After building up a reputation with his gigs across the UK, Howard was eventually asked to sign to Island Records. His first album, Every Kingdom, was released on October 3, 2011 and debuted at #7 on the UK album chart. It sold in excess of 1 million copies globally, received a Mercury Music Prize nomination, and was the catalyst for Ben picking up two Brit Awards in 2012 for British Breakthrough and British Solo Male Artist.
The follow up, 'I Forget Where We Were' was released on 20th October 2014 through Island Records. It was produced by Ben and his drummer Chris Bond at Start Point Farm Studios in Devon.
www.benhowardmusic.co.uk.
The Fire
Ben Howard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lie near me till the birds start singing out
Come, show what it is to be warm:
Be my shelter and i'll be your storm.
Come, lie down till the four winds cease to blow
Lie here full of rivers that you know.
And i'll make your bones shake, the sweat we take from hearts still battered and worn.
And we'll show the fire,
We'll show the fire how to burn.
Yeah, we'll show the fire,
We'll show the fire how to burn.
I don't know, i don't know where you came from,
But God's been smiling.
I don't know, I don't know where the rain's gone
But it's been a while, been a while now.
The lyrics in "The Fire" by Ben Howard suggest a strong desire for connection and warmth. The opening lines invite someone to lie with the singer until their world stops spinning round and until the birds start singing out. This is a powerful image of intimacy and comfort amidst chaos and confusion. The lyrics continue with the singer asking the person to show them what it is to be warm and to be their shelter, while they promise to be their storm. This creates a powerful contrast between the two, with one person offering solace and the other offering intensity and passion.
The second verse continues with the idea of lying down until the four winds cease to blow and being full of rivers that you know. The imagery here suggests a sense of being at peace with oneself and with nature. The singer then promises to make the bones of the person they are speaking to shake with the sweat they take from hearts still battered and worn. Here we see another contrast between intensity and comfort. The singer wants to comfort and take care of the other person while also creating a sense of passion and intensity between them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "We'll show the fire how to burn" which suggests a desire to experience something greater than themselves together. The final lines of the song again express a sense of wonder and mystery around the other person, with the singer saying they don't know where they came from but God's been smiling and it's been a while since the rain's been gone.
Overall, "The Fire" is a powerful exploration of intimacy, passion, and comfort. The contrast between the two speakers and the promise to show the fire how to burn creates a sense of excitement and anticipation, while the imagery of nature and peace adds a sense of grounding and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Lie here till your world stops spinning round
Stay with me until the chaos in your life settles down
Lie near me till the birds start singing out
Stay with me until the morning arrives and everything is new again
Come, show what it is to be warm:
Teach me how to love and how to be comforted
Be my shelter and i'll be your storm.
Let me protect you and give you strength, and I will also challenge and inspire you.
Come, lie down till the four winds cease to blow
Stay with me until the chaos in the world settles down
Lie here full of rivers that you know.
Stay with me even when you are weighed down by your emotions
And i'll make your bones shake, the sweat we take from hearts still battered and worn.
I'll challenge and inspire you even when things are tough
Be my shelter and i'll be your storm.
Let me protect you and give you strength, and I will also challenge and inspire you.
And we'll show the fire,
Together, we will demonstrate the power of passion and desire
We'll show the fire how to burn.
We will demonstrate the true intensity and strength of love
I don't know, i don't know where you came from,
I don't know your past or how you got here
But God's been smiling.
But it seems like there is some sort of divine force guiding us towards each other
I don't know, I don't know where the rain's gone
I don't know why the hard times have passed
But it's been a while, been a while now.
But it seems like we have survived and moved on from those tough times
Contributed by Leo E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nathalie Marie
Words can’t describe Ben. He has saved my life many times and was my friend when I needed one.
Todd Davis
Love how he "works" a song until it just becomes a dance on your soul and it seems his, just the most talented artist I have ever heard. It's great to be alive during his time. Only artist that I have enjoyed every song! Thanks so much for the upload! Peace
Kamil Murad
Whenever I feel alone and feeling lost I run to Ben Howard songs his sound his word his music ❤️❤️❤️..... He is just like an angel...I have big love to him .....
Slick Rick
Couldnt agree more my friend......theres just something about this man that strikes a cord with us all.
Holly Anthony
He has such a beautiful voice! <3
Rheo Bartels
I miss my friend Levi. He took his own life and he introduced us to howard.
Courtney Bird
This is one of my absolute favourites from him
Courtney Bird
@Kathy Hollenbach it's beautiful, glad someone else agrees!
Kathy Hollenbach
@Courtney Bird, I love the guitar work in this most beautiful and passionate song. My favorite as well.
Jayne Glover
I met Ben back in 2011 in Manchester in the UK. myself and a few friends got the train and travelled to see him play at the Ritz. Being very organized I insisted that we found the venue before we heading off to have a few pints we attended the gig. my our amazement Ben when stood outside the venue having a cigarette and a drink. We all approached him with excitement and spend the next 30 minutes just chatting away with him and telling him how we discovered his music and how we loved his Every Kingdom album. before heading off he said he appreciates us heading to see him (he wasn't really in the limelight then). during the gig and around halfway through he said "This is for the lads I met outside that have travelled all this way to watch us play". I gave me goosebumps, and still does to this day when I think about it!
Over 10 years on and I'm still a huge supporter and love everything that he creates!!