After their initial formation in 2008, their debut album "Passive Me, Aggressive You" was released on the "Somewhat Damaged" label during September 2010. The single "Young Blood" debuted at number one on the New Zealand chart - the first New Zealand artist to do so in three years. On 6 December 2010, the BBC announced that The Naked and Famous had been nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll.
Their second album, 2013's In Rolling Waves, reached the top 5 on the New Zealand Albums chart, and top 15 on the Australian Albums and US Billboard Top Alternative Albums charts. Their following album, Simple Forms, was Xayalith and Powers' first release as a two-piece. Their fourth album, Recover, was released in 2020, and peaked at 19 on RMNZ's New Zealand Artist Albums chart.
The Sound of My Voice
The Naked and Famous Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we’ll never be fine
And the negative space
And the pausing of time
It’s the sound of my voice
At the edge of a year
Where all of your love
And you wake up early
To me in morning shakes
As the weeks rush forwards
It’s all too little, it’s too late
And it’s not gonna stop
And we’ll never be fine
And the negative space
And the pausing of time
It’s the sound of my voice
At the edge of a year
Where all of your love
It beginning to wear away
Summer runs so far from these dark shadows on my face
The memory is blank to me, but I can’t forget the place
Where you found
All the love
You wanted from me
Miles away
From the need
To compete
And it’s not gonna stop
And we’ll never be fine
And the negative space
And the pausing of time
It’s the sound of my voice
At the edge of a year
Where all of your love
It beginning to wear away
Follow the sound of my voice
Come back to me
The lyrics of The Naked and Famous' song "The Sound of My Voice" convey a sense of inevitability and introspection, as the singer reflects on a relationship that is disintegrating. The repeated lines "And it's not gonna stop, And we'll never be fine" suggest a sense of resignation to the fact that things will not get better between the two individuals. This feeling is further emphasized by the mention of "negative space" and the "pausing of time", portraying a sense of emptiness and stagnation in the relationship.
The sound of the singer's voice serves as a motif throughout the song, symbolizing their attempts to communicate and connect with their partner. The lyrics paint a picture of a relationship that is falling apart, with the sentiment that "all of your love is beginning to wear away". The imagery of waking up early to the morning shakes and the rushing weeks highlights a sense of urgency and desperation as they try to salvage what remains of their love.
The lyrics also touch upon the theme of distance and memories fading with time. The references to summer running far from dark shadows and the blank memory underscore a sense of detachment and the inability to forget the past. Despite the distance and competing needs, there is a plea for the partner to follow the sound of the singer's voice and come back to them, showing a yearning for reconciliation and connection.
Overall, "The Sound of My Voice" delves into the complexities of relationships, the passage of time, and the struggle to hold onto love that is slipping away. The lyrics capture a poignant moment of reflection and longing, as the singer navigates the challenges of communication and emotional distance within the context of a fading romance.
Line by Line Meaning
And it’s not gonna stop
The struggles and challenges we face will not cease or come to an end.
And we’ll never be fine
We will never fully recover or be completely okay with the situation at hand.
And the negative space
The emptiness and void that exists between us.
And the pausing of time
The feeling of time standing still or slowing down in moments of distress.
It’s the sound of my voice
My words and emotions echoing through the silence and reaching out to you.
At the edge of a year
Approaching the end of a significant period of time, symbolizing change and reflection.
Where all of your love
The love and affection you once felt for me.
It beginning to wear away
Slowly fading and diminishing, losing its strength and intensity.
Follow the sound of my voice
Listen to my words and emotions, guiding you back to me and our shared experiences.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ALISA XAYALITH, SAMUEL ALEXANDER MCCARTHY, SCOTT JOHN HUTCHISON, THOMAS BRADING POWERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind