Vanessa's sixth studio album, Love Is An Art, releases on March 27th, 2020 through Dine Alone Records.
Vanessa's fifth studio album, Liberman, was released on October 23 2015, through Dine Alone Records. It marks her first release since signing with Dine Alone Records. The title of the album comes from an oil painting made by Carlton's late maternal grandfather, whose given surname was "Liberman".
Official website: http://www.vanessacarlton.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vanessacarlton
Twitter: http://twitter.com/vanessacarlton
Vanessa Carlton first began playing the piano as a toddler, continuing on an artistic road with her attendance at the School of American Ballet in New York, a path she would eventually abandon in favor of songwriting. She re-embraced the piano and began performing in bars and clubs across Manhattan. While studying at Columbia University, Carlton was signed to Interscope Records, but made her formal debut on A&M under veteran producer Ron Fair.
Her debut album in April 2002, Be Not Nobody, resonated with audiences of all ages world-wide, especially the hit piano single โA Thousand Miles,โ which reached the Top 5 on Billboardโs Hot 100 Singles chart, #1 in Australia, and Top 10 in the UK. Carlton went on to earn 2003 Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist (โA Thousand Milesโ). The album witnessed global success, reaching Gold status in over 10 countries, and Platinum status in Asian territories, such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
Her second album Harmonium (2004), which yielded the single โWhite Houses,โ continued to inspire an increasingly loyal global fan base and garnered some the best reviews of her career.
Her record release in 2007, Heroes & Thieves โmight be my first thematic record,โ Carlton says, adding that the songs reveal themselves like chapters in a book, one that fans can crack open (Vanessa has often explained during her live shows that the second single from "Heroes & Thieves" entitled "Hands On Me" is the second chapter to the album). Paying homage to the area of Manhattan where most of its songs were written, the first single off of the 2007 record, appropriately dubbed โNolita Fairytale,โ is a syncopated, upbeat piece that paints a dramatic musical landscape. โ That song is really about finding joy in unexpected environments. How sometimes losing things makes you realize what you have, which is like a quasi fairytale,โ says Carlton. Heroes & Thieves was recorded in the San Francisco studio of Third Eye Blind founder Stephan Jenkins and the Los Angeles studio of producer/songwriter Linda Perry.
Vanessa's fourth studio album, "Rabbits On The Run" was released on July 26th, 2011. Material for this album was produced by Steve Osborne (U2, B-52โs, KT Tunstall), and was recorded in the UK at Peter Gabriel's well-renowned Real World Studios.
Speaking with Songfacts about the lead single Carousel in a 2011 interview, Carlton explained that she wrote the song in a dream where the "da na na na na" tune was floating around.
Other facts:
Vanessa's uncle is jazz musician Larry Carlton.
In 2003, Vanessa portrayed Dusty Springfield on the television show "American Dreams" on Heartache (episode #1.14) and performed a cover of the song "Wishin' And Hopin'".
One of Vanessa's touring guitarists, Ari Ingber, (other than being credited as a group vocalist on "More Than This) is the lead vocalist/guitarist for the band The Upwelling. Ari also co-wrote the song "About to Break" from Third Eye Blind's "Ursa Major".
One of Vanessa's touring bassists, Jon Evans, (other than being credited as bassist on Heroes & Thieves and bass guitarist on Third Eye Blind's "Ursa Major") is part of the band Redfish, Bluefish and has also performed with Tori Amos.
One of Vanessa's touring guitarists, Mark Beauchemin, (other than performing with Vanessa on the song "More Than This (Campfire Take)" for the album "Songs For Tibet - The Art of Peace") used to be part of the band SR-71 and currently has his own band.
Besides having Stevie Nicks do backing vocals on her song "The One" and Stephan Jenkins (of Third Eye Blind) do backing vocals on select songs on Heroes & Thieves, Vanessa has made several contributions to works of other artists and bands including: Vocals on the song Big Yellow Taxi with Counting Crows; backing vocals on the song Moving On by Kimya Dawson; piano on the song Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime by Zucchero; vocals on the song M A K E L O V E T O M E with 7 Aurelius; co-writing 3 songs with The Matrix; Providing vocals on the various artist compilation song "Put A Little Love", created for a Gap clothing company campaign which also featured Al Green, Melissa Etheridge, Kelly Rowland, Stephan Jenkins, Ginuwine, Musiq, Heather Headley and Gavin DeGraw; Providing vocals and piano on the various artist compilation song "Love Revolution", a cover of Lenny Kravitz's song, created for a Kohl's clothing company campaign which also featured Avril Lavigne, Lenny Kravitz, Plain White T's and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; Performing live with artists/bands including a cover of Elton John's song "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" with Elton John's band, duets with Shlomo, Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra, Stevie Nicks, Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows and backing vocals on select songs with Counting Crows.
Vanessa is credited with providing piano on the track "Company" and backing vocals on "Faster" from Third Eye Blind's album "Out of the Vein".
Vanessa is also credited as being a performer on The Upwelling's debut album "An American Stranger" which Stephan Jenkins also produced.
Blue Pool
Vanessa Carlton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're the great blue pool in L.A
And I close my book, move my bag, make some space
'Cause it's time to give that song a break
So tell me now how these few years have been
When it's living to honour the best
And I have been well, I've saved you a smile
These feelings they come and go fast
Sing me that new song you sing
The time for you and I was never quite right
It matters and means everything
'Cause the garden walls grew quick
Before you know, you're outside of it
And the ivy's coming in
It's so beautiful if you can find it
And time, she's always kept you on her good side
Some people they still fight their fate
I understood clear what you said with your eyes
We all speak in different ways
'Cause the garden walls grew quick
Before you know, you're outside of it
And the ivy's coming in
It's so beautiful if you can find it
The garden walls grow quick
Before you know, you're outside of it
And the ivy's coming in
It's so beautiful if you can find it
In the song Blue Pool by Vanessa Carlton, the singer talks about meeting someone she knew back in LA. She refers to this person as the great blue pool, which could be a metaphor for something special or unique. She puts her things aside and asks how the past couple of years have been for this person. The conversation flows as they share their experiences and feelings. They address how life can be unpredictable and how we all have different ways of communicating.
The lyrics paint a picture of how people often build walls around their lives and how the garden walls grow quickly, separating them from the rest of the world. Carlton mentions how the ivy is coming in, which could be a metaphor for not being stuck behind those walls and instead, finding beauty and growth beyond them. She embraces the idea that everything around us can be beautiful if we can find it.
Overall, Blue Pool is a song about reconnecting with someone from the past and acknowledging how life may have changed, but there are still similarities between them. The song brings out the idea that life can be unpredictable, but we can always find something beautiful if we look beyond the walls we create.
Line by Line Meaning
Man, it's so nice to see you again
I'm really happy to see you again
You're the great blue pool in L.A
You're like a refreshing blue pool in Los Angeles
And I close my book, move my bag, make some space
I need to give you all of my attention, so I'm putting away my book and moving my things
'Cause it's time to give that song a break
I've been playing the same song for a while, so I want to take a break and hear something new
So tell me now how these few years have been
Can you update me on how you've been doing for the past few years?
When it's living to honour the best
When you're living your life to honor the best version of yourself
And I have been well, I've saved you a smile
I've been doing well and I'm happy to see you, here's a smile
These feelings they come and go fast
Emotions can fluctuate quickly
Light your cigarette, see the fame in your eyes
Watching you light your cigarette, I can see that you've become famous
Sing me that new song you sing
Can you please sing me the new song you've been working on?
The time for you and I was never quite right
We were never able to have a relationship at the right time in our lives
It matters and means everything
Our relationship and connection is still important to me
'Cause the garden walls grew quick
The garden walls grew quickly
Before you know, you're outside of it
Before you know it, you're outside of the garden
And the ivy's coming in
The ivy is starting to grow
It's so beautiful if you can find it
The situation can be beautiful if you can appreciate it
And time, she's always kept you on her good side
Time has always been good to you
Some people they still fight their fate
Some people still try to change their destiny
I understood clear what you said with your eyes
I know exactly what you're trying to tell me, I can see it in your eyes
We all speak in different ways
Everyone expresses themselves differently
Lyrics ยฉ MOM'S GOTTA PLAY TOO
Written by: Vanessa Carlton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cindy Montalvo
How the heck do companies find songs like this? They always choose really good ones!
Gerrit Olivier
@Le Ralle .
duhlorean
I just can't believe how much she's grown as a musician. It's amazing. And don't feel sad. I find the best music through ads.
Chantel
@orangewedgesโโโโ lol some people dont have time to search. That's why people advertise and promote so people can discover and try new things.
orangewedges
Vanessa Carlton has been around for well over a decade. While I'm glad people are taking notice of her beautiful music which is a departure from the stuff she made over fourteen years ago, I'm sad that it takes a lotion commercial to get you guys to realize that good music is already all around us...you just have to look for it yourself and don't wait for corporations to pick and choose music for you.
Ashlee Joseph
Ikr
Cecilia
Loved it! I'm so glad Vanessa decided to stick to indie, Rabbits On The Run and the Blue Pool EP have her most honest songs in my opinion. They touch my soul in some way.
Toni Huber
There's something really inspiring and dreamy to this song that i really like. Can't put it into words. Just beautiful.
Scott Oglesby
whoa this is like when one really talented artist makes a song everyone knows and then keeps doing their own thing which is super beautiful and top notch aesthetic genius and has a small following who know who know its so good.
I wouldn't have listened if there wasn't the novelty of my exposure to just one song that maybe some people are turned off and put away from it.
In a sense this is what I want to be as an artist. maybe you do good stuff that everyone knows is good. but not everyone knows. but people know like one good song. So you get to have mild recognition you can use maybe just as a means to make more music. wowow
Jan Marchand
Heard this first at a small venue she played at Spanish Moon bar in Baton Rouge, LA. And yes she sounds just as wonderful live.