The band claims to be from the village of Noid, England, near Bath. However, no such town exists in England. "Noid" has been suspected of being a pun on the "No ID, No Sale" campaign in pubs in the UK.
Forming in the fertile swamps of England’s West Country in the mid-naughties, around the axis of Dan Taylor (guitarist and songwriter) and Kelvin Swaby (vocalist and songwriter,) the Heavy immediately astounded. Jaw dropping, freshly minted riffs, swinging hip-hop drums, funk-ridden bass and Swaby’s startling, Mayfield-esque vocals meant early singles ‘That Kind of Man’ and ‘Colleen’ blew minds and won hearts. The debut album they were taken from – ‘Great Vengeance and Furious Fire’ – became an instant connoisseurs’ classic.
It was their sophomore album, though, that saw them blasting into homes across the globe. ‘The House that Dirt Built’. It also yielded the mighty ‘How You Like Me Now?’ The single was licensed for a major commercial in the 3rd Quarter of the Superbowl (the biggest ad slot in the world) and quite simply went stratospheric.
“It became such a big tune, that people asked, ‘How are you going to top that?’.” Swaby says.
The answer was 2012’s ‘The Glorious Dead,’ the band’s third album. Even deeper, a touch darker, and with shades of Southern Gothic infesting the swampy rock n’ soul of previous records, the album was another giant step forward, Frankensteining swampy voodoo and b-movie zombies with garage rock and Gospel-soaked soul.
Lead single ‘What Makes a Good Man?’ showed that The Heavy were able to write brilliant singles time after time, with synchs snowing in once again, and American radio coming on board. The band toured the world exhaustively, wowing audiences with their transcendental live performances.
“It was over the top, in a good way,” adds Heavy frontman Kelvin Swaby. “We went pretty cinematic, setting out to score a film that hasn’t been written.”
“It’s good to have a bit of light and shade,” Taylor adds.
Since then, The Heavy has gone on to achieve storming success in Japan, playing Fuji Rock, chalking up a #1 alternative album on iTunes Japan, scoring a major Pepsi synch and playing Japan’s biggest breakfast TV show, ‘Sukkiri.’
Their music was used in the stunning Guiness Sapeurs ad, they played Glastonbury, sold out Shepherd’s Bush Empire and re-recorded How You Like Me Now? with none other than 50 Cent, to launch ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft Week.
To top it all, How You Like Me Now? reached Gold status in the United States – a stunning achievement for an English, independent artist. How to top all that, you might ask? Well, there’s a new album on the way, and The Heavy just happen to have a habit of exceeding themselves…
In Time
The Heavy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like I'm firefly
And made me come
To almost half and each of my life
You say we're done
I say we're always here
What was it
Heavy in my ear
And where were you
When the walls came down
And where were you
When the world had drowned
You're really singing sth
Out of time
You're really singing sth sth sth
I guess in time we will
Learn to try
I guess in time we will
Make our minds
I hope i know
We can only try
To love to learn in time
What if we're done
To make it all go through
What if we're done
To make it fall apart
Some thing you said
Just broke my heart
The lyrics of The Heavy's song In Time can be interpreted in many ways, but seem to be about a relationship that has gone through ups and downs, but still has hope. The first two lines suggest that the person addressed in the song lifts the singer up like a firefly, giving them joy and hope. The next lines indicate that the person in question has been in the singer's life for a long time and has helped shape who they are. Even when the relationship seems to be over, the singer insists that the other person is still present in their life.
The next lines about whispers and walls coming down are more ambiguous and could be interpreted in several ways. It could refer to intimate moments when the other person whispered sweet nothings in the singer's ear or a darker situation where the walls represent obstacles that they had to overcome in the relationship. Similarly, the lines about being out of time and learning to try could be referencing the difficulties faced in a relationship or in life in general. However, the singer seems to have hope that things will eventually work out if they keep trying.
Overall, the lyrics of In Time by The Heavy suggest that relationships can be complex and challenging, but with effort and time, they can be worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
You lift me up
You provide me with support and encouragement
Like I'm firefly
You uplift me like a glowing insect in the night sky
And made me come
You enabled me to achieve fulfillment
To almost half and each of my life
You have been a significant part of nearly half of my life
You say we're done
You indicate that our relationship has reached a conclusion
I say we're always here
I believe that our connection will endure
What was it That you used to WHISPER
What was the content of the private messages you once conveyed?
Heavy in my ear
Audibly, yet confidentially communicated to me
And where were you When the walls came down
During difficult times, where were you to provide support?
And where were you When the world had drowned
During times of chaos and destruction, where were you to offer respite?
You're really singing sth Out of time
Your current behavior appears to be out of sync with reality
You're really singing sth sth sth
You are expressing yourself with unclear intentions
I guess in time we will Learn to try
Perhaps over time, we will become more motivated to attempt new things
I guess in time we will Make our minds
Eventually we will commit to certain decisions
I hope i know We can only try
I wish to think that we can only do our best
To love to learn in time
Through the passage of time, we wish to experience love and learning
What if we're done To make it all go through
What is the outcome of our efforts if we abandon our attempts?
What if we're done To make it fall apart
What consequences could arise if we fail to prevent the disintegration of our relationship?
Some thing you said Just broke my heart
Something you mentioned has caused me immense emotional pain
Writer(s): SWABY KELVIN CLAUDE, TAYLOR DANIEL MATTHEW
Contributed by Cameron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.