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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Pieces of Sky
Beth Orton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pieces of something much bigger than I
To anyone else just endless blue
I see time framed, an image of you
These memories hold me like the moon
Holds the sea like the sky holds the sun
The sea holds my tears and carries me
When my heart is too heavy for one
when it's over, it's over
I best get busy living
Been a long time gone
a dress made of air and webs and you
The way dreams evaporate as they come true
To anyone else just endless blue
An invisible kite string connects me to you
I knew that it's selfish to think you'd come here
There's so many people that must need you near
There's so many people that need to know
That you're still with them even when you go
That you're still with them even when they don't know
when it's over, it's over
I best get busy living
You'll be a long time gone
and how do you know how much you'll be missed
Does it add up to some names on a list
So you know we're just pieces of sky
Pieces of sky that keep drifting by
These lyrics from Beth Orton’s “Pieces of Sky” are rich with imagery and longing. Orton is singing about memories and the power they still have over her. Memories, to her, are not just fuzzy recollections of the past, but instead are these tangible “pieces of sky” that seem to represent something greater or larger than herself. The “endless blue” that others see is not just vast and empty to Orton, but is instead “time framed”, an image of a person she once knew. This image is held on to tightly, and the memory of this person holds her like the moon holds the sea.
Orton seems to understand that memories, like any other thing, have their time and then come to an end. She sings “when it’s over, it’s over, I best get busy living, been a long time gone.” She knows she cannot hold on to these memories forever, but needs to let them go and move on with her life. She contrasts this need to let go with her desire to hold on to images of someone who once meant something to her. She says, “an invisible kite string connects me to you,” as if the memory is a physical thing that still ties her to this person.
Ultimately, “Pieces of Sky” is a beautiful exploration of memory, loss, and the human experience of love and attachment. Orton’s lyrics are evocative and powerful, and the song is hauntingly beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
These memories are just pieces of sky
The memories that I hold dear are just fragments of something much larger than myself
Pieces of something much bigger than I
The memories that I hold dear are elements of something that surpasses me in scope, size, and significance
To anyone else just endless blue
To anyone else, the sky is just an expanse of blue, devoid of the personal meaning and emotional connections that I associate with it
I see time framed, an image of you
When I look at the endless blue sky, I see a canvas upon which time and memory have etched an image of you
These memories hold me like the moon
These memories anchor me, just as the moon's gravity exerts a pull on the tides of the sea
Holds the sea like the sky holds the sun
The moon has a powerful hold on the sea, much like the sky has a dominant presence over the sun.
The sea holds my tears and carries me
Like the sea holding tears, memories and emotions are something to be nurtured and carried with us throughout life
When my heart is too heavy for one
When life gets tough to handle, memories and emotions can be relied upon to help us through difficult times
a dress made of air and webs and you
The dress is a metaphor for a dreamlike, ephemeral connection to someone that can disappear as easily as it came
The way dreams evaporate as they come true
Dreams can have a quick shelf-life and disappear just as easily as the moment that they appear to have been fulfilled
An invisible kite string connects me to you
Even though we may not be physically connected, there is an intangible connection that is just as strong and essential
I knew that it's selfish to think you'd come here
I acknowledge that my desire to be with you is a selfish one that does not consider what may be best for you
There's so many people that must need you near
While I may desire your presence, there are others that may need you more
There's so many people that need to know
There are a multitude of individuals who need to be reminded of the impact that you had on their lives, even if you are no longer physically present
That you're still with them even when you go
No matter what happens, your memory and legacy will endure and continue to impact others
When it's over, it's over
At the end of the day, life goes on regardless of how much we may want to hold onto things that are gone
I best get busy living
We must keep moving forward and embrace new experiences and challenges
Been a long time gone
It has been a while since I truly let go and opened myself up to new opportunities and perspectives
You'll be a long time gone
It may take me a long time to fully reconcile with the fact that you are no longer around, but eventually, I will adapt
And how do you know how much you'll be missed
It is difficult to quantify the impact that one has on others and to predict how much they will be missed
Does it add up to some names on a list
It is easy to reduce people and relationships to mere entries on a list, but this fails to capture the complex, emotional nature of human connections
So you know we're just pieces of sky
At the end of the day, we are all just tiny, insignificant fragments of the larger world around us, but that doesn't mean that we cannot make a difference or leave an impact
Pieces of sky that keep drifting by
Our lives are like the clouds that drift across the sky, and while we may seem ephemeral and fleeting, our memories and legacies are forever imprinted upon those we touch and the world we leave behind
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ELIZABETH CAROLINE ORTON, ROURKE JIM (US) O
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind