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.
http://beth-orton.co.uk
https://www.bethortonofficial.com
Safe in Your Arms
Beth Orton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wraps cold around my bones
Forgives me if I promise
To forget what I have known
Ignores and never mentions
I just came waltzing in
With stones tied together
With broken bits of string
Time moves so sure
Runs rings around the trees
Its silence mocking
In the wind against the leaves
For all your loss and gain
The soul defines the suffering
An illusion is hope born from fear
And now you're right back here
Safe in my arms my dear
All is as I left it
Never more so what it seems
My bed is as I made it
Just not what went between
And I still feel alive
In what is no longer there
The shadows slide behind
Drawing clouds across the air
Time moves so sure
Runs rings around the trees
Its silence whispers
In the wind against the leaves
For all your loss and gain
The soul defines the suffering
An illusion is hope born from fear
But now I'm right back here
Safe in your arms my dear
The opening lines of "Safe in Your Arms" by Beth Orton paint a very vivid picture of a melancholic situation. The lyrics: "Home is where the heartbreak/Wraps cold around my bones/Forgives me if I promise/To forget what I have known" tell us that the singer might be going back to her home, a place associated with pain and sadness. We get the sense that she needs forgiveness from herself, making a promise to forget what she has known, to move on from the past. But, this house, this home does not forget the sorrow that lingers within the singer, as it "Ignores and never mentions" it, giving her the space to heal at her own pace. She, on the other hand, brings "Stones tied together/With broken bits of string," signifying her past, to this home, making it clear that it's not a clean slate.
The song then goes into a reflection on time, its inevitable movement as it "Runs rings around the trees/Its silence mocking/In the wind against the leaves." The singer acknowledges that time moves on with or without her, and that there is a profound sense of loss and gain in life. The soul is what defines suffering, but one's hope is born out of fear, wanting to hold onto things that are gone forever. The chorus, however, lightens this mood, letting the listener know that the singer is not alone in her struggle as she finds herself "Safe in your arms my dear."
Overall, "Safe in Your Arms" is a poignant song about finding solace in someone after losing a part of oneself. It's also a song about acknowledging that life does not stop, that time marches forward, inevitably taking us along for the ride.
Interesting Facts about "Safe in Your Arms":
Line by Line Meaning
Home is where the heartbreak
My home has become a place of pain and sadness.
Wraps cold around my bones
The pain has become a part of me, a constant shiver that won't go away.
Forgives me if I promise
My home is willing to forget the hurt I caused, if I promise to move on and forget what I know.
To forget what I have known
To let go of my past, my memories, my pain, and start fresh.
Ignores and never mentions
My home accepts me for who I am, even if I've made mistakes and hurt others.
I just came waltzing in
I returned to my home without a care, as if nothing had happened.
With stones tied together
I carry the weight of my mistakes with me, like stones tied together which make it hard to move forward.
With broken bits of string
I try to piece my life back together with whatever I can find, even if it's broken and incomplete.
Time moves so sure
Time is a constant, never stopping or slowing down.
Runs rings around the trees
Time circles around us, like the rings around the trees, always moving forward and never looking back.
Its silence mocking
Time's constant ticking and silence mocks our attempts to hold onto the past.
In the wind against the leaves
The sound of time passing can be heard in the rustling of leaves in the wind.
For all your loss and gain
Despite all the things we've lost and gained, in the end, it is our soul that truly defines our suffering.
The soul defines the suffering
It is our inner self, our soul, that feels the most pain and must be healed.
An illusion is hope born from fear
The hope we feel is often an illusion, born from our fear of what the future holds.
And now you're right back here
Despite everything that's happened, I've returned to where I started, back home.
Safe in my arms my dear
And despite everything, I still find comfort and safety in the arms of my loved one.
All is as I left it
Things are the same as when I left, but I am not.
Never more so what it seems
Things are not always what they seem, and the pain I carry is proof of that.
My bed is as I made it
I must now face the consequences of my actions, and sleep in the bed I've made for myself.
Just not what went between
But the memories and experiences that took place in that bed are gone and cannot be undone.
And I still feel alive
Despite everything, I am still alive and capable of change, growth and hope.
In what is no longer there
Finding that hope may be difficult, as it seems to no longer exist in the world around me.
The shadows slide behind
But there is always the possibility of finding that hope and light in the shadows, if we search hard enough.
Drawing clouds across the air
And sometimes, even those shadows can bring beauty, like the clouds that fill the sky and change with each passing moment.
But now I'm right back here
Despite the uncertainty and fear, I am back where I started, ready to face whatever comes next.
Safe in your arms my dear
And with the love and support of those who care for me, I can find the strength to keep moving forward, no matter where life takes me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ELIZABETH CAROLINE ORTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind