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
Song to the Siren
Charlotte Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I did all my best to smile
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me, loving, to your isle
And you sang, "Sail to me
Sail to me
Let me enfold you"
Here I am
Here I am waiting to hold you
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you here when I was full sail?
Now my foolish boat lingers
Broken, lovelorn on your rocks
And you said, "Touch me not
Touch me not
Come back tomorrow"
Oh my heart
Oh my heart shies from the sorrow
Well I'm as puzzled as a newborn child
I'm as riddled as the tide
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Or should I lie with death my bride?
And you sang, "Swim to me
Swim to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am
Here I am, waiting to hold you"
The song "Song to the Siren" by Charlotte Martin is a powerful ballad addressing the depths of love and the struggle to attain it. The lyrics describe the singer's journey across the ocean, trying to keep a positive outlook until they come across the person they love. The moment they meet their lover's eyes and touch their fingers, they know they are being drawn closer to the person they long for. The singer is pleading with their lover to accept their love and to let them hold them close. However, they are met with reluctance and sadness, wishing to be held but needing to wait until the time is right.
The lyrics convey a sense of helplessness, confusion, and longing. The singer is unsure of what to do and where to go, except towards the one they adore. They feel at a crossroads, as if they are standing amid a raging sea struggling to decide whether to move forward with the hope of love or to give in to the despair they feel. In the end, the singer is still lost, and they fear their heart will break from the sorrow of their situation.
Line by Line Meaning
On the floating, shipless oceans
Lost and aimless on the endless seas
I did all my best to smile
Trying to maintain a facade of happiness
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Until your voice and touch drew me towards you
Drew me, loving, to your isle
Brought me closer to your love
And you sang, "Sail to me
Inviting me to come to you
Sail to me
Come to me and let me love you
Let me enfold you"
Let me hold you close and protect you
Here I am
Present and waiting for you
Here I am waiting to hold you
Ready to embrace and love you
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Wondering if you were thinking of me
Were you here when I was full sail?
Did you know me before I was lost and drifting?
Now my foolish boat lingers
My ship is stranded and broken
Broken, lovelorn on your rocks
Defeated and heartbroken by your rejection
And you said, "Touch me not
Warning me to stay away
Touch me not
Don't come closer, you'll only get hurt
Come back tomorrow"
Maybe there will be a chance for us then
Oh my heart
My emotional core
Oh my heart shies from the sorrow
Is afraid of feeling more pain
Well I'm as puzzled as a newborn child
Confused and lost like a baby
I'm as riddled as the tide
Torn apart and conflicted like the ocean's ebb and flow
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I face the danger and uncertainty head-on?
Or should I lie with death my bride?
Or succumb to the darkness and despair of death?
And you sang, "Swim to me
Still calling out to me
Swim to me
Come to me and let me love you
Let me enfold you
Let me hold you close and protect you
Here I am
Present and waiting for you
Here I am, waiting to hold you"
Ready to embrace and love you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Baterfly666
I love her voice. It's amazing!!!!
@carolann491
Beautiful
@Porcelaingirl99
I like this girl's voice a lot more than the other version, but I don't think it matters what everyone's opinion is. Music is music, everyone has different tastes and we don't need to have a bunch of pointless fights over it.
@MacEoin
@selectdistinct That's a powerful argument, I must have missed something in my education. Thank you. So helpful.
@carolann491
Beatiful
@artie6041
do you have I Never Came covered by her? I can't find to buy anymore :c
@williamrova83000
version très jolie mais differentes plus aérienne
@MacEoin
Oh, don't be so sorry. I have a BA and MA from Trinity College, Dublin, the top university in Ireland; I have a Scottish MA (i.e. 4 years) from Edinburgh University, the top university in Scotland; and I have a PhD from Cambridge University, currently the top university in the world. I have published over 30 books, hundreds of articles, and much more. I say this only to show you that slinging insults around online is really not worth it.
@MacEoin
@selectdistinct Do you have any evidence or informed opinion that would convince me that you are right? I rely on my own ears and musical taste to think this is one of the better versions of this son. Apart from expletives, what have you got to offer?
@AGRobjohns
This version is good, but doesn't offer anything particularly interesting which wasn't in the original.