We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

THIN LINE

by Noelle Hampton

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD

     

  • Buy Disc

1.
Thin Line (free) 04:44
I know that you realize nothing is set in stone We’ve got to work that much harder To make it on our own But I get tired of all this trying and I wish that we could float through this love, through this day, have a ready antidote For the times that we’re troubled And the times that we’re bad To each other, ourselves and this love that we have It’s a thin line (between you and me) It’s a thin line (why can’t you let it be) It’s a thin line (it’s really troubling me) It’s a thin line (let’s break it and see) Well I’m not saying that we’re ruined, I think we are on track but there’s a whole bunch of shit that just keeps Weighing on our backs So let’s be truthful with each other, ‘Cause we get buried down in lies Trying to dig our way out, see the blue of the skies, The blue of the skies It’s a thin line (what are you talking about?) It’s a thin line (but we’re working it out) It’s a thin line (don’t even say it aloud) It’s a thin line (we just scream and shout) We can sail through this love like an ocean Use the waves to keep us in motion, Use the wind to push us on, Whistling through the sails like a beautiful song My gut says it’s worth it, my heart says to fight So I will break down your walls just to see your insides Make you spill out all over like the beautiful truth You’re exposed, you’re exposed, What are you going to do? It’s a thin line (but we’re making it right) It’s a thin line (I’m going to show you tonight) It’s a thin line (but it’s not out of sight) It’s a thin line (I don’t want to fight anymore)
2.
ALWAYS THE SAME Everyday my heart breaks, every night the booze takes That much longer and longer to get in my veins It’s always the same I’m everybody’s puppet, everybody’s bet If you put down your money & haven’t scored yet you’ll Find a new game It’s always the same, it’s always the same And sometimes there’s nothing left for me to blame Just a loss of love and a feeling that won’t go away Oh, how did I let my love turn black? Oh no, how did this train get on this track? I’m turning around now, homeward bound now You’re the test market and I’m just the test They give you one chance So you can shine like the rest of ‘em, Hey, hey, hey, it’s always the same It’s my fault, it’s his fault, it’s your fault and their fault, What if our timing were different, It was some other day It’s always the same, it’s always the same If you sleep with the devil They’re bound to hear the news They’ll flip back the covers, you’re naked like the truth Oh, how did I let my love turn black? Oh, no no no, how did this train get on this track? Oh and I’ll be fine if I just get back I’m turning around now, homeward bound now In a sky full of stars You don’t want to be without a name So you put yourself up for sale And you hope that you’re the one they’ll claim But It’s always the same, always the same Oh, how did I let my love turn black? No no no no, how did this train get on this track? Oh, I’ll be fine if I just get back I’m turning around now, homeward bound now I’m turning around now, homeward bound now Turning around now, homeward bound now
3.
Cold Strings 04:50
COLD STRINGS This old guitar is like a stranger in my arms It’s all dusty and I fear it hates me so The strings are black and the wood it feels cold As I try to sing a song from long ago Sometimes a year will swallow you whole Make you forget all the things you were bound to Sometimes a year will forgive and forget Give you love and direction and astound you Cold Strings, cold, cold heart You should have broken by now You keep asking for something new But the pen won’t move and the paper’s white as snow My soul is frozen and my heart is blue And lately, that’s all I know Sometimes a dream, well it’s only a dream, When you wake you forget all of it’s wonder Sometimes a dream is all that you need To get you up from that sleep that you’ve been under Cold Strings, cold, cold heart You should have broken by now When I go down, I guess you go down with me Although I try to keep you high You give me words of wisdom That I wish I could remember When I’m hating myself and I don’t know why Cold Strings, cold, cold heart You should have broken by now
4.
Oh death, oh death Are you a blackwing butterfly? Are you death here to touch me on my shoulder as I cry? Silent and unnoticed up against the evening sky, Death, are you a blackwing butterfly? Is this the end, oh the end, blackwing butterfly? Did you summon all the angels for a bedside lullaby? We all just keep on singing and wait for Heaven’s trumpets cry Sing it loud, blackwing butterfly Hallelujah, Hallelujah Don’t pass me by, don’t pass my by, Blackwing butterfly Are you here for another, must I suffer in this life? ‘Cause I’m weak from all this loving and I think it is my time Take me now, blackwing butterfly Hallelujah, Hallelujah Do you know how I’m aching, blackwing butterfly? Do you know how I’m aching when I see you fly on by ‘Cause I thought you’d take this heartache Up to heaven by and by But you left me, my blackwing butterfly Hallelujah, Hallelujah
5.
Sometimes I think that you’ve forsaken me And it’s taken me this long to realize I go along and you just lie to me Lie to me to bring me comfort But somehow I know you’ll pick me up When I’ve hit my rock at the bottom I guess you wouldn’t let me die down there You’ll bring me up for air when you want to And I’m helpless again, helpless again Lying weightless in your arms, I’m helpless again I’m trying not to take it literally I just try to see some good in you But when you show me that it’s all for not, You can break my heart with just a whisper And I’m helpless again, helpless again Lying weightless in your arms, I’m helpless again I will fight you ‘til the bitter end When you take my hand and lead me over ‘Cause all is fair in this love and war And you love me for it anyway And I’m helpless again, helpless again Lying weightless in your arms, I’m helpless again
6.
SAFE FROM LOVE You run from the things I say From the light of day, from the bitter pain And you run down the fire escape From the breaking waves, from the love I gave You flee down the easy road Where love never goes, where love never goes You flee down the corridor From what’s in store, when you give it all away You’re keeping safe from love Aren’t you baby, aren’t you baby You trip on your own two feet When you’re close to me, on the words you speak You run from the smoking gun And you come undone, from the things you start to feel You’re keeping safe from love Aren’t you baby, aren’t you baby You’re keeping safe from love Aren’t you baby, aren’t you baby I’ll break you down, baby you’ll come around someday You’re keeping safe from love Aren’t you baby, aren’t you baby You’re keeping safe from love Aren’t you baby, aren’t you baby (You don’t know when you’ve got it good, with a love that you should hold on to, but you let it slip away)
7.
Waiting Game 04:05
WAITING GAME C’mon, answer your phone You see my number and you leave it alone Has L.A got you so drunk that you’re calling it home? We used to share the dream But sometimes I felt like you were criticizing me I blamed you for the feelings I had of insecurity Remember when we were first starting out We used to raise each other up, when we were down? Playing the waiting game is only making it worse Playing the waiting game is only making it worse I can’t sleep very well All this unknowing sort of feels like hell I hate to say it’s true, but I’m missing you You know, I’m always in L.A. Can we work it out next time, c’mon what do you say? Don’t you think 10 years deserves one single day? I didn’t live all of this life to not know How to keep a friend, let’s try again Playing the waiting game is only making it worse Playing the waiting game is only making it worse I’m causing you pain, you’ve hurt me again Let’s stop all this now if it’s just the same This waiting game, I still call you my best friend when I talk about you now Let’s work it out somehow Playing the waiting game is only making it worse
8.
Firecracker 06:02
FIRECRACKER Nothing I’ve dreamed of for years has come to show I’ve been pushed around like a ghost of a girl I know Sometimes it’s a miracle that I’ve yet to blow I’m a firecracker burning slow I’m not safe but I’m not dangerous yet I’m my own worst hand on my biggest bet Everyone watches the destruction But they stay really low ‘Cause I’m a firecracker burning slow Oh, a firecracker burning slow Somewhere out there is a shift in the weather It makes us shift all of those things That we fought for together And the waves they threaten as they quietly grow Like a firecracker burning slow Oh, a firecracker burning slow The wheel of the world keeps turning around It’s bringing me up and dragging me down But in these darkest times one light will glow From that firecracker burning slow Oh, a firecracker burning slow
9.
Danny 04:24
Danny Love is just a crapshoot- you’ve gotta’ roll the dice You always thought I loved you- I was only being nice You wrote 400 letters, pouring out your pain Drinking in that dark room and staring at the rain Simon says forget me - Simon says move on For a second I thought you listened I thought that you were gone But you left 400 messages on my machine I’m living in a nightmare While you’re chasing down your dream Danny’s on the roof of the Blue Hotel And I know it’s not my fault I knew that you were losing it, right there on the edge But now I get a phone call that you’re Standing on a ledge They found my name on everything You had there in that room They’re asking me to talk you down The cops are coming soon Danny’s on the roof of the Blue Hotel And I know it’s not my fault Here come the sirens wailing away Danny hold on, it’ll all be OK Someone will want you, just wait and see It’ll be love, be love - but it won’t be me I didn’t mind the praise until it turned out to be Delusional love all wrapped up in string Now I’m wrapped up in your life, tangled in your dreams I’m hovering right above you as you Stare down at the street Danny’s on the roof of the Blue Hotel And I know it’s not my fault
10.

about

"Fat, gorgeous melodies; lyrics you can read like poetry, or that sound like whispered confidences. Understated, elegant arrangements and playing. Lovely vocals from Noelle Hampton. It’s a near-perfect package of words and music, of soul and inspiration." -Ben Fong-Torres (former editor of Rolling Stone)

Frustrated with college, Noëlle Hampton left San Diego and headed back to the San Francisco Bay Area. While on vacation she picked up her dad's guitar and taught herself 3 chords and by the time everyone came back into the cabin she was singing them a Dylan song. She bought her first guitar at age 19, began writing music and about a year later she got up on stage at an open mic to sing in front of an audience for the first time. She was hooked.

Only a few years later she won a coveted slot at the Lilith Fair by competing against almost 1000 entries and got to perform onstage with Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, The Indigo Girls and so many more. She found herself in a media whirlwind and had the amazing opportunity to open for huge National Acts including Chris Isaak, Richard Thompson, John Hiatt, Wilco, Jewel, Pat Benatar, Sarah Mclachlan, Train, Joan Armatrading, Paula Cole, LeAnn Rimes, Garrison Starr, Graham Parker and others. Amidst all of this she was nominated for a California Music Award for Outstanding Female Singer along with Gwen Stefani and Tracy Chapman. She was asked to perform at the event with Chuck Prophet and Green Day. Being an independent artist, all this seemed pretty miraculous, however, the most amazing event was yet to take place.

She arrived home one day to a message on her machine asking if she would like to open up for BOB DYLAN that next weekend. "At first I thought someone was messing with me," she says, "then I thought, HOLY *#!@, this is real!" It was an unbelievable experience and the ‘Bob Dylan audience’ embraced her right away. She felt as if had arrived into a pretty amazing place in her career, and all on her own.

Noëlle has always been an artist with a huge spirit and love for being on stage. "It's amazing when you can get hundreds or thousands of people to feel the same emotion at the same time" she says. She writes real, emotive songs that tell stories taken from all of the experiences within her own life. People of all ages and backgrounds can relate to the simple, yet poignant lyrics and the beautiful melodies that this artist generates.

She met her husband/guitar player, André Moran, fairly early on in her career and they realized right away that they had a sound together that was huge and lush and set them apart from other songwriters. Their influences come from artists like Patty Griffin, Tom Petty, U2, Daniel Lanois, Mark Knopfler and more, and they blended all of that love for a big, beautiful sound with their own rootsy-rock. This combination has been a juicy delight to audiences all across the country. After touring for a while, Noëlle and André settled down in Austin where they set to work rebuilding the musical spark they had created in San Francisco.

Her music has been heard on AAA stations, College and Satellite radio, and her song, "Here On The Ground" from 5 For The Road, was featured prominently in the Prime Time television show, Men in Trees. Noëlle and André also created the entire score for two short films, including "Big Love" featuring Sam Rockwell, Mary McCormack and Emma Roberts. She was also featured in an all-star musical cast for Apple's iTunes first commercial with Aimee Mann, Jeff Tweedy, Michael Penn, Ziggy Marley, Barry White, Dwight Yoakam, Iggy Pop and more.

The new CD, “Thin Line,” was produced by Mark Hallman (Eliza Gilkyson/ Carol King/ Colin Gilmore/ EricTaylor etc.) at Congress House Studios in Austin, TX. Noëlle and André had the best studio experience of their life working with Mark and the stellar lineup of musicians that contributed their talent including Rick Richards(Ray Wylie Hubbard), Teal Collins(The Mother Truckers), Brian Standefer(Alejandro Escovedo) and Michael Ramos(Patty Griffin). For the first time, Noëlle and André were able to step out of the producer role trust someone else with the vision of the songs. Mark had a way of taking the intensity of Noëlle’s material and bringing a lightness and simplicity to it, creating a CD that you want to play again and again.

ABOUT THIS CD:(Note from Noëlle & André)
This was the first time we let go of the reins and brought in someone else to produce. It was such an amazing experience working with Mark Hallman and we love what came out of it. We weren't trying to re-invent the wheel... we just wanted big, lush, beautiful recordings of what we do naturally. We hope you enjoy it!

credits

released August 18, 2009

PRODUCED, RECORDED, MIXED & MASTERED BY MARK HALLMAN AT THE CONGRESS HOUSE STUDIO IN AUSTIN,TX.
ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING BY NED STEWART.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Noelle Hampton Austin, Texas

contact / help

Contact Noelle Hampton

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Noelle Hampton, you may also like: