From the White House to el barrio, Tish Hinojosa has enchanted, enlightened and entertained countless listeners with her distinctive cross-cultural music. In the process, she has become one of the most acclaimed and beloved artists in the contemporary Latin and folk scene. With a purity of voice and a vision that also embraces pop, rock, tejano and international styles into her music, she reflects modern America's multicultural richness with sincerity, heart and a winning musicality.
Family, music and a multicultural perspective were hallmarks of Hinojosa's years growing up in San Antonio, where she began performing as a teen. Alongside the traditional Mexican songs she inherited from her parents, she was inspired by the pop and rock artists she and her older siblings listened to along with the folk revival of the early 1960s. Performing in her hometown as well as doing stints in Taos and Nashville, she eventually landed in the renowned Austin, TX music scene. Her debut album, "Homeland", found Hinojosa weaving all the threads of her musical ethos into a stunning tapestry that immediately put her on the international musical map. With her release, "Culture Swing", Hinojosa won the NAIRD Award for Best Folk Album.
Over the eleven subsequent releases, countless tours of North America and Europe, Hinojosa developed a loving and loyal audience and has explored a wide range of musical expression. Her music and social activism has won her numerous awards and accolades, including recognition by Fox TV's Bravo Honors and a Las Primeras (The Firsts) Award from MANA, the largest organization of Latina women. Hinojosa is frequently asked to appear at events, make cultural contributions and work on behalf of children, bilingual education, civil liberties, immigration, farm workers, multicultural organizations, and other humanitarian causes. Recent examples include: the National Bilingual Educators conference; the National Council of La Raza's conference, including performances at the event recognizing Latinas; the National Latino Children's Agenda, honoring the work of Latino legislators; a Capitol Hill reception publicizing the plight of Latino children during Hispanic Heritage Week, in Washington, DC; the Hispanic Women in Leadership's national conference; local spokesperson, PSA's, and events for Any Baby Can which provides aid to families of children with chronic illness or handicaps; a reception at the MAFO (farm worker organizations coalition) conference. She performed at the Hispanic Gala and at other events at the 1993 inauguration of the President of the United States and for the National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Conference. Tish was also invited to perform at The White House for President and Mrs. Clinton.
Linda Ronstadt has recorded Hinojosa’s songs among many others. She has recorded with Lucinda Williams, Joan Baez, Dwight Yoakum, Kris Kristofferson, Albert Lee and Nancy Griffith to name just a few. Along the way, Tish has performed with various eminent symphonies throughout the United States. Her albums have been favorites on radio stations around the world, consistently winning critical praise and making annual Top 10 lists both nationally and internationally. Her appeal reaches both Anglo and Hispanic listeners. Since 1996, Tish has forged a separate career as a children's music artist with the release of “Cada Niño” (Every Child) CD and illustrated songbook in Spanish and English. The 2005 release of “A Heart Wide Open” has added to her stature as an American musical treasure.
Official site: http://www.mundotish.com/
Closer Still
Tish Hinojosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or the beating rhythm of my heart
I belong to you in frozen memories
And framed in gold is my desire
Closer still than starlight soft upon you
For though a million shine tonight
Deep inside is where one lonely forgotten
Closer still is every word that takes me
To the fire burnin' without end
In the moonlight pale a song is sayin'
That time will find us back again
Closer still our shadows must be swayin'
For I can almost hear you say
Deep inside is where one lonely forgotten
Dream is waiting here, closer still
In Tish Hinojosa's poignant song "Closer Still", the singer expresses a deep longing and yearning for someone who is physically absent from her life. She feels as though she is locked in a state of limbo between reality and memory, stuck in the wistful world of "frozen memories" and "framed desire". She asserts that her love for this person is closer than anything she has ever physically held or felt, closer "than starlight soft upon you". Despite acknowledging the loneliness she feels, Hinojosa still finds comfort and solace in the belief that her love is waiting for a time when they can be reunited. The song is characterized by its gentle, lilting melody and plaintive vocals, which add to the emotional depth of the lyrics.
Hinojosa's lyrics are rife with imagery: the "beating rhythm" of her heart, the softness of "starlight", the "moonlight pale". These poetic descriptions serve to emphasize the intensity of Hinojosa's emotions; she is so deeply in love that she finds beauty in the smallest details of the world around her. She talks about being transported to a "fire burnin' without end", a metaphor for the all-encompassing passion that she feels. While the song's mood is predominantly mournful and nostalgic, Hinojosa's persistent belief that her love will find its way back to her lends a hopeful note to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Closer still than e'er my arms have held you
I feel closer to you than I have ever felt before, even when I have held you in my arms
Or the beating rhythm of my heart
Even closer than the rhythm of my heart, which beats with love for you
I belong to you in frozen memories
My memories of us together make me feel like I belong to you forever
And framed in gold is my desire
My desire for you is precious and cherished, like something framed in gold
Closer still than starlight soft upon you
I feel closer to you than the soft starlight shining upon you
For though a million shine tonight
Even though there are millions of stars shining in the sky tonight
Deep inside is where one lonely forgotten
There is a lonely and forgotten dream deep inside me
Dream is waiting here, closer still
That dream is waiting for us to fulfill it, and it feels even closer than everything else
Closer still is every word that takes me
Every time I read or hear your words, I feel even closer to you
To the fire burnin' without end
That feeling of love between us burns like a fire, never extinguishing
In the moonlight pale a song is sayin'
In the pale moonlight, I hear a song that reminds me of you
That time will find us back again
It makes me believe that time will bring us back together again
Closer still our shadows must be swayin'
I feel like our shadows are swaying together, even when we are apart
For I can almost hear you say
I can almost hear you speaking to me, even though you are not here
Deep inside is where one lonely forgotten
There is still that lonely and forgotten dream within me
Dream is waiting here, closer still
That dream is still waiting for us, and it feels closer than anything else
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TISH HINOJOSA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind