The two main members are vocalist Sonya Aurora Madan and guitarist Glenn Johansson. They briefly peaked during the Britpop craze of the mid-1990s with 2 UK Top 10 albums, 1994's everyone's got one and 1995's on.
Other albums include 1997's lustra, 2001's people are expensive and 2004's gravity pulls. A best-of compilation was released in 2002 called i can't imagine the world without me.
In 2008 a new best-of (simply entitled The Best Of Echobelly) has been released by SonyBMG while the band is working on new material.
For more information please visit www.echobelly.com or www.myspace.com/echobellymusic.
Sober
Echobelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be the figure on the sleeve, on the sleeve,
Is there anyone who understands me?,
Oh anyone anyone anyone more than you,
I've played blind men's games for a vision,
Just to see, just to see, just to see how low,
Would you like to see how low I go?,
Won't you see how low I go?.
Cold and I'm sober,
It is worse than before,
And I hate that I want you,
How could I know,
I still love.
Once in a while,
I'll be the joker on the scene, on the scene,
Is there anyone who cares to listen?,
Kill the tormentor in my dream,
We're out in the big wide world for a mission,
So why do I feel inside, empty and so small,
And I called to say,
Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello.
Now that it's over I'm left on the floor,
Cold and I'm sober,
It is worse than before,
And I hate that I want you,
How could I know,
I still love.
Why do I, who do I, why do I love you?.
"Sober" by Echobelly is a song about unrequited love and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics are filled with images of isolation and desperation, as the singer grapples with their emotions and the painful reality of being left alone. The opening lines suggest a sense of disconnection, as the singer imagines themselves as a figure on a sleeve - someone visible and yet still unknown to the world. They wonder if anyone truly understands them, or if they'll forever be stuck in their own emotional prison.
The chorus of the song is where the despair really hits home. The singer finds themselves on the floor, cold and sober, with nothing to dull the pain of their broken heart. They hate that they still want the person who left them, and they question how they could have been so blindsided by love. The repetition of "hello" in the bridge seems to suggest an attempt at reaching out, but the message remains unanswered - another example of the singer's isolation.
In the second verse, the singer takes on the persona of a joker, seemingly trying to mask their pain with humor. They ask if anyone cares to listen, suggesting a sense of longing for companionship, but then shift to a more aggressive tone, calling for the "tormentor" in their dreams to be killed. The verse ends on a somber note, with the singer feeling empty and small despite being on a supposed mission in the world.
Overall, "Sober" is a hauntingly beautiful song about the aftermath of love and the pain of being left alone with your thoughts. The imagery is sharp and evocative, painting a picture of isolation and despair that is all too relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Once in a while, I'll be the figure on the sleeve, on the sleeve,
Occasionally, I feel like the person depicted on an album cover, and wonder if anyone truly relates to me or comprehends my struggles.
Is there anyone who understands me?, Oh anyone anyone anyone more than you,
Does anyone truly understand me, more than the way you used to? Because that's what I'm yearning for.
I've played blind men's games for a vision, Just to see, just to see, just to see how low, Would you like to see how low I go?, Won't you see how low I go?.
I've taken reckless actions without thinking of the consequences, just to test how far I can push myself. Would you like to see how far I can go? Do you care enough to notice when I'm hurting myself?
Now that it's over I'm left on the floor, Cold and I'm sober, It is worse than before, And I hate that I want you, How could I know, I still love.
After the end of our relationship, I feel empty and alone. I hate that I still yearn for you, despite all the pain you've caused me in the past.
Once in a while, I'll be the joker on the scene, on the scene, Is there anyone who cares to listen?, Kill the tormentor in my dream,
There are times when I act like a clown to hide my inner turmoil, but I wonder if anyone truly cares to know what's going on with me. Inside, I'm trying to fight off the demons that haunt me every night.
We're out in the big wide world for a mission, So why do I feel inside, empty and so small, And I called to say, Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello.
We're all here in this world for a purpose, but despite that, I still feel insignificant and worthless. My attempts at reaching out for help often go ignored.
Why do I, who do I, why do I love you?
Why is it that I still feel love for you, when it seems like you've caused me nothing but pain and heartache? It's a question that haunts me.
Contributed by Eva W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
penclaw
So beautiful.. true proof that there's so much heavily underrated gems like this, sad tho :(
KEELEY
BRILLIANT song! One of the first singles I ever bought, how this didn't make it onto Everyone's Got One is truly mystifying. Ta for posting :)
Grithron2
Despite the image that people have of "b-sides" as third-rate material, all the best bands in histroy have used the format as a medium for songs that don't fit ino the narrative of the contemporaneous album.
But - yes - EB put some of their best material on b-sides. And this is one of the best of those.