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".
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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.
Sway
Vanessa Carlton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Break me, neatly, numb me, sweetly
Say you would, say you could
Say you'd come and stop the rain
Say you'd try and hold me tight
And you just give me away
Make me high on lullabies
Say you would, say you could
And you don't do anything
Come down, heavy, try and, steady
Precious, ladies, love you, love me
Say you would, say you could
Say you'd come and stop the rain
Say you'd try and hold me tight
And you just give me away
Make me high on lullabies
A melody for me to sway
Say you would, say you could
And you don't do anything
Hold my head up to the lies that you feed me and
I'll fall under the spell you cast as you let me down
Say you would, say you could
Say you'd come and stop the rain
Say you'd try and hold me tight
And you just give me away
Make me high on lullabies
A melody for me to sway
Make me high on lullabies
A melody for me to sway
Say you would, say you could
Say you'd come and stop the rain
Say you'd try and hold me tight
And you just give me away
Make me high on lullabies
A melody for me to sway
Say you would, say you could
And you don't do anything
Say you'd come and stop the rain
"Say you would, say you could" is a refrain throughout "Sway," in which the singer is pleading with someone to make a commitment and not just make empty promises. The lyrics are less about a specific event or situation and more about the feeling of being let down by someone who doesn't follow through on their words. The first verse, "My heart, your hands, gentle, my friend/Break me, neatly, numb me, sweetly," implies a certain vulnerability or dependence on the person the singer is addressing, and the second verse, "Come down, heavy, try and, steady/Precious, ladies, love you, love me," suggests a shared intimacy that is at once comforting and precarious.
The chorus reinforces the idea that the singer wants the other person to take action: "Say you'd come and stop the rain/Say you'd try and hold me tight/And you just give me away." The repetition of "say you would, say you could" emphasizes the frustration and disappointment the singer feels when they are let down. The bridge, "Hold my head up to the lies that you feed me and/I'll fall under the spell you cast as you let me down," has a darker tone, suggesting that the singer is aware of the other person's shortcomings but is still willing to be taken in by them.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart, your hands, gentle, my friend
I trust you with my heart, and hope that you will handle it with care and tenderness, my dear friend.
Break me, neatly, numb me, sweetly
Despite the pain it may bring, end our relationship in a way that is clean and straightforward, and help me cope with the heartbreak in a way that is gentle and kind.
Say you would, say you could
Tell me that you are willing and able to do what I am asking of you.
Say you'd come and stop the rain
Promise me that you will be there for me, even in the most difficult of times, and help to make things better.
Say you'd try and hold me tight
Assure me that you will make an effort to comfort and support me, and to keep me from falling apart.
And you just give me away
But in reality, you let me down and abandon me when I need you the most.
Make me high on lullabies
Help me escape from my pain and troubles, and lift me up with soothing, calming music.
A melody for me to sway
Provide me with a bright and uplifting tune that inspires me to dance and feel happy again.
Come down, heavy, try and, steady
Even if you are weighed down by your own problems and issues, please make an effort to be present and supportive for me.
Precious, ladies, love you, love me
We are both valuable and deserving of love and affection, and we should treasure each other.
Hold my head up to the lies that you feed me and
I am willing to overlook the falsehoods and half-truths that you tell me, and try to focus on the good aspects of our relationship.
I'll fall under the spell you cast as you let me down
But ultimately, you will disappoint me and break my heart, despite the glimmers of hope and happiness that you may have initially given me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: VANESSA CARLTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind