Affecting and anthemic… Read Full Bio ↴Sivu is British singer-songwriter James Page.
Affecting and anthemic, 'Miracle (Human Error)' is a bold step forward from Sivu - marrying his trademark brand of baroque-pop, which has drawn frequent comparisons with Wild Beasts, to the soaring, wide-screen quality of Arcade Fire, and the distorted, aggressive guitars of Radiohead circa-'Creep'. It's a dramatic but ultimately uplifting mix, produced alongside long-term collaborator Charlie Andrew (who has recently completed the second Alt-J album, due for release in September). The surreal accompanying video, in which a couple collide as the world appears to collapse around them, was directed by Georgia Hudson (who has recently worked with Klaxons, Swim Deep and MØ).
Whilst growing in confidence and ambition, lyrically 'Miracle (Human Error)' retains the intimate, internal conflictions that run throughout Sivu's work. He started writing solo songs two years ago, upon moving from a sleepy Cambridgeshire town to a claustrophobic apartment on the twentieth floor of a daunting ex-council block in Kennington. Frank Sinatra's'Strangers In The Night' was the blueprint for a glitchy form of melodically dreamy, idiosyncratic pop, whilst the name Sivu was equally strange but memorable: a translation of his surname in Finnish, it's a fitting snapshot of the dark and lyrically direct mirror-image that would become James Page's performing alias. New single 'Miracle (Human Error)' was penned shortly after breakthrough moment 'Better Man Than He', whose viral video (filmed in an MRI machine) was filmed in between shifts working in a call centre, and picked up over half a million hits - with M.I.A among those declaring it her video of the year.
And like 'Better Man', 'Miracle (Human Error)' sees Sivu's mind wandering towards bigger topics, often between dead-end sales calls from the office. It's a vocal fear of The Unknown, asking questions of both the short-term, day-to-day acclimatisation to London life, and the bigger-picture crisis of our place in the cosmos. Not being religious, it's a theme Sivu was surprised to find himself returning to. "With social media and technology, it sometimes feels like we're all getting a little colder and are becoming just a bunch of URLs," he explains, pointing to the oddly-sing-along chorus of "because it's time to collide / this human error's what we're made for / but now we're dead inside / we're ones and zeros of a half-lived life"."I've always suffered from quite bad anxiety, and 'Miracle (Human Error)' is about that sense of feeling small in the world - and me being as honest as possible, to move forward."
Sivu has recently completed his debut album, ”Something On High”, a stunning soundtrack of time spent settling into a new city, young-adulthood, and ultimately his own skin.
https://soundcloud.com/sivusignals
Particles
Sivu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Couldn't feel your bones(?) when diving down your spine
Only didn't read(?) at the tip of your tongue
I fall into a pile into the wave that you've spun(?)
()
I've been so scared of growin' up
But I'd rather not than be a slave to you
I'm more than something you can?
Consolidate and then eradicate me
Not used to want to live, I want to live now
And I got nothing more, nothing more to give
()
I'm never gonna say what you won't know
I was looking in your head until the calling of your clothes(?)
Conquer on the bridge where plenty were tamed(?)
I'm never gonna stay locked in your mind
()
I've been so scared of growin' up
But I'd rather not than be a slave to you
I'm more than something you can?
Won't let you down if you ask not to
Consolidate and then eradicate me
Not used to want to live, I want to live now
I got nothing more, nothing more to give
(Bridge)
As I ignore your particles
Oh, I ignore your particles
No, I ignore your particles
No, I ignore your particles
()
Consolidate and then eradicate me
Not used to want to live, I want to live now
I got nothing more, nothing more to give
The lyrics to Sivu's song "Particles" seem to portray the artist's desire to break free from someone or something that is holding them back from living their life to the fullest. The opening lines suggest that the person the artist is addressing (or perhaps confronting) has been trying to control or contain them. However, the artist makes it clear that they refuse to stay locked in this person's mind. The line "Couldn't feel your bones when diving down your spine" might represent the idea that the artist cannot comprehend or empathize with this person on a deeper level. It seems like there is a disconnect between them, and the artist realizes that they are not obligated to stay tethered to this person.
Later in the song, the artist sings "I've been so scared of growing up, but I'd rather not than be a slave to you." This line suggests that the artist has been living in fear of the unknown and the future, but they would rather face that fear than continue living under someone else's control. The line "I'm more than something you can ___?" is a little hard to decipher, but it seems like it could be "buy." This would suggest that the artist does not want to be treated like a commodity or something that someone can own or control. The song ends with the lines "Consolidate and then eradicate me, not used to want to live, I want to live now, I got nothing more, nothing more to give." Here, it seems like the artist is saying that they want to shed their old self and start anew. They are ready to live life on their own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm never gonna stay locked in your mind
I refuse to be a prisoner of your thoughts.
Couldn't feel your bones(?) when diving down your spine
I don't sense your passion when I'm with you.
Only didn't read(?) at the tip of your tongue
You're hiding something from me but it's right on the tip of your tongue.
I fall into a pile into the wave that you've spun(?)
I get caught up in the chaos you create.
I've been so scared of growin' up
I'm afraid of losing my youth and innocence.
But I'd rather not than be a slave to you
I would rather not change if it means being controlled by you.
I'm more than something you can?
I'm not just something you can possess or control.
Won't let you down if you ask not to
I won't disappoint you if you don't make unreasonable demands.
Consolidate and then eradicate me
Unite me with my flaws and then eliminate them.
Not used to want to live, I want to live now
I used to not care about living, but now I want to.
And I got nothing more, nothing more to give
I've given everything I can and have nothing else to offer.
I'm never gonna say what you won't know
I won't express what you refuse to understand.
I was looking in your head until the calling of your clothes(?)
I was trying to understand your thoughts until your physical appearance distracted me.
Conquer on the bridge where plenty were tamed(?)
I will rise above the place where others were silenced.
I've been so scared of growin' up
I'm apprehensive about the responsibilities that come with adulthood.
I'm more than something you can?
I'm not just an object for your pleasure or use.
As I ignore your particles
As I disregard the small pieces that make up who you are.
Consolidate and then eradicate me
Unite me with my imperfections and then remove them.
Not used to want to live, I want to live now
I never cared about living before, but now I do.
I got nothing more, nothing more to give
I've given all I can and have nothing left to offer.
Contributed by Oliver A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheMasterOfSounds
I dont have time to make music videos for all the songs i love so i will start posting them with a picture, lazy i know, but i will post alot of songs, so stay updated and enjoy them :)
randy
his voice