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…
Sixteen
The Heavy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he was wearing my shoes
Black and white Jordan leathers
And she was looking for abuse
Now she look just like heaven
But her mind reek of hell
Now I know shouldn't be telling
She's the kind of girl
She can't believe me when I say, she can't
She's already there
Sixteen
And already there
Sixteen
Now what the devil want
Believe the devil gonna get
He gonna stretch her out
Like a tape in a cassette
And when you see these kind of girls
They all look pitiful
But the devil know, the devil knows
There's only one thing tonight she gonna suck
'Cause she won't she can't
Believe me when I say, she can't
She's already there
Sixteen
She's already there
Sixteen
We got sixteen year olds
Acting like they're forty year olds
Now we need to reclaim some souls
I got an idea
Let's take a massive
Hydraulic system
Let's flush them out
'Cause she won't, no she can't
Believe me when I say
She's already there
Sixteen
She's already there
Sixteen
The Heavy's song "Sixteen" tells a story of a young girl who is already caught in a cycle of abuse and addiction. The singer describes seeing her dancing with the devil, represented by a man wearing his shoes. The devil is also portrayed as someone who wants to stretch her out like a tape in a cassette, implying a desire to control and manipulate her. Despite her outward appearance of looking like heaven, her mind is a mess and she is already lost to the abuse she seeks.
The chorus of the song, "She's already there, sixteen," is a repeating reminder of how young the girl is and how tragic it is that she is already caught up in such destructive behavior. The singer acknowledges that she is the kind of girl who can't believe him when he tells her the truth about her situation. He also recognizes the pitiful state of girls like her who fall prey to the devil's schemes.
The song ends with a plea to reclaim the souls of young people like the girl described in the song. The singer suggests using a hydraulic system to flush them out, implying a need for drastic action to break the cycle of addiction and abuse. The overall message of the song is a warning about the dangers of succumbing to temptation and the need for intervention to prevent young people from being lost to addiction and destructive behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her dancing with the devil
The singer observes a girl engaging in self-destructive behavior.
And he was wearing my shoes
The devil is enticing the girl by appearing in a familiar form.
Black and white Jordan leathers
The devil presents himself as attractive and cool.
And she was looking for abuse
The girl seeks out unhealthy, negative experiences.
Now she look just like heaven
The girl appears outwardly beautiful.
But her mind reek of hell
The girl's thoughts and emotions are dark and troubling.
Now I know shouldn't be telling
The singer is aware it's not his place to speak ill of the girl.
But I guess, I guess if you know her well
The singer may feel a sense of obligation to warn people who know the girl.
She's the kind of girl
The girl possesses certain characteristics that are problematic.
She can't believe me when I say, she can't
The girl is resistant to outside viewpoints or advice.
She's already there
The girl is already on a path of self-destruction.
Sixteen
The age of the girl when she's already engaging in harmful behavior.
Now what the devil want
The devil is after something specific from the girl.
Believe the devil gonna get
The devil will succeed in his efforts to harm the girl.
He gonna stretch her out
The devil will drain her of all she has to offer.
Like a tape in a cassette
The devil will use the girl until she's played out, like an old tape in a cassette player.
And when you see these kind of girls
The singer acknowledges this is a common pattern of behavior.
They all look pitiful
The girls engaging in self-destructive behavior appear to be in a state of distress.
But the devil know, the devil knows
The devil is aware of how to manipulate these girls.
There's only one thing tonight she gonna suck
The girl will fall prey to the devil's advances and become entangled in his web.
'Cause she won't she can't
The girl will not or cannot see the truth of her situation.
We got sixteen year olds
The singer identifies a societal issue of young people engaging in risky behavior.
Acting like they're forty year olds
The young people are behaving beyond their years, taking on adult vices and struggles.
Now we need to reclaim some souls
The singer believes there needs to be an effort to save young people from this path.
I got an idea
The singer has come up with a potential solution.
Let's take a massive
The singer's solution involves a significant, concerted effort.
Hydraulic system
The singer uses this metaphor to suggest flushing out the problem with a powerful solution.
Let's flush them out
The singer proposes getting rid of this negative behavior in young people.
'Cause she won't, no she can't
The girl will not or cannot escape the cycle of self-harm without assistance.
She's already there
The girl is already deeply enmeshed in this way of life.
Sixteen
The age at which the girl began this path of self-destruction.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRIS ELLUL, JAY HAWKINS, SPENCER PAGE, KELVIN SWABY, DANIEL TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michellebrowne9100
Dear Heavy: I love you and I love your voodoo rock. Don't stop.
@PorterBlaze420
Voodoo Rock, an apt description
@michellebrowne9100
@Old School Thank you! I wish there was more.
@diuoriox
"Bad artists copy. Good artists steal." - Pablo Picasso Yes, they used the main riff from "I put a spell on you", but goddamn did they do good things with it. Literally every fucking thing an artist can do has been done before at some point, but taking something old and making it your own is a talent just as admirable as making something new and bold in my books. (Not to say Screamin' Jay Hawkins isn't magnificent.)
@elguima
Literally ive always thought the amount of small independent artists theres been that we dont hear of, there probably isnt a single untouched melody left, if you think its new im sure SOMEONE on earth has made it before
@olly91uk
Just read that the lead singer, Swaby, was going for a mix of Screaming Jay Hawkins and Tom Waits. What a legend, two brilliant musical geniuses inspiring another one. :)
@jaybullzz
I told a friend of mine to listen to this band and he said "I like music with soul". I was dumbfounded because this is the epitome of soul. Months later he messaged me and told me he was wrong and this band is very soulful
@remieres
beat is from screamin jay hawkins - I put a spell on you
@LaddRusso91
Thank you. I`ve been scratching my head for the past 5 minutes trying to remember the original instrumental.
@sylviegrace7837
LaddRusso91 so did I