A Wall (song)

"**A Wall**" is the ninth track on Bat For Lashes' third album, *The Haunted Man*. It was released as the album's third and final single on 18 February 2013.

## Background

On 18 June 2012, Natasha previewed the song's lyrics on Facebook.

Natasha's quotes about the song:

> "In the past, I’d done not as many happy songs. For me, A Wall is definitely a more positive slant on coming through something and looking at it positively. It’s been going down really well live. The end is really euphoric and the outro is really happy. If we do it as a single, it’d be good to get it remixed. I feel like it could a really nice dance song."
>
>

> ‘A Wall’ for me is a song that’s very much about compassion and healing. It’s like a reassuring song, you know, if you’ve been through a hard time, ‘I’m gonna nurture you, look after you.’ The way you might see a obstruction, I see something different, like, I see a way out.
>
>

She said about the song's outro:

> There’s a lyric on this album that goes, ‘Just sit still. Does it hurt? Does it hurt?’ and it’s me asking myself if I stay still and avoid all the drama and stop the sabotage of my private life, what comes up? What am I actually feeling? And what I discovered was that by living a wholesome life, making myself happier, eating nice food, seeing friends and taking care of myself properly, it allowed me the space to see more minute emotions rising to the surface.
>
>

## Music video

### Development and concept

The video stars Natasha Khan and actor Harry Treadaway, whom she was dating at the time, and was shot in a neighbourhood in London. Khan sent a note to director Noel Paul about wanting a video about a simple love story: her and a guy crashing into a "Laura"-themed party. The last scene sees Khan "leaning out of a big car", which is a reference to the song "Marilyn."

Contrary to popular belief, Khan is not disguised as Pearl, her persona on *Two Suns*. As explained by her,

> "It could be an element of Pearl, but I just like wearing blonde wigs. I really like it. I think filmically, cinematically, a woman in a blonde wig with fake eyelashes is something to behold. It is a tradition of all those visual things I love, but there are different counterparts to me. So I don’t know if it’s a Pearl."
>
>

## Lyrics

From inside his mouth, I lick the blood

While he's roaring and biting, I wash off the mud

'Cause the tempest is out to wrestle a while

Stop charging, my darling, get closer, be quiet

'Cause where you see a wall, I see a door

*(We're entering a brave new world)*

Set out with no map and turn off your torch

*(And we're only but a second away!)*

'Cause where you see a wall, I see a door

*(Take my hand and we can out-run time!)*

You'll get through, you'll be home, you'll be home

From inside his mouth, I lick the scars

In the woodland, the leaves are marking a path

And if you'd just rest your head, stop repeating the charge

You know that this time will turn all the locks

'Cause where you see a wall, I see a door

*(We're entering a brave new world)*

Just set out with no map and turn off your torch

*(And we're only but a second away!)*

'Cause where you see a wall, I see a door

*(Take my hand and we can out-run time!)*

You'll get through, you'll be home, you'll be home

Just sit still, does it hurt? Does it hurt?

Just sit still, does it hurt? Does it hurt?

Just sit still, does it hurt? Does it hurt?

Just sit still, does it hurt? Does it hurt?

## Credits

Personnel

* **Natasha Khan** - Vocals, bass, synths and string synth
* **Dan Carey** - Guitar, omisphere synth, drum programming
* **David Kosten** - Synths, keyboards, programming, vocoder
* **Dave Sitek** - Synths
* **Jeremy Pitchard** - Bass
* **Michael Spearman** - Drums
* **Leo Taylor** - Live drums

Technical

* Produced by **Natasha Khan**, **Dan Carey** and **David Kosten**
* Engineered by **Dan Carey** and **Alexis Smith**
* Additional engineering by **David Kosten**
* Mixed by **Dan Carey**

## References

1. ↑ "Facebook photo - Messages from Natasha". 18 June 2012. *Facebook*.
2. ↑ "Bat For Lashes - Natasha Khan's Guide To New Album The Haunted Man". 12 October 2012. *Q Magazine*.
3. ↑ "Bat For Lashes "The Haunted Man" Track-By-Track | Billboard". *Billboard*.
4. ↑ Flockhart, Gary (18 October 2012). "Interview: Natasha Khan, aka Bat for Lashes, ahead of her Edinburgh concert". *The Scotsman*.
5. ↑ "Video Chats: Noel Paul on 'Laura', 'All Your Gold', and 'A Wall' by Bat For Lashes". 16 January 2013. *IMVDb*.
6. ↑ "Bat For Lashes on Flavorpill Sessions (Performance + Q&A)".