Sia Furler was born on December 18, 1975 in Adelaide, South Australia. Furler decided to go to school in Italy at the age of 14 – Her parents had enough money to either fix her snaggletooth or send her to school, she chose the latter. Discovering her voice in a karaoke bar while in Italy, on a one-year hiatus from university, Sia explained to Gigwise – an online music magazine – “I got up and sang at this karaoke bar in Italy. I didn’t like any of the songs they had so I just got them to clap their hands and sang “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers.” She was offered a chance to record a song by a local DJ who happened to be in the bar that night.
Since then Sia was vocalist for a jazz-funk band, Crisp, they released two albums before Sia decided to try her hand at trip-hop. She released her first solo album in 1997. Furler and her boyfriend, Dan, travelled together on a world trip. She stopped in Thailand while Dan moved on to London. Her boyfriend was killed in a traffic accident a week prior to her arrival. In 2007, Sia recalled the impact of Dan’s death, “We were all devastated, so we got shit-faced on drugs and Special Brew. Unfortunately, that bender lasted six years for me”.
Sia performed backing vocals for British funk band – Jamiroquai. In 2001, she released her second solo album, Healing is Difficult. Sia was guest vocalist for down tempo group, Zero 7 on 10 tracks from 3 different albums (Simple Things, When it Falls and The Garden). Since then, Sia has written and contributed songs for Christina Aguilera’s sixth studio album, Bionic. She has written and was guest vocalist for Ne-yo, Flo Rida and David Guetta. She wrote a few tracks for Madonna’s last effort, MDNA but unfortunately – her submissions were not on the final cut of the album. Most recently – Sia writing has contributed to Rihanna’s most recent # 1 Billboard Hot 100 track – “Diamonds”
The song that I chose for ‘Song of the Week’ this week – is Sia’s classic single “Breathe Me”. The first time I heard this song was on HBO’s series finale of their show ‘Six Feet Under’ – The song contributed to the very emotional, heart-wrenching and climatic final episode. Here are the lyrics and the Six Feet Under video versions:
BREATHE ME
I have done it again
I have been here many times beforeHurt myself again today and the worst part is there’s no one else to blameBe my friend
Hold me
Wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small and needy
Warm me up and breathe me
Ouch
I have lost myself again
Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found
Yeah
I think that I might break
Lost myself again and I feel unsafe
Be my friend
Hold me
Wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small and needy
Warm me up and breathe me
Be my friend
Hold me
Wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small and needy
Warm me up and breathe me
COALITION OF POSITIVE ENERGY 