She began playing the guitar at the age of five, first being taught the blues by her father in front of the family fire, and has been enthralled by the songs and lyrics of the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, James Taylor and John Mayall ever since. It’s not just the “golden-oldies” that Laura admires; she also harbours a rather deep love for alt.country’s favourite son, Ryan Adams. “He’s brilliant, there’s nothing that even comes close, he can paint the most amazing pictures in your mind.” Ryan Adams in turn had her album 'I Speak Because I Can' given to him by a producer friend. Ryan had written a lot of the material for his forthcoming album 'Ashes and Fire' but upon listening to her album he said; "I actually threw out the record I was writing and re-wrote my record based on that album because I thought to myself somebody's actually taking this very seriously ... It was amazing, a great motivation ... And it felt good to ask: 'What am I really capable of? I felt competitive again to write great songs."
Jamie T personally invited her on tour with him after being impressed by her modern folk-pop when he caught her playing just her second ever gig. Marling is part of the extended Way Out West family, having played five eminent shows at the label’s Brentford FC night before the club was finally moved on, and was also a member of Noah and the Whale until May 2008, contributing vocals and instruments throughout, and seen in the "Five Years Time" video playing recorder.
Following her London Town EP, Marling's debut album Alas I Cannot Swim was released by Virgin on 4th February 2008. Originally released in a large Song Box containing mementos and trinkets personal to the songs, as well as a concert ticket., the album was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Music Prize.
Marling released her second album, I Speak Because I Can, on March 22nd 2010.
The first track from her third album, A Creature I Don't Know, to receive radio airplay was "Sophia." The song is an ode to a mythical deity. (Sophia Songfacts).
Ghosts
Laura Marling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Staring solely at his feet
Clutching pictures of past lovers at his side
Stood at the table where she sat
And removed his hat
In respect of her presence
Presents her with the pictures and says
"These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you.
These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you"
Opened up his little heart
Unlocked the lock that kept it dark
And read a written warning
Saying I'm still mourning
Over ghosts
Over ghosts
Over ghosts
Over ghosts that broke my heart before I met you
Lover, please do not
Fall to your knees
It's not
Like I believe in
Everlasting love
He went crazy at nineteen
Said he'd lost all his self esteem
And couldn't understand why he was cry, cry, crying, crying.
He would stare at empty chairs
Think of the ghosts that once sat there
The ghosts who broke his heart.
All the ghosts that broke my heart
The ghosts that broke his heart
All the ghosts that broke my heart
The ghosts, the ghosts, the ghosts, the ghosts,
The ghosts, the ghosts
The ghosts that broke my heart before I met you
Lover, please do not
Fall to your knees
It's not
Like I believe in
Everlasting love
He says "I'm so lost,
Not at all well"
Do as though there is nothing left to be
Turned out I'd been following him and he'd been following me
Do as though after it was over
We were just two lovers crying on each others shoulders
And I said
Lover, please do not
Fall to your knees
It's not
Like I believe in
Everlasting love
Lover, please do not
Fall to your knees
It's not
Like I believe in
Everlasting love
The song "Ghosts" by Laura Marling seems to be an emotional ballad about the pain of love and loss. The lyrics present a man who walks down a street with pictures of past loves, haunted by memories of the ghosts who broke his heart before he met the woman he is presenting the pictures to. The man is seen opening up to this woman, revealing his past traumas, and acknowledges that although he suffers from the ghosts of the past, he doesn't believe in eternal love. The singer of the song relates to the man's pain and tries to comfort him, using the metaphor of them being "just two lovers crying on each other's shoulders."
Line by Line Meaning
He walked down a busy street Staring solely at his feet Clutching pictures of past lovers at his side
He moved through the crowd with his eyes cast downwards and clinging to memories of his exes.
Stood at the table where she sat And removed his hat In respect of her presence
He approached her with polite decorum, conveying his sincerity.
Presents her with the pictures and says These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you. These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you
Handing her the photos with a heavy heart, he explains that these past relationships are like specters haunting him.
Opened up his little heart Unlocked the lock that kept it dark And read a written warning Saying I'm still mourning Over ghosts Over ghosts Over ghosts Over ghosts that broke my heart before I met you
He acknowledges the damage caused by past lovers, but is struggling to move on from the heartache.
Lover, please do not Fall to your knees It's not Like I believe in Everlasting love
The artist cautions against premature commitment, tempered by his personal beliefs about love's limitations.
He went crazy at nineteen Said he'd lost all his self esteem And couldn't understand why he was cry, cry, crying, crying.
Flashbacks to youth reveal a tormented soul, full of insecurities and confusion.
He would stare at empty chairs Think of the ghosts that once sat there The ghosts who broke his heart. All the ghosts that broke my heart The ghosts that broke his heart All the ghosts that broke my heart The ghosts, the ghosts, the ghosts, the ghosts, The ghosts, the ghosts
Empty chairs represent the memories of past relationships, haunting the singer and diminishing his capacity to trust again.
He says "I'm so lost, Not at all well" Do as though there is nothing left to be Turned out I'd been following him and he'd been following me Do as though after it was over We were just two lovers crying on each others shoulders And I said
Both lost in their own ways, the artist and another find comfort in each other's company and mutually share their grief, reinforcing a sense of shared humanity.
Lover, please do not Fall to your knees It's not Like I believe in Everlasting love
The song's refrain once again persists in warning about unrealistic expectations of love, implying that it is often ephemeral and fickle.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GABRIELLE APLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind