Martin got her start singing opera while attending Eastern Illinois University in the late '90s. Her father was a respected professor in the music department, and naturally Martin followed his footsteps. She began playing piano when she was a little girl and her childhood was surrounded by music.
While attending school, Martin experienced "real life," from living with her goth roommate and dealing with typical college-like drama to the tragic suicides of two close friends. Martin turned to music for solace. She desperately wanted to make music into a career; therefore, a whirlwind move to Los Angeles seemed like the right thing to do.
Martin eventually made a record, One Girl Army, with producer Tom Rothrock (Badly Drawn Boy, Beck, Elliott Smith), but it was never released. Before 2002 came to a close, Martin got her own studio and recorded a new batch of songs with Ken Andrews (Air, Pete Yorn). The melodic dreamscapes of In Parentheses arrived in August 2003 and Martin's bright voice drew comparisons to Fiona Apple and Kate Bush. Dates with Howie Day and Damien Rice also coincided with the release of the EP.
On Your Shore followed in 2004. Unfortunately, Martin's relationship with RCA proved creatively trying as the singer/songwriter continued writing and recording new material. A decision to leave the major label in 2005 allowed Martin to accomplish her creative goals, thus reconnecting with Test-Drive Records to issue the Veins and Darkest Hour EPs before the year's end. Additional support dates around North American followed into the fall, and Martin rounded out the Veins tour with her first DVD recording, the limited-edition Something Like a DVD.
She also married her long-time collaborator and co-producer, Ken Andrews (Pete Yorn, Year of the Rabbit, Failure), in the midst of recording her second album, Stromata. The album arrived on Martin and Andrews' own Dinosaur Fight label in September 2006.
In 2009, Martin released the instrumental album Piano Trees, a collection of improvised piano songs.
In 2011, Martin released her album, Dancing on Needles.
In 2014, Martin released Water Breaks Stone.
On October 5, 2018, Martin released the second of her instrumental piano albums (after Piano Trees), entitled Clear Blue Sky. The following year, in 2019, two more albums in a similar vein were released: Monotonous Night on March 8 and Dawn on December 27.
http://www.charlottemartin.com
Outerspace
Charlotte Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's too late now
'Cause here comes everything
And it's right now
We're floating
In our own outerspace
I can't breathe
But we'd both stay this way
And right now
We're floating
In our own outerspace
I can't breathe
You can't see
But we both stay this way
My hard drive's full
Of past eternities
So many places I thought I would be
Love takes the lead
And zaps my melody
A happy way
To shatter, shatter piece by piece
And it's right now
We're floating
In our own outerspace
I can't breathe
You can't see
But we'd both stay this way
And right now
We're floating
In our own outerspace
I can't breathe
You can't see
But we'd both stay this way
We'd both stay this way
Full speed and tumbling
Into a tunnel of light
The planets mumbling
We've never seen a greater sight
We've never seen a greater sight
Right now
We're floating
In our own outerspace
I can't breathe
You can't see
But we'd both stay this way
And right now
We're floating
In our own outerspace
I can't breathe
You can't see
But we'd both stay this way
We both stay this way
We both stay this way
We both stay this way
Stay this way
Stay this way
Stay this way
Stay this way
The lyrics to "Outerspace" by Charlotte Martin speak to the feeling of being completely consumed by a moment, disconnected from the world around you, and lost in the experience. The first stanza sets the scene for this feeling by comparing it to the appetite of honeybees - insatiable and all-encompassing. The second stanza hints at a kind of nostalgia for a past that never came to pass, the use of the metaphor of a full hard drive and lost melodies suggests a longing for a life that was not lived. However, love takes the lead and shatters these expectations, leading the singer to surrender to the moment completely.
The chorus repeats the idea that the singer is floating in a state of outerspace with their companion. The imagery here is one of weightlessness which can be interpreted in different ways - it could be a representation of emotional detachment, or it could be a moment of ecstasy. The repetition of the line "I can't breathe, you can't see" hints at the deeply personal and subjective nature of this experience. The last stanza uses cosmic imagery to convey a sense of wonder and awe that feels appropriately otherworldly.
Overall, the lyrics to "Outerspace" convey a sense of being completely consumed by a moment, disconnected from the world around you, and lost in the experience. It speaks to the power of surrendering to feelings and how it can be both overwhelming and incredibly freeing.
Line by Line Meaning
We have the appetite of honeybees
Our craving for something sweet and desirable is similar to the relentless pursuit of nectar by honeybees.
It's too late now
There's no turning back or stopping what has already begun.
'Cause here comes everything
Life is happening all at once, and everything that is meant to occur will take place naturally.
And it's right now
This moment is happening in real-time, and we are experiencing it as it occurs.
We're floating
We're in suspension, free from the restraints of gravity and the normalities of life.
In our own outerspace
We're in our own world, disconnected from everything and everyone else.
I can't breathe
This moment is overwhelming, and I am struggling to keep up with it or process it.
You can't see
What is happening or how I feel about it is not visible to you.
But we'd both stay this way
Even though we may be struggling or overwhelmed, we both choose to stay in this moment.
My hard drive's full
I am carrying with me all of my past experiences, memories, and emotions.
Of past eternities
All of the moments in my life have seemed to last forever, and I carry them with me always.
So many places I thought I would be
I had envisioned for myself a different life path, one that was vastly different from where I currently find myself.
Love takes the lead
Love guides my life and my decisions, always leading me in the direction of what is best for me.
And zaps my melody
Love has the power to disrupt and change the rhythm of my life.
A happy way
Love brings about an inexplicable sense of joy and contentment.
To shatter, shatter piece by piece
The presence of love has the power to dismantle the elements of my life, bit by bit.
Full speed and tumbling
I am moving quickly and blindly towards something, without clear direction or purpose.
Into a tunnel of light
I am headed towards something bright and unknown, with the hope that it will be good.
The planets mumbling
Everything around me is whispering and humming with the energy of the moment.
We've never seen a greater sight
This moment is profound and special, unlike anything we've ever experienced before.
Stay this way
We choose to remain in this surreal and disconnected space for as long as we can.
Contributed by Juliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.