When I listen to a lyrical song, with apologies to the writer, I generally gravitate to the music first and foremost. Many times, I never bother with the lyrics at all. Perhaps because I grew up puzzled by lyrics such as "I am the eggman, they are the eggmen. I am the walrus, goo-goo g'joob" I simply reverted to liking a tune's vibe that was partly aided by the lyrics but primarily driven by melody, harmony, arrangement, instrumentation and production.
However, there is a young female singer-songwriter whose lyrics caught my attention straight away. Holly Humberstone writes candid, sometimes blunt (in-your-face) lyrics with a catchy edge that stick in one's head. Even though many of her songs deal with adolescent relationships, they often contain a seed of human nature conveying wisdom beyond her years.
From a BBC article, When the 21-year-old sits down to write her emotionally-captivating pop songs, she doesn't just want them to be memorable. She wants them to be indelible. Humberstone's sparse arrangements and effortless vocals focus your attention on those lyrics - a mixture of acutely-observed detail and conversational asides.
For example, lyrics from the first two songs in the following playlist...
Falling Asleep At The Wheel
Light up, light up another cigarette
I can tell you're drinking only to forget
Don't know how I got you in such a mess
I get dark sometimes, does it pass you by?
I should be your ray of light, your ray of light
Guess I forgot how to feel
Just for a second you're talking
But I'm just pretending you have my attention
I'm falling, falling asleep at the wheel
I made you think it was real
If you think we're strong enough
Come on and wake me up
All this emotion that we're buried in
Tied up, fired up on this adrenaline
Not a cloud in sight, what a perfect night
I should be your ray of light, your ray of light
But that's not me
Vanilla
But truly, I ain't got the energy
To wait for somebody who'll never be
It never works, it never will
I need a cure for all this apathy
I'm spending way too long on WebMD
Not so sure it's good for me
But guess I feel a little nauseous
Think I should be cautious
Pick me up, let me down
Whatever works for you
We kept it lukewarm
Oh, so vanilla
Ooh, that's just what we do
But the truth is, I have my best nights without you
So tell me I'm wrong to think we're far from having fun
Tell me I'm wrong
You should know, here it goes
I have my best nights without you
Now everything's become so meaningless
We're perfectly comfortable in the worst way
Whatever works for you
So dull and lifeless
Oh, so vanilla
Ooh, that's just what we do
But the truth is, I have my best nights without you...
Holly Humberstone
From Wikipedia, Holly Ffion Humberstone (born 17 December 1999) is an English singer-songwriter from Grantham, England. In 2021, she signed a recording contract with Interscope and Polydor Records. Her first EP following the signings, The Walls Are Way Too Thin, was released in November 2021. Afterwards, she won the Brit Award for Rising Star at the 2022 Brit Awards. She released her debut album, Paint My Bedroom Black, in October 2023.
Humberstone is from Grantham and is one of four sisters. Both her parents are NHS doctors. She studied at Kesteven and Grantham Girls' Grammar Schoo and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
Humberstone started writing songs at a young age. She has discussed growing up in a small town, stating there was "no music scene growing up in rural Lincolnshire, so I just really did my own thing" in an interview with The Telegraph. Humberstone was formerly a violinist for the Lincolnshire Youth Symphony Orchestra and was first spotted by a manager whilst performing on her local BBC Music Introducing radio show.
- Falling Asleep At The Wheel
- Vanilla
- The Walls Are Way Too Thin
- Friendly Fire
- Can you Afford To Lose Me?
- Scarlett
- Paint My Bedroom Black
Notes
The audio player in this post, plays the audio portion of a YouTube Playlist.
This playlist is also available on the platforms indicated above and can be accessed by clicking any of their icons. Spotify, Pandora and YouTube all provide free, ad-supported accounts as well as paid, ad-free accounts.
