Underwater

The origins of this song began over ten years ago. I found myself being compelled to write about the sheer emancipation of spirit that frolicking in water brings; water, life’s panacea. Now, the strange thing about this song is at the time I had begun to write it I couldn’t swim. Not only could I not swim, but I had an abject fear of being in water. I had tried on many occasions as a child to learn how to swim, but I just could not get the hang of it. The sum of all my fears of being in water, like most people with this fear was the fact that I had almost drowned as a child...twice.

A few years passed after writing the beginnings of Underwater and like a lot of my songs, it remained in my consciousness quite happily torpid until awakened. I still could not swim and while it would have been nice to have been able to, I did not find it a huge inconvenience in my life.

Then came the catalyst; I found myself in a situation where not being able to swim would have meant that I would be missing out on one of the most important moments in my life. I was to spend twelve glorious days with the man of my dreams in a paradise island resort – how could I not swim? Thankfully I broached the subject with my beau who had the solution; he would teach me how to swim. I did doubt that I would be able to learn within that time, since I had spent most of my childhood trying to learn, but never got past the fear. And there, indeed was the crux – it was pure, undeniable terror that was keeping me from learning how to swim.

Would you believe I learnt how to swim in a few mere hours? It was trust which finally overcame the fear. I trusted the love of my life and with his gentle guidance and in the safety of his presence, I was treading water in no time; segue from frantic strain of body against water to a silken glide of muscles relaxing into the groove.

The moment I began to actually swim I felt something heal in me. Not only was I in my own personal Shangri La with my soul mate, but I was now overcoming a monumental obstacle in my life. I found myself suddenly so at home in the water, as if none of my past fears were ever something I had to contend with. I was free, I was more alive than I had ever been, I was happy, joyful, ecstatic, and I was surrounded by this substance that was making me feel so unfathomably good!

In that stunning swimming pool, in that cool water, under the moon and the stars, there was only my love and I ... and time stood still for us. From such fear came such liberation, such healing, such wonder and indescribable love. The song, Underwater breathed deeply as it arose from its slumber...

One of my most cherished life lessons was learnt during this period. It’s about the things we are most resistant to in life. I have found that sometimes, the thing we are most resistant to is the thing we not only enjoy the most, but are quite often most brilliant at. Today, once I get into a pool, you’d be hard pressed to get me out of it again! It’s one of my life’s greatest pleasures, obviously made infinitely greater when my husband is swimming alongside me.

One of my favourite quotes from the legendary Bruce Lee comes to mind when I write this blog. He says,

“Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; you put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; you put it into a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
Bruce Lee

To learn to swim I had to embrace the thing that I feared; water. Our bodies are made up of this substance and yet we can have such fear of something that is an integral part of us. That applies to so much in life, perhaps we fear things sometimes because we are what we fear….food for thought at any rate.

I do hope you enjoy listening to my acoustic version of Underwater. This video comes complete with furtive glances, effervescent eyebrow antics and the occasional pout! It is after all a little bit of a saucy song so it called for a few saucy escapades.

To view Underwater – go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHtatsBykyk

To hear Underwater ‘in Fusion’ go to www.prema.net

Lyrics to Underwater by Prema

Separate the bad from the good
And see the amber in the wood
Rush to me like a wave coming fast from the open sea

Get the story from within my eyes
So far below there can be no lies
Rush to me like a wave coming fast from the open sea

And I feel love, washing through me
And I feel love, washing through you
And I feel love, washing through us, so endlessly
Timeless and holy

Here underwater where the angels fly
Here underwater you can ask me why
Here underwater baby you and I,
So alive and holding on, and breathing
Here underwater we can reach for the stars
Here underwater we are Venus and Mars
Here underwater baby you and I,
So alive and holding on, and breathing on

Touch my skin it gets softer still
Scratch my back with an ancient quill
Rush to me like a wave coming fast from the open sea

Educate me in your ways
Then let the sunlight spill her rays
Rush to me like a wave coming fast from the open sea

I feel it stronger when it flows
I will follow love wherever it goes
I just want to ride it nice and slow

‘Cos it could lead us to a better place
We could be together face to face
We could dive deep into the blue
We could be together me and you
And we could live on

Shoreline - The Back Story

I’ve recently made a ‘live’ solo acoustic video of a few songs from my album ‘in Fusion’ along with a couple of covers. I wanted to create an online ‘gig’ for my fans – bringing them my sound & songs, stripped back to its essence. This step was an important one for me as a performer; I thrive on singing ‘live’ and while the time isn’t quite right for a tour, I wanted to find a way to bring the music to my fans who are spread across the globe. So what better way than to have a virtual show? It allows me the privilege of performing and the listener a chance to get close and personal to me and my music.

The first song I that we’ve uploaded on to YouTube is ‘Shoreline’. It’s one of my favourite tracks taken from the album which also features a stunning and breath taking bass solo by Damian Erskine. I have however had a somewhat turbulent relationship with this song, especially in the early stages of its development. You see, I was writing about something that hadn’t quite taken place yet; in my life and in my career. So, it was about a vision of what I knew I needed to do, which made writing and working on it an arduous process, until the moment I started working on it for the pre-production of ‘in Fusion’; because in doing it, I had actually reached my own personal shoreline!

This track is essentially about the transitional phase my life was in when leaving Malaysia for good and moving to the UK. It was a process which took the best part of a year and there was a definite sense of being pulled in two opposite directions. On the one hand, my family, friends and career were all in Malaysia and so I was feeling incredible pressure to keep the status quo. On the other hand, I had fallen deeply in love with the man of my dreams who just so happened to be in the UK. With love in the equation, there was no doubt where I needed to be, but the move took a great deal of courage because it meant starting all over again.

At this juncture I’d like to be candid about something, I was not entirely happy in Malaysia and that is not easy for me to say. I think it’s mainly because I had begun to realise that there was a kind of glass ceiling when it came to my career and vocation. However, I know that I did achieve a great deal in my time there and the fans, the people who love music were always supportive of me and appreciative of the music – which is what kept me going.

I have not talked about this in detail but there was one defining moment for me in Malaysia which made my decision to leave all the easier. It goes back a few years now, but there was a major award ceremony (akin to The Grammys), & well, my first album was nominated for many awards but did not win a single one. You know, it wasn’t about winning and I can say that with hand on heart - but what it said to me was great music and outstanding musicianship (the people who played on the album were the crème of session musicians in Asia) didn’t mean much. It said to me that the powers that be were not willing to acknowledge something amazing, for whatever reason. It said to me that industry politics superseded good music. I know that this happens all over the world and especially in ‘award’ ceremonies but at that point, at that critical moment in my life…it broke my heart. You know, I was so much younger then, and so much more vulnerable. I could scarcely cope with that crushing blow and it took away much joy from me. It was THE straw that broke the camel’s back… but, somewhere deep in my soul ‘Shoreline’ flickered into life. One of my most cherished aspects of being able to write songs lies in its cathartic nature. Somehow when my spirit is broken a seed of a song gets planted within me and I inadvertently begin the healing process; it is such profound blessing.

Much water has flowed under that bridge now and I know that experience has enriched my life. In fact it turned out to be a blessing in disguise – it led me the path on which I am today. It led me to make ‘in Fusion’ which is something I am incredibly proud of. It is instrumental in my learning a major life lesson – to leave the past behind me and because of the broken heart of much younger Prema, I am the woman I am today….and that’s got to count for something!

Shoreline is about healing. It’s about finding out what you want in your life and learning how to manifest that. It’s about filling your life with love and positive energy and people. It’s about knowing when something isn’t working for you and having the courage to start again. It’s about being determined and being at peace simultaneously.

So, I hope you will have a listen to this track with a new understanding of its journey and I especially hope that it will inspire you in yours. After you’ve had a listen please do hear the full band version of Shoreline on ‘in Fusion’ – the energy you will derive from listening to the whole band will revitalise you; everyone on it played with such love and joy and I know you will feel that current coursing through your soul!

To hear Shoreline (acoustic version) on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPx2rnFxB4k
To hear Shoreline (‘in Fusion’): www.prema.net


Lyrics to Shoreline by Prema

Gonna leave the past behind me, let it take the back seat
All the things that separate now and then
And I’ll hurry up, life can’t wait, make a move won’t hesitate
Exercise a little more acumen

With every, sunrise, there is a surprise,
If I want it so bad, all I’ve gotta do is ask for it,
Now I’m relieved that I can receive and I truly do believe

If I can make it to the shoreline
If I can make it with this arrow still in my back
Then I’ll make it through the thunder, thunder storms of my life
Gotta move on and I won’t look back
Gotta move on and I won’t look
No looking back, ‘cos there ain’t no looking back

I can’t ever let chance defy me, it’s curious in that way
Every time a right turns out to be a wrong
And I’ll teach my mind to elevate, it’s never too late to activate
All the little things that keep me feeling strong

With ever, sunrise, love has its devices,
If I want it so bad, all I’ve gotta do is ask for it,
Now I’m relieved that I can receive ‘cos I truly do believe

Gotta keep movin’ on…

I won’t fight this feeling, won’t stop believing
Can’t let nobody, define me, keep bringing me down,
Won’t underestimate, exactly what it takes,
It takes a lot of love to find hope
And reach for the shoreline