Hope

Album: Collapsed In Sunbeams (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, Arlo Parks sings of a friend of hers who is feeling isolated, depressed and alone. She won't contact her mates because "she's ashamed of being locked into bed."
  • During the chorus, Parks empathizes with her friend and assures her she's not the only person on the planet feeling low. "That sense of shame is present in the verses, so I wanted the chorus to be this rallying cry," the singer explained to Apple Music. "I imagined a room full of people at a show who maybe had felt alone at some point in their lives singing together as this collective cry so they could look around and realize they're not alone."
  • On the song's bridge, Parks speaks to her friend, telling her she understands how she feels because she gets depressed too. "I wanted to also have the little spoken-word breakdown, just as a moment to bring me closer to the listener," she explained. "As if I'm on the other side of a phone call."
  • Parks' record company released "Hope" as the sixth single from her debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams. Written and recorded with longtime producer Gianluca Buccellati, they made the record in a collection of different London Air BnBs rather than a traditional studio setup.
  • The singer's frequent visual collaborator, Molly Burdett, directed the touching video, where we see Parks dancing and hanging out with a lonely friend. "I think there's something so powerful about the saturated, filmic textures, the human portraits and depictions of euphoria," she said.

    The clip co-stars Molly Windsor, who played the lead role of Emma Hedges in the BBC TV drama Traces.
  • Speaking during Elton John’s Rocket Hour on Apple Music 1, Arlo Parks cited her inspirations for this song:

    Portishead's Dummy album
    The drums on some of '70s experimental rock band Can records
    The jazz she grew up listening to at home.

    "And I just wanted to create something that felt uplifting," Parks added. "I wanted to give people a sense of being part of something. And although everyone's isolated, not feeling alone and not feeling ashamed about those difficult feelings that a lot of us have."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jon Anderson of Yes

Jon Anderson of YesSongwriter Interviews

From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

Shaun Morgan of Seether

Shaun Morgan of SeetherSongwriter Interviews

Shaun breaks down the Seether songs, including the one about his brother, the one about Ozzy, and the one that may or may not be about his ex-girlfriend Amy Lee.

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root

Michael Glabicki of Rusted RootSongwriter Interviews

Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.