Since taking out the US-based Harmony sweepstakes – becoming the first international group to take out the world’s largest open a cappella singing competition – The Idea of North has continued to go from strength to strength, capturing the attention of audiences, critics and industry colleagues.
Australian jazz legend James Morrison, who makes a guest appearance on Evidence playing on the Gershwin track But Not For Me, says they are “the best contemporary vocal group in the country”, and that “when you can sing & entertain like The Idea of North, a band would just get in the way!”
The Evidence track list includes covers of classic pop, jazz and gospel songs such as Isn't She Lovely, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, Corcovado, No More Blues, as well as stunning original tracks by original group member Trish Delaney-Brown, which herald her as an important young writing talent to emerge on the Australian music scene. Songs that appear on this album snared her nominations in three different categories in the Australian Songwriters Association Inc Awards.
Since recording Evidence, The Idea of North have recorded 'The Gospel Project' CD & 'Live at The Powerhouse' DVD, as well as producing an audio-only CD version of 'Live at The Powerhouse' .
No More Blues
The Idea of North Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more blues, I promise no more to roam
Home is where the heart is, the funny part is
My heart's been right here all along
No more tears and no more sighs
And no more fears, I'll say no more goodbyes
If travel beckons me I swear I'm gonna refuse
Everyday while I am far away
my thoughts turn homeward, forever homeward
I travel 'round the world in search of happiness
But really all the happy and joyful times
they were always in my hometown
Up 'till now I have tried to escape life
Jump on a place and take off far from problems and strife
But it didn't work, 'cause problems have this habit of
chasing you around, not letting go
No matter where you try to run away to
They will follow you and force you to look them right in the face
So you can run to a place if you think you'll find a space
And you can race until you're red in the face
But I can tell you from experience that you must embrace
those problems as your own
Before you find the inner peace that you've been looking for
Return with nothing to fear then you can
Clear your uneasy mind, leave it behind,
rewind and then you'll find
That your happiness, if it's from inside you've nothing to lose
That's when you'll have no more blues
The Idea of North's song No More Blues is a reflective piece that muses on the idea of returning home for a sense of peace and happiness. The lyrics are a contemplation of the human condition to seek guidance and solace within oneself, and how it is only until one confronts their problems head-on that they can find the inner peace they've been searching for. The song portrays homesickness and the longing for something familiar when one is far away from home, yet also reminds us that the happiness we’ve been looking for might have been present at home, all along.
The first verse is a vow to return home and settle down after an endless quest for happiness that has been fruitless. Here, the singer discovers that happiness never left her hometown. She sees the need to stop searching and start embracing everything that has troubled her. She desires to escape the fears, tears, and goodbyes that come with travel and make her life miserable. The second verse explores the line "my thoughts turn homeward". The singer reveals that her happy and joyful moments have always been in her hometown, an acknowledgment that illustrates the importance of our roots and finding that personal grounding that makes one feel at home. She implores the youth to take a cue, stop searching, and embrace their hometown as part of their identity, claiming that happiness is from inside one, and nothing to lose when one attains it inwardly.
Line by Line Meaning
No more blues, I'm going back home
I am done feeling sad and aimless, I'm returning to my home where everything feels right
No more blues, I promise no more to roam
I will no longer wander and feel unhappy, I make a vow to stay put and find peace
Home is where the heart is, the funny part is
The place we truly feel at ease is where our emotions and feelings lie
My heart's been right here all along
I now realize that my happiness was with me from the start, I just couldn't see it
No more tears and no more sighs
I am done crying and feeling hopeless, I am taking control of my life
And no more fears, I'll say no more goodbyes
I refuse to let fear guide me, I won't say goodbye to the things that bring me happiness
If travel beckons me I swear I'm gonna refuse
Even if I feel the pull of wanderlust, I will resist it and stay put
I'm gonna settle down and there'll be no more blues
I'll find a permanent home and be content, my sadness will be gone
Everyday while I am far away
Despite being physically distant from home, I am still thinking about it every day
my thoughts turn homeward, forever homeward
My mind is always drawn back to my home and the comfort it brings
I travel 'round the world in search of happiness
I've been trying to find joy by going to different places
But really all the happy and joyful times
In truth, the times I felt the happiest were when I was at home
they were always in my hometown
My hometown is where I experienced true happiness
Up 'till now I have tried to escape life
Until now, I have tried to avoid facing the difficult parts of life
Jump on a plane and take off far from problems and strife
I'd get on a plane and go far away to avoid my issues
But it didn't work, 'cause problems have this habit of
Avoiding my problems didn't solve anything, because they have a way of following me
chasing you around, not letting go
They keep persisting, never letting me forget about them
No matter where you try to run away to
Even if I go to the ends of the earth
They will follow you and force you to look them right in the face
My problems will always be there, making it impossible to ignore them
So you can run to a place if you think you'll find a space
If I think I'll find peace by running away, I can try
And you can race until you're red in the face
However, the effort will be in vain if I don't confront my problems
But I can tell you from experience that you must embrace
Based on my experience, I know that the only solution is to accept
those problems as your own
and acknowledge that they are a part of me
Before you find the inner peace that you've been looking for
Only then can I attain the calmness and solace I yearn for
Return with nothing to fear then you can
When I return unburdened by fear, I can
Clear your uneasy mind, leave it behind,
Leave behind my clouded mind, clear out the negative thoughts
rewind and then you'll find
Go back to my roots and find
That your happiness, if it's from inside you've nothing to lose
That my happiness resides within me, there's no need to look elsewhere
That's when you'll have no more blues
Thus, I will have no more sadness and emptiness in my life
Writer(s): Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jessie Cavanaugh, English Lyrics by Jon Hendricks, Vinicius de Moraes
Contributed by Harper S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.