Autamata is an Irish electro-pop band with a revolving personnel that refle… Read Full Bio ↴Autamata is an Irish electro-pop band with a revolving personnel that reflects the band’s broad and nebulous nature. The brainchild of the only long-term member, Dublin-based artist and producer Ken McHugh, the earliest line-up featured two of Ireland’s foremost female vocalists: Carol Keogh and Cathy Davey. A later configuration saw Graham Hopkins on drums and Sarah Verdon providing vocals.

Their debut album, "My Sanctuary", released in 2004 was recorded over a year-long period whilst the producer was working on various other musical projects. McHugh describes the album as, "A manifold of sounds that merge to create an aural journey of mixed experiences and emotions". The album was built up from layers of electronic music, structured into songs featuring guest vocalists, Carol Keogh, Cathy Davey and "my wee nephew Michael who got to 'be a robot' for a while", McHugh explained.

In an age where most bands find one sound and stick to it, Autamata have always stood out. Short Stories, their second album (released in 2006), a sprawling, utterly disparate, breathtakingly ambitious and above all hugely fun exploration of near-limitless musical and emotional terrain, confirmed that the band are impossible to shoehorn into anything as boring as one musical genre.

Their third album, “Colours of Sound” was released in March 2008.

Onward
Autamata Lyrics

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My head is in my hands
I withheld some information there
Looking at the one I wanted to take out across the world
I planned, to ask
Will you take me
Sailing, onward
I'm a little lighter on my feet
Just knowing that you exist

My heart is in my hands
I'm holding it out to you now
Take it from me then I'll let you take it out into the world
I have a plan
Will you take me
Sailing, onward
I'm a little lighter on my feet
Just knowing that you exist

See the colours of the stars
In my

I am
supposed to feel

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Autamata's song "Onward" express a sense of longing and hesitation towards confessing one's feelings to someone they care about. The song starts with the singer admitting that they held back some information, likely their true feelings towards the person they are admiring. They express a desire to ask them out and take them sailing, using the metaphor of sailing to represent a journey together towards a brighter future. The singer feels a sense of relief just knowing that this person exists and could potentially be a part of their life.

The second verse continues with the singer holding their heart in their hands, symbolizing vulnerability and offering it to the person they care about. They ask the person to take it from them and take it out into the world, possibly meaning that they want to go on adventures and explore life together. The singer again asks if this person will take them sailing and expresses a feeling of lightness just knowing they exist. The song ends with the line "See the colours of the stars/In my/I am/supposed to feel," which could be interpreted as the singer feeling overwhelmed by their emotions and struggling to articulate them.

Line by Line Meaning

My head is in my hands
I'm lost in thought and deep in reflection

I withheld some information there
There's something I've been keeping from you

Looking at the one I wanted to take out across the world
Gazing at you, the one I desire to travel the world with

I planned, to ask
I intend to ask you something

Will you take me
Would you be willing to journey with me?

Sailing, onward
To travel forward together

I'm a little lighter on my feet
I feel freer and unburdened

Just knowing that you exist
The mere thought of you brings me joy

My heart is in my hands
I'm vulnerable and exposing my feelings to you

I'm holding it out to you now
I'm offering my heart to you

Take it from me then I'll let you take it out into the world
Once you take my heart, you'll be free to share it with the world as you wish