In Spring of 2010 Unwoman released her fourth full-length self-produced album, Casualties. Its pressing was funded by fans on kickstarter, and its release coincided with a huge bump in her popularity due to several enthusiastic tweets from Amanda Palmer. In September 2011 she released Uncovered Volume 1, an album of dramatic reinterpretations of popular songs written betwen 1980 and 1995, also funded by fans via kickstarter.
Unwoman performs solo, with drummer Felix Macnee as Heavy Sugar Duo, and as a guest in other bands, throughout the US. Unwoman has performed solo at WorldCon (Reno, NV 2011), Steamcon I, II, and III (Seattle), Victoria Steam Exposition (Victoria, BC), Bats Day in the Fun Park (Anaheim, CA), Can't Stop the Serenity (Phoenix, AZ), Nova Albion (SF Bay Area), Fanime (San Jose, CA), and Teslacon (Madison, WI).
Loud and Clear
Unwoman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never resisted being criticized
No I listened to everything anyone has said
But some things are not meant to be analyzed
It's all over now
I've grown so tired of listening to all the doubt
The fear so consuming that I'll never get out
I still have the choice
Whatever I do, it's not a success --
I've had enough of this
With every glance new cracks, new flaws are exposed
We all carry a thousand mistakes
But you know someday this Pandora's box will be closed
Until then, I'll do whatever it takes
I look to the past, to the future to come
Relying on daydreams that I might have won
One day...
I'm too soft, I'm too hard
I'm too brave, I'm too scared
I'm trivial, I'm serious
Is anyone even hearing this?
I hear the absence of your cheers
Loud and clear, loud and clear...
The lyrics to Unwoman's song "Loud and Clear" deals with the internal struggle of wanting to create something better than oneself while facing the fear of being criticized and doubted. The singer expresses their willingness to listen to criticism, but some aspects of creation are not meant to be analyzed. The fear becomes so consuming that it is suffocating and the singer is unable to escape it. However, despite the doubts and self-criticism, the singer still has the choice to ignore the voice inside their head that says they can never succeed. The singer understands that everyone is flawed but they will continue to work hard until they achieve success.
The chorus speaks about the internal conflict of feeling both too much and not enough, and how the singer struggles to be heard and recognized. The absence of praise and affirmation is loud and clear to the singer, creating a feeling of isolation and vulnerability. The song touches on the universal experience of feeling inadequate and the need to keep trying despite the fear and doubts.
Line by Line Meaning
I only wanted to make something better than myself
I wanted to create something that was an improvement on my own abilities or achievements
I never resisted being criticized
I never objected to receiving negative feedback or constructive criticism from others
No I listened to everything anyone has said
I paid attention to every viewpoint or opinion expressed to me by others
But some things are not meant to be analyzed
I've come to understand that some concepts or ideas are too complex to be fully comprehended or explained
It's all over now
I've reached a turning point where I no longer want to keep hearing negative feedback
I've grown so tired of listening to all the doubt
I'm exhausted from constantly hearing criticism or doubt from others regarding my abilities or efforts
The fear so consuming that I'll never get out
The fear I feel is so intense that I worry I'll never be able to move beyond it
I still have the choice
I realize that I have the option to think or act in a way that is contrary to my self-doubt
To ignore that voice inside my head that says
To not pay attention to the internal voice that tells me I'm not good or successful enough
Whatever I do, it's not a success --
Regardless of what I do, I cannot be successful in the eyes of everyone
I've had enough of this
I've reached my limit and no longer want to be consumed by self-doubt and external criticism
With every glance new cracks, new flaws are exposed
Upon every self-reflection, I notice new imperfections or weaknesses that I had not previously recognized
We all carry a thousand mistakes
We all have numerous errors or missteps in our past or present
But you know someday this Pandora's box will be closed
One day, I'll be able to release myself from the burden of my mistakes and regrets
Until then, I'll do whatever it takes
Until I can fully accept myself, I'll do everything in my power to correct my flaws and make up for my mistakes
I look to the past, to the future to come
I reflect on my past experiences and look forward to what's to come in the future
Relying on daydreams that I might have won
I hold onto the hope that my efforts will pay off and I'll achieve success
I'm too soft, I'm too hard
I worry that I'm either too lenient or too strict with myself
I'm too brave, I'm too scared
I experience moments of fear and courage in equal measure
I'm trivial, I'm serious
I perceive myself as both lighthearted and serious, and cannot easily be defined as one or the other
Is anyone even hearing this?
I wonder if anyone is listening or understanding my internal struggle
I hear the absence of your cheers
I sense that there is no positive feedback or encouragement coming from anyone else
Loud and clear, loud and clear...
This feeling is clearly and powerfully present in my mind
Contributed by Zoe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.