Early life
Hunt was born in Dayton, Ohio and raised by his single mother. His father, Van Hunt, Sr., was a factory worker and part-time painter, who was a friend of Ohio Players drummer Jimmy "Diamond" Williams. Hunt took up the drums at age 7, and saxophone at the age of 8, later adding bass and keyboards. Guitar was the last instrument he learned to play; he played guitar in a rock band called Royalty. Hunt moved to Texas for a short time before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 to attend Morehouse College, where he studied English, but soon dropped out. In Atlanta, he started producing a few hip-hop demos for Atlanta rappers in order to pay bills. Hunt met up-and-coming record producers and artists like Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri and TLC through his work on demos.
Career
Early career
Hunt wrote and co-produced the song "Hopeless" for singer Dionne Farris, formerly of Arrested Development, and joined her band on guitar and keyboards. "Hopeless" appeared on the soundtrack for the film Love Jones (1997). Hunt co-wrote several songs with Rahsaan Patterson on his album Love in Stereo (1999), and co-wrote with Cree Summer, including the song "Mean Sleep", for her album Street Faërie (1999), produced by Lenny Kravitz. He also collaborated with Joi on the single "Missing You" (2002). Through Dionne Farris, Hunt met A&R person Randy Jackson (who later went on to be a judge on Fox's American Idol). Jackson would become Hunt's manager in 2002.
Capitol Records
Hunt recorded much of the material from his debut album in 2000. Producer Dallas Austin took Hunt's recording to Capitol Records, leading him to sign with the label in 2001. Hunt's first album, Van Hunt, was released in February 2004. The album included the singles "Down Here in Hell (With You)", "Dust", and "Seconds of Pleasure", and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Hunt's second album, On the Jungle Floor, was released in 2006. The album featured the single, "Character," a revisited "Mean Sleep", as a duet with Nikka Costa, and a cover of "No Sense of Crime" by The Stooges. The album was co-produced by Bill Bottrell. Hunt has toured and appeared with Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Boney James, The Roots, Seal, Angie Stone, Coldplay, The Brand New Heavies, the Dave Matthews Band, and Kanye West.
In 2006, Hunt appeared with Nikka Costa on the Sam Moore album, Overnight Sensational, on the song "If I Had No Loot". Hunt was also featured on "Half the Fun", a track on the Count Bass D album, Act Your Waist Size, released on Fat Beats Records.
in 2007, Hunt won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, along with John Legend and Joss Stone, for their cover of the Sly & the Family Stone song, "Family Affair", which appeared on the 2006 tribute album Different Strokes By Different Folks. Hunt described winning the award as "one of the bigger pleasures I've had" to The Athens Blur Magazine in 2009.
Blue Note
Hunt released the 4 track digital EP, The Popular Machine, on August 7, 2007. Hunt announced a full length album, Popular, to be released on Blue Note Records on January 15, 2008. Hunt moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 2007 while the album was nearing completion. Blue Note had taken over Hunt’s recording contract after corporate restructuring at Blue Note and Capitol's parent company, EMI. In December 2007, Blue Note announced that they would not be releasing the album, and that Hunt and the label mutually agreed to part ways. Hunt wrote on his MySpace blog in January 2008, that he couldn't promise that Popular would ever be officially released. Blue Note owns the master recordings and opted not to sell it back to him at an affordable price. Hunt commented that he "didn't think that they had enough money" to promote the album properly. LA Weekly called the album an "appealingly trippy fusion of funk grooves, punk guitar and soul vocals", and "a left-field stunner". Hunt told the Atlanta alternative weekly newspaper Creative Loafing that he was "devastated" when the label decided not to release the album.
Independent
As of June 2008, Hunt was recording a fourth album, which he plans to release himself and market using the Internet. Hunt has blogged about his new approach on his MySpace page. Hunt toured the U.S. in July and August 2008. He released Use In Case Of Emergency, a compilation of demos, remixes and B-sides recorded between 1997 and 2005, through his Web site in May 2009. Hunt has also been working on autobiographical book of short stories titled Tales of Friction. In July 2009, Hunt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he plans to release one more album and tour once more, but doesn't know what his plans are after that. Hunt performed at the National Black Arts Festival's tribute to Curtis Mayfield at Atlanta Symphony Hall on July 16, 2010.
Influences
David Bowie
Serge Gainsbourg
The Isley Brothers
Curtis Mayfield
Thelonious Monk
The Ohio Players
Iggy Pop
Prince
Richard Pryor
Sly Stone
Neil Young
Discography
Albums
Van Hunt (2004), Capitol
On the Jungle Floor (2006), Capitol
Popular (2008) - unreleased studio album
Compilations
Use In Case of Emergency (2009), self-released - collection of outtakes
EPs
Acoustic E.P. (2004), Capitol - digital EP
Napster Sessions (2004), Capitol - digital EP
Connect Set (2006), Capitol - digital EP
The Popular Machine (2007), Blue Note - digital EP
Singles
"Down Here in Hell (With You)" (2004), Capitol
"Dust" (2004), Capitol
"Seconds of Pleasure" (2004), Capitol
"Character" (2006), Capitol
"Being A Girl" (2006), Capitol
Awards and nominations
2005 Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Dust."
2006 Grammy Award win for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Family Affair"
Hole in My Heart
Van Hunt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been several days without you
I think about you often all the time
And it seems like such a waste of talent being weighed
While time crawls so slow,
It couldn't have love sickness like mine
It hurts to be the one left behind
Send your love back to me
From wherever you are, straight to the hole in my heart
Send your love back to me,
From wherever you are,
Let me know you're never too far,
To hear me calling "baby"
She said, "do you remember me?"
I said, "the face is easy but I don't recall the name"
I'm drinking wine and you're looking better all the time
We're running low on Red Trees?
Take these handcuffs off me please, call me a taxi
Thank you for turning this day into sunshine
And helping me to ease my mind
I always thought you'd be around for a while
Send your love back to me
From wherever you are, straight to the hole in my heart
Send your love back to me,
From wherever you are,
Let me know you're never too far,
To hear me calling "baby"
From wherever you are, send your love straight to my heart
From wherever you are, send your love through the hole in my heart
From wherever you are, send your love straight to my heart
From wherever you are, send your love through the hole in my heart
From wherever you are, send your love straight to my heart
From wherever you are, send your love through the hole in my heart
The lyrics to Van Hunt's song "Hole In My Heart" vividly capture the emotions of a person who has recently experienced a breakup. The beginning of the song paints a picture of a person struggling to cope with the absence of their loved one. The fading of the evening into a haze symbolizes the loneliness and confusion they feel, as they try to navigate life without their significant other. The lyrics, “It's been several days without you, I think about you often all the time” highlights the intensity of the person's emotional pain and longing.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift to a more introspective tone, as the person tries to unpack their emotions. The line, “And it seems like such a waste of talent being weighed” suggests that the person is grappling with their sense of self-worth, and perhaps feels that their talent or value is diminished without their partner's presence. The lyrics, “It hurts to be the one left behind, give me a sign if you can hear me crying” expresses their desire for their partner to acknowledge their pain and validate their emotions.
The chorus of the song then serves as a powerful plea for the loved one to return to the person's life. The lines, "Send your love back to me, from wherever you are, straight to the hole in my heart" captures the person's desperation for their partner's love and presence in their life. Overall, the lyrics to "Hole In My Heart" serves as a poignant reflection on the pain of heartbreak and the power of love to heal.
Line by Line Meaning
Evening fades to a haze
The end of the day is becoming less clear and more obscure.
It's been several days without you
It has been a few days since we were last together.
I think about you often all the time
You are constantly on my mind and in my thoughts.
And it seems like such a waste of talent being weighed
It feels like such a waste to not be able to showcase our talent together.
While time crawls so slow,
Time seems to move so slowly.
It couldn't have love sickness like mine
Time cannot feel the same intense love sickness that I do.
It hurts to be the one left behind
It is painful to be the one who is left alone.
Give me a sign if you can hear me crying
If you can hear me crying, please give me some sort of signal or sign.
Send your love back to me
Please send me your love.
From wherever you are, straight to the hole in my heart
No matter where you are, please send your love straight to my heart.
Let me know you're never too far,
Please reassure me that you are never too far away.
To hear me calling "baby"
Please be close enough to hear me call you "baby".
She said, "do you remember me?"
She asked me if I remembered her.
I said, "the face is easy but I don't recall the name"
I recognized her face but couldn't remember her name.
I'm drinking wine and you're looking better all the time
I am drinking wine and admiring how attractive you are becoming over time.
We're running low on Red Trees?
We are running out of something called Red Trees.
Take these handcuffs off me please, call me a taxi
Please remove these handcuffs and call me a taxi.
Thank you for turning this day into sunshine
Thank you for making this day bright and positive.
And helping me to ease my mind
Thank you for helping me relax and clear my mind.
I always thought you'd be around for a while
I always believed that you would be present in my life for some time.
From wherever you are, send your love straight to my heart
Please send your love straight to my heart no matter where you are.
From wherever you are, send your love through the hole in my heart
Please send your love through the hole in my heart from wherever you are.
From wherever you are, send your love straight to my heart
No matter where you are, please send your love straight to my heart.
From wherever you are, send your love through the hole in my heart
Please send your love through the hole in my heart from wherever you are.
From wherever you are, send your love straight to my heart
Please send your love straight to my heart no matter where you are.
From wherever you are, send your love through the hole in my heart
No matter where you are, please send your love through the hole in my heart.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VAN HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Neisha Jordan
This is one of my favorite songs. A very talented underrated artist thanks for posting!
Illumi GA
What an amazing record, Van Hunt deserves a lot more airplay.
Jetaime1982
The bass lines in this song are ridiculous! One of my faves on the album
Kevin Miller
like this. Vocally he's bringing a strong Curtis Mayfield vibe.
S Chandler
Love this so much.... do yo thang Baby boy!
My5Sense
I can listen to him on any occasion...
Nikki W
From start to finish...not skipping a track! Every song is a hit on this album!
Gustavo Brown
I did not know! Very good this song!
Ziggy Black
I agree .... PEOPLE sleep on Van Hunt
o o
Dem violins doh!
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