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 “A Thousand Miles,” which reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s 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 (“A Thousand Miles”). 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 “White Houses,” 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 “might be my first thematic record,” 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 “Nolita Fairytale,” is a syncopated, upbeat piece that paints a dramatic musical landscape. “ 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,” 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-52’s, 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.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Vanessa Carlton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite,
With a tail as big as a kite."
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the the sea
With a voice as big as the the sea."
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
"Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold."
Said the king to the people everywhere
"Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere
Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light."
The lyrics to Vanessa Carlton's song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ through the various perspectives of different characters in the story. The night wind speaks to a little lamb, asking if it sees the star dancing in the sky with a tail as big as a kite. This star represents the guiding star that led the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus.
The second verse switches perspectives to the little lamb asking a shepherd boy if he hears what the lamb hears, which is a song ringing through the sky with a voice as big as the sea. This song represents the chorus of angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the fields.
The third verse switches again to the shepherd boy asking the mighty king if he knows what the boy knows - that there is a child shivering in the cold and that they should bring him silver and gold as gifts. This represents the wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus in the manger.
Finally, the king speaks to the people, urging them to pray for peace and telling them that the child sleeping in the night will bring them goodness and light, which represents the hope and salvation that Jesus brings to the world.
Overall, the lyrics to this song are rich with symbolism and serve as a powerful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
Said the night wind to the little lamb
The wind communicates with the lamb
Do you see what I see?
The wind asks the lamb if it sees something
Way up in the sky, little lamb
The wind tells the lamb to look up
A star, a star, dancing in the night
The wind is referring to a star that is moving in the night sky
With a tail as big as a kite,
The wind describes the star's tail as very large
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
The lamb talks to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
The lamb asks the boy if he hears something
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
The lamb says the noise is coming from the sky
Do you hear what I hear?
The lamb repeats its question to the boy
A song, a song high above the trees
The lamb hears a song that is coming from above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
The lamb describes the voice in the song as very large
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
The boy talks to the king
Do you know what I know?
The boy asks the king if he knows something
In your palace warm, mighty king
The boy acknowledges the king's palace as warm
Do you know what I know?
The boy repeats his question
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
The boy tells the king about a child who is cold and shivering
Let us bring him silver and gold
The boy suggests bringing the child valuable gifts
Said the king to the people everywhere
The king addresses all the people
Listen to what I say!
The king tells the people to listen to him
Pray for peace, people, everywhere
The king asks people to pray for peace
Listen to what I say!
The king repeats his command
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
The king refers to the child who is sleeping
He will bring us goodness and light
The king explains that the child will bring goodness and light
Contributed by Kayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lam Tran
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song
High above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
Mr3baroqueworks
I love her new way of singing! Amazing, gave goosebumps
Aia M
Vanessa should make a Christmas record. I'm so inlove with her voice
obec_18 luv
She should come out with a whole christmas album, we need it vanessa please do!! 🙃
Ashley
This is magic. V just made this legendary. AGAIN.
Robbie
Love this version and her voice
Juliana Lacerda
Perfect! She's very talented.
muhammad mahdy
divine melody
Gesse P.r
yes
Kat Clark
beautiful
fashionstoryteller
Absolutely stunning