Element

Behind the music with Johanna Cranitch

Crossing paths in the barren desert of Salton Sea California, we first met Johanna Cranitch as an assistant on our past Fall 2010 photo shoot.  It didn’t take long before we found her true gift and passion lied within the music scene as a song bird of NY.  Since then, we’ve had the pleasure to work with Johanna in creating the music for our seasonal videos, and with each lyric she writes and tune she builds… she continues to leave us speechless.

We had a beautiful heart to heart with Johanna recently on the story behind some of her lyrics… and her inspiring work as a musician goes much deeper than song.  Johanna works to pull focus on building awareness of eating disorders and hopes to continue doing so by giving talks on the issue.  After having her older sister pass from anorexia, Johanna felt passion to share her story and honor her sister by encouraging other women to find strength in themselves to overcome such a difficult disease.

Johanna described for us the meaning behind her song Heavy Heart…

Johanna:

Heavy Heart is actually a song I wrote about my upbringing and childhood. I have always had a pretty hard time letting go.. letting go of relationships, friendships, people dying. I think it’s directly related to fearing that I will feel once again, what I felt when she died. the theme of “can you grow up soon” is about letting go of expectations and realizing that you have to be your own person and cannot hid behind your parents protection forever. “I am building castles in the sand” – I am protecting myself, a child like image to go along with the theme of feeling like I need protection from sadness.

I am building castles in the sand
Digging circling with my two hands
I will build it nice and tall so you you can’t get to me at all

Can you grow up soon and take care of all of that you need to do?
you do!

Heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy heart

I am digging for treasures in the sand
Someone else’s dreams might be in this sand
Lost long ago, on a trip outside
heavy rain has washed it all away

can you grow up soon? and take care of all that you need to do?
you do!

(Do you need some help, will you take my hand
I will show you how, i will show you how)

Chorus

Is it time yet? my heart my heart won’t be still
I don’t know if I can grow up I can’t grow up yet
I can’t grow up I can’t grow up yet
I Want to hide want to sleep under the sheets so I can escape the world
I can’t grow up I can’t grow up yet I can’t grow up i can’t grow up yet

is it time?

Chorus

i am counting all the sheep, like my mother told me to
i am brushing all my teeth, like my father told me to

can you grow up soon?
will you tell me how to wipe up this room
with all these tears

HEAR THE FULL SONG

FIND OUT MORE ON JOHANNA AND THE DUSTY FLOOR

Photo by Jessie Sara English