Orton moved to East London at the age of fourteen. During her early career she was more interested in acting. She first gained notice in 1995 for her vocals on the Chemical Brothers' track "Alive Alone" and is well known for her collaboration (stemming from a relationship) with William Orbit in which she lent her voice for the Strange Cargo albums. The collaboration with Orbit called SuperPinkyMandy, though of excellent sound, was only released in very limited numbers in Japan.
Orton's first solo album, Trailer Park, was released in 1996. It earned her nominations for two Brit awards (best British newcomer, best British female), and the Mercury Music Prize in 1997, was well received by critics, and sold modestly, selling 300,000 copies and reaching sixty-eight in the U.K. The album was produced by Andrew Weatherall, whom she selected based on his production of one of her favourite records at the time, Primal Scream's "Screamadelica".
Central Reservation, her second album (proper), released in 1999, helped Orton build on the success of her debut. Although retaining the electronic edge of the former, this record showed a notably more acoustic side with several tracks consisting purely of Beth's vocal accompanied by a solitary acoustic guitar, with subject matters becoming more introspective. The album also featured notable contributions from folk musician Terry Callier, Dr Robert, and Ben Harper. Several tracks were produced by Ben Watt of Everything but the Girl. The album earned Orton a second Mercury Music Prize nomination and won her Best Female at the 2000 Brit Awards.
In July 2002, she released the album Daybreaker, which again blended the early electronica style, with up tempo pop songs and acoustic ballads. It featured guest appearances from musicians such as The Chemical Brothers, Emmylou Harris, whom she met at Lilith Fair, Ryan Adams, and Four Tet. It was a great commercial success, reaching the top eight of the U.K. album chart, but received mixed reviews from the press.
Her fourth studio album, Comfort of Strangers, was released in February 2006. The release saw her move away from the electronica element that she is usually associated with, to a more stripped down traditional alt-folk album. This followed an extended absence since her previous release, partially a result of several failed production attempts, and the parting of ways between her and Heavenly. The album was produced by Jim O'Rourke.
In 2012 Beth's 5th album Sugaring Season was released, on the ANTI- label, and was followed by a tour of Europe.
In 2016 Kidsticks, Beth's 6th album, was released.
Beth has also collaborated with American pop artist Beck on his Midnite Vultures album, providing vocals on the track "Beautiful Way". She is also known for her own singles, "Stolen Car," a hit in college circles and "She Cries Your Name", once featured in the TV show Roswell in the "Cry Your Name" episode. She also wrote songs for the Erin Brockovich soundtrack.
Beth Orton's brother, Rupert Orton, is the guitarist/manager for British rock'n'roll band The Jim Jones Revue.
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Paris Train
Beth Orton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sun splits the trees into beautiful broken light
Never cry more tears than you could hold in your hands
When all the world´s airbrushed it´s a sacred bond of trust
Sometimes, sometimes I see right through the scenery
The first place that´s on my mind the last place I find each time
Sometimes, I swim beyond the scenery
The last place that´s on my mind
Now I´m sitting on a Paris train molten ash falls like rain
Fire burns the trees it´s a beautiful fatality
Love the way you stand your ground sea moves as mercury
To break its perfect skin to dare to dive within
Sometimes, sometimes I see much more than is good for me
The first thing that´s on my mind the last place I´d look each
time
Sometimes, I slip inside the imagery and
The last thing that´s on my mind´s
The first thing I´ll do each time
Stars racing to burn out
Just stars racing to burn out
A storm waiting to break
Like trees standing black against the sky
This was inevitable, inevitable
Sometimes, sometimes we can see beyond our history
The last place you hope to find the one that´s been there all
the time
Sometimes, sometimes we can swim beyond the scenery
And the first place that´s on your mind
The first place you´d find each time
The opening line of Beth Orton's Paris Train paints a picture of someone sitting on a train to Paris, laughing at their own jokes. The image is vivid and relatable, setting the stage for the rest of the song. The sun is described as splitting the trees, creating a beautiful, broken light. This line suggests that even the most mundane things can hold beauty if viewed in the right light, and encourages a perspective of finding joy in the small things in life. Orton advises against crying more tears than one can hold, pointing to the importance of being in control of one's emotions. The idea is that if one's emotions are overflowing and out of control, it could be detrimental to one's mental state.
The lyrics move on to stress the importance of seeing through the superficiality of the world around us. Orton says that sometimes she sees beyond the surface of things and can see the real meaning behind it all. She mentions that Paris is the first place on her mind, but the last place she finds each time. The scenery can be both a comforting thing to escape into or a trap that prevents one from seeing the truth. The chorus repeats this idea of sometimes seeing more than is good for oneself and sometimes getting lost in the imagery. The powerful imagery of "trees standing black against the sky" is unsettling and suggests a storm brewing, an inevitable event. The final lines of the song suggest that sometimes the answer was there all along, but it takes the swim beyond the scenery to find it.
Line by Line Meaning
Now your sitting on a Paris train laughing at your own jokes again
You sit on a train in Paris, laughing at your own jokes as you find them to be amusing.
Sun splits the trees into beautiful broken light
The sunlight seeps through the trees, creating a beautiful and fractured beam of light.
Never cry more tears than you could hold in your hands
Do not shed more tears than you can physically carry or contain.
When all the world´s airbrushed it´s a sacred bond of trust
When the world is depicted as flawless, it creates a strong bond of trust between individuals.
Sometimes, sometimes I see right through the scenery
Occasionally, I can see beyond the superficial aspects of my surroundings.
The first place that´s on my mind the last place I find each time
The location that initially comes to mind is always the last place I end up finding.
Now I´m sitting on a Paris train molten ash falls like rain
Currently, I am sitting on a train in Paris while fiery ash falls from the sky like raindrops.
Fire burns the trees it´s a beautiful fatality
The fire consumes the trees in a tragic yet stunning manner.
Love the way you stand your ground sea moves as mercury
I admire how confidently you stand your ground, the sea appears to shift like liquid mercury in response.
To break its perfect skin to dare to dive within
It takes courage to penetrate something with an unblemished exterior and explore its depths.
Sometimes, sometimes I see much more than is good for me
On occasion, I can see more than what is beneficial or comfortable for me.
The first thing that´s on my mind the last place I´d look each time
The first thought that crosses my mind is always the last place I end up searching.
Sometimes, I slip inside the imagery and
At times, I immerse myself within my surroundings to the point of losing sight of my surroundings.
The last thing that´s on my mind´s
The last thought on my mind is
The first thing I´ll do each time
The initial action I take each time
Stars racing to burn out
Stars are quickly approaching their eventual depletion.
Just stars racing to burn out
Solely stars hurtling towards their inevitable extinction.
A storm waiting to break
An imminent and powerful storm that is awaiting its moment to occur.
Like trees standing black against the sky
Trees stand dark and ominous against the backdrop of the sky.
This was inevitable, inevitable
The outcome of events that led to this moment was unavoidable and certain.
Sometimes, sometimes we can see beyond our history
Occasionally, we are able to see past our past experiences and perceptions.
The last place you hope to find the one that´s been there all the time
You never expect to find what you have been searching for in the last place you would have expected it to be all along.
Sometimes, sometimes we can swim beyond the scenery
On occasion, we can push beyond the exterior of what we see and delve deeper into its essence.
And the first place that´s on your mind
The initial location that comes to mind when pondering something deeply.
The first place you´d find each time
The initial location you always discover what you have been searching for.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TED BARNES, BETH ORTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind