Invisible Empire

Album: Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about how someone creates a fantasy of their own life before realizing that it's all rubbish. Tunstall penned the song before she ended her four-year marriage to drummer Luke Bullen, who was also the drummer in her band, and its musical director. However, the lyrics reflect the sense of foreboding she felt. "I wrote that before things happened," she told The Daily Mail. "But that was my life. All the boxes ticked but I wasn't happy. Clearly, in my subconscious I understood what was going on."
  • Tunstall explained the song's meaning to The Daily Telegraph: "This song is the title track of the first half of the record, and sets the scene. It's about creating a reality that is only based on what you want to see, not what's real. It'll either come crashing down, or you'll want to set it alight yourself to find the truth."

    "It's about the idea that if you try and control life, you kill it," she continued, "but if you let it flow in its own way, it can flourish."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"They're Playing My Song

Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"They're Playing My Song

Armed with a childhood spent devouring books, Mike Scott's heart was stolen by the punk rock scene of 1977. Not surprisingly, he would go on to become the most literate of rockers.

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock Photography

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"