A song originally found on a limited edition vinyl e.p. of 1,000 numbered copies released October 2011. This recording of it comes from a digital source recording Massive Attack once made available via their site.
Hope sings lead. She also co-wrote the song, writing lyrics and vocal melody. It’s called “Four Walls” ’cause Hope’s lyrics include that phrase. We know she co-wrote it partly ’cause some sites cite her as co-writer, and also ’cause that’s the way she’s said she works with Massive Attack. They send her a music track and she writes lyrics & melody and records it. She said in an interview there are a number of collabs she’s done with Massive Attack (aside from “Four Walls,” “Paradise Circus,” and “The Spoils,”) which have not yet ever been released.
Here’s Hope’s verbatim QUOTE: “Massive Attack and I have written a lot of songs together. I don’t know how many already. The group sends me ideas occasionally and asks me if I can add a vocal melody and lyrics, and that’s what happened with ‘The Spoils’.” (Hope from a JNSP interview, Nov. 3, 2016)
Somehow, this 2011 release flew under my radar for 6 years despite it being a popular yt upload at other Channels. But the Channels where the song’s popular leave Hope uncredited on it. Her name is not even mentioned there.
I hadn’t heard “Four Walls” till a youtuber tipped me off to it today. I think someone else may have tried to tell me about the song a few years back but fear I wrongly thought they were referring only to Burial’s remix of “Paradise Circus.” I didn’t clue in that there was a second song. The e.p. with “Four Walls” also contained Burial’s remix of Massive Attack’s “Paradise Circus,” which Hope also appears on and co-wrote. Burial is the stage name of London electronic musician William Emmanuel Bevan.
Most of the photos of Hope in the slide show are by Hope’s (& my) fave photographer of Hope pics, Luz Gallardo.
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FOUR WALLS (lyrics via oldielyrics.com + some attempted corrections by me)
They know that I can’t settle down
They know but they won’t keep me in line, in line
They know that I’ll always let them
They know that I’m not that brave
They know that I can’t settle down
They know but they won’t keep me in line, in line, in line
These four walls have eyes, got lost on the way
They’ll hold me a while till he thinks that way, till
In line
Last they’ve killed the light
Don’t they save deep pain
Happiness can lie
Remembering all those times
We always wait
In line, in line, in line till we’re lost, I forgot
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