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.
Hannah
Sheila Nicholls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When she met him at the end of the bar
Hannah's friends were thinking
That he wouldn't even make it that far
"This is for you", he said
Her gaze unbroken as she licked her spoon
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the moon
Her breathing stumbled and her eyes became wide
And as she swallowed cream
She could already feel him inside
She'd seen similar before
A book, a ring, a key, and more
But never as clever and as clean and as pure
And he said, "You're the one
You're the only one I've been waiting for"
So she took his eyes and trusted
And they slipped through the door
Texas girl in New York, don't call her naive
Though she's seen it before, she just risks to believe
She still has the faith in her battered ideals and she
She still holds the courage to scale her fears
Well, spontaneous love has crossed everyone's mind
Most lose hope when that's not what we find
I saw her in the morning and she was crying in the park
She said his girlfriend came home and screamed through the dark
She said that she called her a whore and then she spat in her face
So, Hannah had left in silent disgrace
And then she turned to be, she said, "Now what do I do?"
And I witnessed her shame, how it was mine too
And now she even calls him from Texas, she gets his machine
He made her question herself, her worth, her esteem
So, don't say she's the one and then forget
Don't hand her the moon and then charge interest on debt now
Don't give her your lines 'cause your mask may be flawless
But you're full of shit and your campaign is coreless
And the moon won't do if it's just a snapshot
And hell neither will you if that's all that you got now
Neither will you if that's all that you got now
Neither will you if that's all that you got now
Neither will you if that's all that you got
Texas girl in New York, don't call her naive
Though she's seen it all before, she just risks to believe
Well, she still has the faith in her battered ideals and she
She still has the courage to scale her fears
Spontaneous love has crossed everyone's mind
Most lose hope when that's not what we find
The song "Hannah" by Sheila Nicholls tells the story of a young woman named Hannah who falls for a man she meets at a bar. At first, her friends are skeptical of him, but he impresses Hannah with a grand romantic gesture - he pulls the moon out of his pocket and gives it to her. Hannah is swept away by his charm, despite having seen similar romantic gestures before. The lyrics describe how their relationship progresses and how Hannah is ultimately betrayed when the man's girlfriend comes back into the picture. Hannah is left feeling ashamed and questioning her self-worth, but the song ultimately celebrates her courage and resilience in the face of heartbreak.
The lyrics of "Hannah" deal with themes of love, heartbreak, and the risks involved in putting one's trust in another person. Hannah is a character who is willing to take risks in pursuit of love, even when she knows it might not end well. The song also touches on the idea that love can be manipulative and deceptive, and that it's important to be cautious when entrusting one's heart to another person. Ultimately, however, the song is a celebration of Hannah's strength and resilience in the face of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Hannah's friends were watching
At the bar, Hannah's friends were watching her and the guy she met
When she met him at the end of the bar
Hannah met the guy at the end of the bar
Hannah's friends were thinking
Hannah's friends were thinking the guy wouldn't make it far with Hannah
That he wouldn't even make it that far
Hannah's friends doubted that the guy would last long with Hannah
"This is for you", he said
The guy handed Hannah something and said it was for her
Her gaze unbroken as she licked her spoon
Hannah didn't break eye contact as she licked her spoon
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the moon
The guy pulled out the moon from his pocket and gave it to Hannah
He gave it to her
The guy gave the moon to Hannah
Her breathing stumbled and her eyes became wide
Hannah was shocked and her breathing became erratic when she received the moon
And as she swallowed cream
Hannah was eating something creamy as she received the moon
She could already feel him inside
Hannah felt a connection with the guy after receiving the moon
She'd seen similar before
Hannah had received similar gifts before
A book, a ring, a key, and more
Hannah had received gifts like a book, a ring, a key and more in the past
But never as clever and as clean and as pure
But the gift of the moon was unlike any she had received before
And he said, "You're the one
The guy told Hannah that she was the one for him
You're the only one I've been waiting for"
The guy told Hannah that she was the only one he had been waiting for
So she took his eyes and trusted
Hannah trusted the guy's words and took a chance with him
And they slipped through the door
Hannah and the guy left through a door
Texas girl in New York, don't call her naive
Hannah, a girl from Texas in New York, should not be underestimated
Though she's seen it before, she just risks to believe
Despite her past experiences, Hannah still risks believing in spontaneous love
She still has the faith in her battered ideals and she
Hannah still holds strong to her ideals despite them being battered by past experiences
She still holds the courage to scale her fears
Hannah still has the courage to face her fears
Most lose hope when that's not what we find
Most people lose hope after failing to find spontaneous love
I saw her in the morning and she was crying in the park
The artist saw Hannah crying in the park the next morning after the night with the guy
She said his girlfriend came home and screamed through the dark
Hannah said that the guy's girlfriend came home and screamed at them in the dark
She said that she called her a whore and then she spat in her face
The guy's girlfriend called Hannah a whore and spat in her face
So, Hannah had left in silent disgrace
Hannah left feeling embarrassed and humiliated after the incident
And then she turned to be, she said, "Now what do I do?"
Hannah was now lost, unsure of what to do next
And I witnessed her shame, how it was mine too
The artist felt Hannah's shame as if it was their own
And now she even calls him from Texas, she gets his machine
Hannah calls the guy but only gets his answering machine
He made her question herself, her worth, her esteem
The guy made Hannah question herself, her worth, and her self-esteem
So, don't say she's the one and then forget
The guy shouldn't have said Hannah was the one for him and then forget about her
Don't hand her the moon and then charge interest on debt now
The guy shouldn't have given Hannah the moon as a gift and then expected something in return
Don't give her your lines 'cause your mask may be flawless
The guy shouldn't have used smooth words and lines to deceive Hannah, because he may have been hiding his true nature
But you're full of shit and your campaign is coreless
The guy's actions were insincere and he had no real intentions with Hannah
And the moon won't do if it's just a snapshot
The gift of the moon won't be enough if it's not backed up by true and genuine feelings
And hell neither will you if that's all that you got now
The guy won't be enough for Hannah if all he has to offer is insincerity and shallowness
Neither will you if that's all that you got now
The guy won't be enough for Hannah if all he has to offer is insincerity and shallowness
Neither will you if that's all that you got now
The guy won't be enough for Hannah if all he has to offer is insincerity and shallowness
Neither will you if that's all that you got
The guy won't be enough for Hannah if all he has to offer is insincerity and shallowness
Spontaneous love has crossed everyone's mind
Everyone has thought about spontaneous love at one point or another
Most lose hope when that's not what we find
However, most people lose hope when they can't find spontaneous love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NICHOLLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind