His 2011 debut full album Outside There's A Curse, released by independent London-based label Xtra Mile which also plays home to his firm friends Frank Turner and Chris T-T, not to mention Dive Dive, Beans on Toast and Crazy Arm, Marwood's own brand of side-swiping, tongue-in-cheek folk has seen him build up a steady following since the debut single of 2007, Hold Your Breath, and mini-album "This Is Not What You Had Planned" back in 2008, the latter on Marwood's own Broken Tail Records.
Recorded on a digital eight-track on his bedroom floor, the ten tracks of Outside There's A Curse took over a year to piece together before being picked up by Xtra Mile in the summer of 2010 and eventually released in early 2011. The album was backed first by a headline tour of England in early 2011, and then with an opening support slot on Frank Turner's UK tour of small venues in May of the same year, along with songwriter Franz Nicolay.
Kerrang! awarded Outside There's A Curse four Ks out of a potential five, whilst Rocksound described the album as "bold, intelligent and wholesome".
Three tracks also appear on the split EP Exclamation At Asterisk Hash, which features three tracks from Bristol-based Oxygen Thief and Cheltenham's Jim Lockey, of Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun.
His second full album "Back Down" was released in 2013.
A Shower of Bastards
Ben Marwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and all the thoughts went running to my brain.
praise be, praise be that I knew our hips would part
but we'd have each others' hearts
and she made a man of me.
But these days I've gotten used to my bed too big for me.
and memories will play like ancient re-runs on TV
but I know that it happened to me.
The lyrics to Ben Marwood's song A Shower of Bastards express mixed emotions about a past love experience. The first paragraph describes the intense feelings that arose during a kiss with the woman he loved, the blood rushed to his lips and thoughts to his brain. He was grateful that they would eventually part but they would still have each other's hearts. She had a profound impact on him; she made him a better man. However, the second paragraph describes how the singer has grown accustomed to sleeping alone in a bed too big for him. Memories of their relationship flash through his mind like re-runs on TV. Although he feels like it never really happened to him, he knows that it did.
Overall, these lyrics convey the idea that holding onto the memories of a past love can be bittersweet. Though the relationship may have ended, the memories still linger, leaving the singer feeling both nostalgic and alone. It's a song that explores the complexity of human relationships and the lasting impact they can have on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I kissed her and all the blood went rushing to my lips
When I kissed her, I felt a sudden rush of excitement and passion throughout my body.
and all the thoughts went running to my brain.
At that moment, my mind was filled with all sorts of intense emotions and desires.
praise be, praise be that I knew our hips would part
I was aware that our physical relationship would eventually come to an end.
but we'd have each others' hearts
Despite the physical separation, we would still have a strong emotional connection with each other.
and she made a man of me.
Through this relationship, I grew and matured as a person.
But these days I've gotten used to my bed too big for me.
Now that the relationship has ended, I feel lonely and empty in my oversized bed.
and memories will play like ancient re-runs on TV
My memories of our time together keep playing in my mind like old TV shows that I can't forget.
as though it never happened to me
Sometimes it feels like that relationship never even took place.
but I know that it happened to me.
However, deep down I know that it was a significant part of my life and my personal growth.
Contributed by Charlie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.