Phone Call To Heaven (Leave A Message)
Song-by-song
Tiffany Alvord’s new extended album, “A Phone Call To Heaven (Leave A Message),” serves as a poignant B-Side to her 2023 project “Phone Call To Heaven.” This album continues the deeply personal journey of healing and reflection that began with her previous work, delving into the raw emotions and experiences following the loss of her father. Tiffany explores the stages of grief, from the initial shock and depression to the eventual finding of closure and gratitude.
“Phone Call To Heaven (Leave A Message)” is a testament to Tiffany’s ability to transform personal pain into a universal message of resilience. Through her music, she encourages others to embrace the present, cherish their loved ones, and find solace in the shared human experience. This EP is not just a continuation of her story, but an invitation for listeners to join her on a journey of healing and discovery.
Track 1: DON'T (focus track)
Inspiration: Written two months after losing her father, “DON’T” reflects the deeply personal experience of grief and the frustration that comes when others, despite their good intentions, can’t fully understand the depth of the loss.
Theme: Captures the raw emotions of navigating grief—anger, confusion, and isolation—while expressing the sentiment that no one can truly know what you’re going through.
From the Artist: “I wrote “DON’T” two months after losing my dad. I never realized how people’s well-meaning comments or attempts to help with grief could sometimes come across as dismissive or condescending. It made me understand that grief is so personal—only you can truly grasp the depth of the relationship and the loss. Even those with the best intentions don’t fully get it. So, for all the anger and confusion that comes with that, there’s really only one word that feels right: DON’T. Just don’t.”
For “DON’T” lyrics: click here
Track 2: Come Back Soon
Inspiration: The longing and emptiness felt after her father’s passing. Captures the raw emotion of missing her father, with vivid imagery of his untouched bedroom and the final moments they shared.
Theme: A heartfelt plea for comfort and connection, even across the divide of life and death.
From the Artist: “This was my anthem of ‘I miss you.’ The song is sung through tears to give me comfort and hope that somewhere in heaven my dad was able to hear my call and longing of how much emptier life felt without him. From his bedroom that was untouched, him not knowing it’d be his last time in California or on a plane, and all of a sudden there were the remnants without the person. Though we had a 3-5 year warning that time was short, it just felt like we were robbed or somehow if we could undo it, we could linger in one more moment of the haven of home and conversation and love.”
For “Come Back Soon” lyrics: click here
Track 3: Permanent
Inspiration: Her father’s role as a problem-solver and the struggle to cope with his absence. A powerful expression of grief and the need for her father’s comforting presence during the hardest times.
Theme: The anger and confusion of dealing with loss, and the desire for one last piece of fatherly advice.
From the Artist: “My dad was a man of wonders, Mr. Solution. I don’t know how dads do it, but they somehow have a fix to everything. He always reassured every situation and gave me the tools and keys I needed to be a proactive, curious, and resourceful woman; EVERYTHING had an answer or fix. So as I sat with loss and was perplexed by how we exist one day… and don’t the next, I got angry. He never taught me how to deal with something so vast and intangible as death. Though I experienced loss, this was a quantum leap into the unimaginable. So this was a bit of an angry cry for wishing my dad could teach me one more thing, and that I needed my dad more than anything in this moment of grief; to console me and give the comforting words he so effortlessly did.”
For “Permanent” lyrics: click here
Track 4: Blue
Inspiration: The color blue, symbolizing her father’s eyes and the pervasive sense of loss. A melancholic yet beautiful tribute to her father, seeing him in the blue of the ocean, the sky, and her own emotions.
Theme: The omnipresence of her father’s memory in everything blue around her.
From the Artist: “Blue is the color of my dad’s ocean eyes. The color that reminds me of him. As I wrote this, I sat with everything blue in my life, feeling blue, as the weather was blue and the ocean was blue… yet it all pointed back to my dad. Blue was the hue of loss. So since he passed, it’s all blue, and I will forever see him in everything around me.”
For “Blue” lyrics: click here
Track 5: When I Drive
Inspiration: A spontaneous purchase of a Mustang and a memorable drive with her father.
Theme: Celebrating life’s simple joys and the importance of living in the moment.
From the Artist: “Inspired purely by my real-life quarter-life crisis. I bought a Mustang one day and my dad’s proud reaction and happiness for me was a memory for the books. He loved sports cars in high school and owned a red Corvette, and he thought it was the coolest thing and got a kick out of me getting it, but more so was so proud of how hard I work and reminded me that life is so short and we should enjoy our hard work when and while we can. So we took it for a drive and the song is history! It feels like a memory that seems so simple… just a drive with my dad, but it was so, so special and his laugh and smile as we picked up speed is priceless. And of course, now when I drive, I’ll always think of him by my side.”
For “When I Drive” lyrics: click here
Track 6: When The Hard Times Come
Inspiration: A conversation with her father about resilience and the strength found in cherished memories. Reflects on her father’s life and the timeless wisdom he imparted, inspired by a poignant childhood photo of her father.
Theme: Embracing life’s highs and lows, and finding beauty in every season of life.
From the Artist: “I actually started this song after a conversation with my dad when he said, ‘when the hard times come… and they surely will.’ I loved the way it sounded and told him I was gonna make that into a song! It’s about how whenever hard times come, it’s all the good memories that make us strong and push us through to the next ‘good time.’ After he passed, I decided to pivot the song to capture my dad’s life in essence with this conversation being the core. It’s not about the lows but the beautiful highs that make life so rich, the priceless moments.”
For “When The Hard Times Come” lyrics: click here