Isle Unto Thyself
| Isle Unto Thyself | |
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| Written by | Joe Hawley |
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| Appears on | Hawaii: Part II |
| Sung by | Joe Hawley |
| Duration | 3:47 |
| Genre | Alternative |
| Language | English |
| Links: | Youtube Spotify Bandcamp Instrumental (Bandcamp) Demo (Bandcamp) Wee-Oh (Bandcamp) |
Isle Unto Thyself is a song written by Joe Hawley. It is the 2nd track on the album Hawaii: Part II. Variations On A Cloud contains some motifs from this song.
History
The first demo of Isle Unto Thyself that is documented is from January of 2006 and was titled Matters. Coz leaked the original 2006 demo on January 24th, 2022 in the Needlejuice Records Discord server.[1]
A mastered version of the demo track was made available on Hawaii: Part II: Part ii May 19th, 2014. Entitled Isle Unto Thyself (Demo)[2]
The only differences between the '06 Matters demo and the '14 Isle Unto Thyself (Demo) is the mastering.[3]
Notable differences between the demo version and the final Hawaii: Part II album version include the the chorus and verses being told in first person (bridges remain second person), Joe Hawley singing the chorus instead of Madi Diaz, and a vivid Hawaiian and 1960s theme.
Music Video
On the 12th December 2014 (2 years after the original release of Hawaii: Part II) an animated music video for Isle unto Thyself was uploaded to the ミラクルミュージカル YouTube channel.[4]
The video shows a squid and a whale dancing together before being attacked by predators. The whale and squid evolve over time before being dropped back into the ocean and dancing again.
The squid and whale seen in the video could be reference to the Sperm Whale and Giant Squid diorama in the The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life located in the American Museum of Natural History. The diorama depicts a hypothetical fight between the two creatures. The Squid and the Whale is also a 2005 movie by Noah Baumbach, which features the diorama in the film.
Lyrics
Blinding shining star You won't see so far Know what can't be shown Feel what can't be known You were an isle unto thyself You had a heart you hadn't felt Why would it hurt me Or was it real It was the night we had to part We were afraid to miss the start What did it matter Why would it matter And could we heal Blinding shining star You won't see so far Know what can't be shown Feel what can't be known I was a victim of magic Apollo Catching my breath as I bled on the ground Somebody called me to follow I followed Thinking aloud without hearing the sound Then all the planets fell to dust Lonely departing after us Gone not forgotten Long but forgotten old lore In every element of life Love camouflaging under strife Or other matters Minds over matters let there be more Maybe you'll exit tomorrow The sorrow Sweeping you off as your island replies Sudden invincible flowing A river Clearer than all thou might view with thine eyes Why did fire-erupted lands arrive? Why did murderous animals survive? Why did we deserve to be revived? Why was any and everything alive?
Matters Lyrics
Blind a shining star We won't see so far Know what can't be shown Feel what can't be known I was an isle unto myself I had a heart I hadn't felt Why would it hurt me? Or was it real? It was the day I had to part I was afraid to miss my heart What did it matter? Why did it matter? Or would I feel? Blind a shining star We won't see so far Know what can't be shown Feel what can't be known I was a victim of magic Apollo Catching my breath as I bled on the ground Somebody called me to follow I followed Thinking aloud without hearing the sound (Why) When all the planets fall to dust Lonely departing after us Gone not forgotten Long but forgotten In every element of life Love camouflages under strife Or other matters Not only matter Let there be more Blind a shining star We won't see so far Know what can't be shown Feel what can't be known Maybe we'll tango tomorrow The sorrow Sweeping us off as our mother replies Suddenly everything flowing Like water Clearer than all we can see with our eyes (Why) Why do travelling tumbleweeds arrive? Why do murderous animals survive? Why do I deserve to be revived? Why are any or all of us alive?
Personnel
Engineered by Bora Karaca at the Laboratory in Beverly Hills, CA
Music & Lyrics: Joe Hawley
Vocals: Joe Hawley
Additional Vocals: Bora Karaca, Andrew Kurtz, Ashley Renee
Acoustic & Electric Guitars: Joe Hawley
Electric Bass: Ryan Brady
Drum Kit: Ross Federman
Drum Engineering: Ben Collins, Ross Federman
Music Video Personnel
Video by Sean Donnelly and Teddy O'Connor
Squirrel Animation: Abbey Luck
Sets: Liz Toonkel
References
- ↑ Matters.mp3 leak in the Needlejuice Records discord server. Coz Baldwin. 24th January 2022. "MATTERS (DEMO of Isle Unto Thyself)". Discord Message. Matters.mp3. Needlejuice Records Discord Server.
- ↑ https://miraclemusical.bandcamp.com/track/isle-unto-thyself-demo ミラクルミュージカル (Miracle Musical). May 19th, 2014. Bandcamp. Digital Audio File.
- ↑ Side-by-side audio waveforms of the 2 demos Joshface. 3rd January 2024. Discord Message.
- ↑ 'ミラクルミュージカル – Isle unto Thyself' Music Video 12th December 2014. YouTube. Video. (Accessed 3rd Jan 2024).
| Hawaii: Part II | |
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