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"
Out Of The Sky
Van Hunt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I still don't understand the plot
I've reached the end of the line
I can't do nothing but stop
I've reached the end of my glory
And no will forget me not
I've reached the top of my high
Can't do nothing but drop
[Chorus]
Out of the sky
I'm on my way down
And I see some rising faces
But I'm fallin' much too fast
To tell 'em 'bout the fate that's waitin'
I'm headed straight for the ground
To the place where I used to stay
To suffer the wrath
Crash landing on the runway
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Van Hunt's song "Out Of The Sky" revolve around the theme of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. The first verse portrays the singer's realization that they have reached the end of their story and that they do not understand the plot. This could mean that the singer has finally come to terms with the fact that death is inevitable, and that they cannot control the narrative of their life.
The second verse talks about how the singer has reached the end of their glory, and no one will remember them. The line "I've reached the top of my high, can't do nothing but drop" refers to how after achieving success, the only way to go is down, which is an allusion to their impending death. The chorus "Out of the sky," further emphasizes this theme, as it implies a sudden, abrupt ending to the singer's journey.
The third verse talks about the singer's fall from grace, and how they see some faces on their way down but are falling too fast to tell them about what's waiting for them. The final line "Crash landing on the runway" is a metaphor for death, where the singer's journey comes to a sudden stop.
Overall, "Out Of The Sky" is a poignant reflection on the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of success and fame.
Line by Line Meaning
I've reached the end of my story
I have come to the conclusion of my life's journey
I still don't understand the plot
Yet, I cannot comprehend the purpose of my existence
I've reached the end of the line
At this point, I have exhausted all my possibilities
I can't do nothing but stop
I am unable to continue my course of action any further
I've reached the end of my glory
Success and fame no longer shine upon me
And no will forget me not
My memories and achievements shall not be forgotten
I've reached the top of my high
I have accomplished every feat and achieved every possible goal
Can't do nothing but drop
There's nowhere else to go but down
Out of the sky
Moving from a high purpose to a fateful end
I'm on my way down
My journey now heads downward
And I see some rising faces
Others, who are rising to success, cross my path
But I'm fallin' much too fast
I am unable to heed their warning due to the speed of my fall
To tell 'em 'bout the fate that's waitin'
I am unable to warn them of the impending fate that awaits me
I'm headed straight for the ground
I am inevitably headed towards the ground
To the place where I used to stay
I'm falling back to my original state, where I had begun my journey
To suffer the wrath
To endure the agony of my downfall
Crash landing on the runway
A metaphorical plane crash on the very runway where I had first taken off
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CURTIS WHITEHEAD, VAN HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnemerick5860
I've reached the end of my story
I still don't understand the plot
I've reached the end of the line
I can't do nothing but stop
I've reached the end of my glory
And no will forget me not
I've reached the top of my high
Can't do nothing but drop
Out of the sky
I'm on my way down
And I see some rising faces
But I'm fallin' much too fast
To tell 'em 'bout the fate that's waitin'
I'm headed straight for the ground
To the place where I used to stay
To suffer the wrath
Crash landing on the runway
Out of the sky
@HouseOfAmarna
I don’t care how old this song gets. This is STILL my favorite song of all time out of every song I’ve ever loved. Van, thank you for gifting us with your talent. ❤️
@barbiefunkyfaceb
I like his music and style, I love
a man that wears cool hats. I
enjoy collecting vintage hats
and tee shirts, Halle Berry you
got a good one girl, he's talented
and fine. MATTERS PEOPLE
PEACE&LOVE PEACE&LOVE
@Tenatu
This song stayed in the rotation from 2004 'till about 2011. This entire album is so fresh.
@frankbrown917
Van Hunt is in a class by himself. Was rocking this CD in Osan AB Korea. Cats had no idea who he was.
@disneydollars
2020 and beyond!!
@Tolugba
Van a monster. How this only has 1600 views? World on some weird shit. Keep it going brother and thank you. We Love it.
@chimaobiahamba
True talk. The world on some weird shit. This my joint since 2006.
@Tolugba
+Victor Ferguson
Same story brother. Keeping the heat and the lights on by day and playing music whole heart by night. Its not easy doing right by the music. Lotta blue dog shit gettin called blue magic (American Gangster, remember?) Hardly anyone doing it right. Went to see cats pay tribute to William Withers last night at Carnegie. Michael Archer to headline the homage. Whats he do? No shows. Smh. How u no showin on BILL WITHERS man? 😔 Anyway Victor, salute to you and all the Lovers of this magic music. Keep on truckin brother!!
@I-SelfLordAndMaster
I wish this guy would release some new shit I’ve been a fan for over a decade and he such a fucking genius I’m still listening to the old stuff, all the way in the mountains of Northern Spain.
@kendrawilson445
Mr Van Hunt enter my thoughts today after listening to Frankie Beverley & Maze... When CD's were still in existence Mr Hunt stayed in heavy rotation on my play list ...❣️ sending good vibrations to you stay cool as a breeze ...