Ace of Hearts

About this Song

There are probably several layers to the lyrics, but the original feeling behind the song was very personal. I wrote it when I had a newborn son. It came from looking at this tiny, innocent human being and thinking: How are you ever going to grow up and survive this cruel world? How are you going to find your way without me? That feeling is at the heart of the chorus: “I feel the earth moving underneath my skin.” Looking into his eyes creates this huge, almost physical feeling inside me. At the same time, I know that one day he has to leave me and find his own way. So the song is really about looking at a newborn and imagining his entire life ahead of him — love, danger, trust, betrayal, independence and everything he will eventually have to face. I’m almost singing directly to that little child, trying to make sense of a future neither of us can see yet.