The band originally consisted of Bobby Wratten (vocals, guitar) and Michael Hiscock (bass), but for most of their lifespan also included Harvey Williams (guitar), Annemari Davis (keyboards), and Mark Dobson (drums). The band split up in 1991 after an unctuous tour to promote the For Keeps album, during which lead singer/guitarist Bobby Wratten announced he was leaving. He then, along with Davis and Dobson, formed Northern Picture Library. In 1995, Wratten founded Trembling Blue Stars.
Their first EP, Emma's House was released in late 1988, but it was with their 2nd single Sensitive that they first received significant critical attention with a subsequent placing in John Peel's 1989 Festive 50.
Over a three year career the band were often dogged with the reputation of having a post C86 indie pop or generic Sarah Records sound despite producing tracks with numerous styles and influences. Early singles and even their sleeves harked back to early Factory Records bands such as New Order and The Wake, with many tracks often featuring sequencers and samples. Many of the group's recordings, notably Triangle and their epic seven-minute swan song, Missing the Moon, displayed a strong influence from the popular dance music of the time. Most of the group's records were produced by Ian Catt, who later went on to perfect the pop dance sound of Missing The Moon with Saint Etienne and many other British bands of the early to mid 1990s.
A double-album compilation of the long-deleted Field Mice releases, Where'd You Learn To Kiss That Way?, was released in 1998 on the Shinkansen label and sold more copies than any Field Mice record ever sold at the time. Their entire back catalogue was reissued on CD for the first time by LTM Records in 2005.
Emma's House
The Field Mice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the clouds above form one sheet that's grey
Early morning by the harbour
Where you are
Where you now are
You have nothing to live up to
You have nothing to live down
Emma's house is empty
so why do I call it Emma's house?
Five to six that's what the time is
the cold cuts through my shirt of cotton made
Five to six that's what the time is
Where you are
Where you now are
You have nothing to live up to
You have nothing to live down
Emma's house is empty
so why do I call it Emma's house?
Where you are
Where you now are
You have nothing to live up to
You have nothing to live down
Emma's house is empty
so why do I call it Emma's house?
The lyrics to The Field Mice's song Emma's House may seem simple at first glance but are actually quite complex in their interpretation. The song talks about a place by the harbor that the singer refers to as "Emma's House" even though the house is empty. The first two stanzas talk about the early morning, with a grey sky and the cold cutting through the singer's cotton shirt. The repetition of "Where you are, where you now are" creates a dreamlike atmosphere that implies a feeling of displacement and longing.
The chorus repeats the same lines, "You have nothing to live up to, you have nothing to live down" along with the question, "Emma's house is empty, so why do I call it Emma's house?" This creates a sense of confusion and uncertainty, with the singer questioning their own feelings and memories. The repetition of the chorus along with the dreamlike verses creates a subtle and introspective mood that invites the listener to reflect on their own feelings and memories.
Overall, Emma's House is a song that captures the bittersweet feeling of longing and nostalgia. The repetition of the chorus and the enigmatic reference to Emma's house create a sense of mystery and complexity that invites the listener to form their own interpretation of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Early morning by the harbour
It's early in the morning and the singer is by the harbor.
the clouds above form one sheet that's grey
The sky is covered with grey clouds that look like a single sheet.
Where you are
The singer is wondering about the whereabouts of another person.
Where you now are
The artist is still thinking about where the other person is at present time.
You have nothing to live up to
The person being addressed should not feel pressured to achieve anything.
You have nothing to live down
The person being addressed shouldn't feel ashamed of anything in their past.
Emma's house is empty
Emma's house is currently unoccupied.
so why do I call it Emma's house?
The artist questions why they still refer to the house as Emma's when she's no longer there.
Five to six that's what the time is
It's almost 5:55 a.m.
the cold cuts through my shirt of cotton made
The coldness of the weather is making the artist shiver even through their cotton shirt.
Where you are
The singer is still thinking about the whereabouts of the other person.
Where you now are
The artist is reiterating that they're still thinking about where the other person is at present time.
You have nothing to live up to
The person being addressed is still being told not to feel pressured to achieve anything.
You have nothing to live down
The person being addressed is still being told not to feel ashamed of anything in their past.
Emma's house is empty
The emptiness of Emma's house is reiterated.
so why do I call it Emma's house?
The artist is still questioning why they continue to call the house Emma's when she's no longer there.
Where you are
The artist is still thinking about the whereabouts of the other person.
Where you now are
The singer is still wondering about where the other person is at present time.
You have nothing to live up to
The person being addressed is still being told that they shouldn't feel pressured to achieve anything.
You have nothing to live down
The person being addressed is still being told not to feel ashamed of anything in their past.
Emma's house is empty
The emptiness of Emma's house is reiterated for the final time.
so why do I call it Emma's house?
The artist questions one more time why they continue to refer to Emma's house as such when she's no longer there.
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.