally went home?
What thoughts did you have when you left?

did you just walk through the door
Did you simply enter your home?