Signed to Heavenly Recordings, he debuted in 2000 with the 6-track EP Maplewood. His full length effort, Here Be Monsters followed in 2001.
He has since released From Every Sphere (2003), Strangers (2004), The Beautiful Lie (2006, his last for Heavenly), Lustre (2010), Back Into The Woods (2013), Time Of Dust (2014), and Furnaces (2016).
His first instrument is the piano, but he also uses several less common keyboard instruments as well as the guitar. Live, he is accompanied by a band typically comprising a drummer, guitarist, violinist and trumpeter. His work is sometimes reminiscent of Tom Waits but still entirely his own, varied and passionate style.
Black Dress
Ed Harcourt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I don't make a mess of this
I'll trade my eyes for a fleeting wish
I woke at 7am
The cold air was not becoming
This tune I started humming
And you lay there so still
With dark eyes shut and whiskey breath
The curtain fell from it's rail
I shut the window so it wouldn't shatter
But it was nothing it didn't matter
To me our lives are barely built to last
How did you creep up on me so damn fast my dear?
I sat in the kitchen and thought
I've had a few knocks here and there
Was mostly my fault so I don't care
You said I have a bad side
It comes when all the clocks have stopped
I feel my heart begin to drop
To me our lives are fast approaching death
So lets go out in my suit and your black dress
The song Black Dress by Ed Harcourt is a melancholic introspection on the fleeting nature of life and love. The song opens with the singer searching for the right words to express himself in a moment where he wants to make everything perfect, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for how we strive for perfection in our relationships, knowing that they will eventually come to an end. The line "I'll trade my eyes for a fleeting wish" could be interpreted as a plea to the divine to help him make this moment perfect, or as a way of saying that he would do anything to make this moment eternally memorable, even if it means sacrificing his sight.
The singer wakes up, and we get the sense that things are not going well between him and his partner. The line "The cold air was not becoming" could symbolize the coldness between the couple. He hums a tune that we can imagine is a manifestation of how he feels, maybe even an outlet for his pain. He looks over at his partner who is still and unresponsive, with "dark eyes shut and whiskey breath". The image of the partner in the black dress suggests a certain level of formality, maybe even mourning, which is amplified by the subsequent line "The curtain fell from its rail". The curtain falling could symbolize a life being cut short, just as the curtain falls on the stage when a performance is over. The singer tries to protect his partner by shutting the window, but we understand that the window is merely a metaphor, and what's really shattering is his heart.
In the second verse, the singer retreats to the kitchen to think. He has had some knocks in life, but he's not bothered by them. The partner acknowledges that he has a bad side that manifests when "all the clocks have stopped", which could be a way of saying that when he is forced to confront the inevitability of mortality, he becomes difficult to be around. Nevertheless, the singer is determined to live life to the fullest, despite the fact that "our lives are fast approaching death". He wants to go out with his partner looking their best, in a suit and a black dress. This could be interpreted as a way of accepting and celebrating the ephemeral nature of life and love.
Line by Line Meaning
For days I've searched for the words
I have been looking for the right words for days to express myself.
So I don't make a mess of this
I don't want to mess things up.
I'll trade my eyes for a fleeting wish
I'm willing to sacrifice anything for a moment of happiness.
I woke at 7am
I woke up early in the morning.
The cold air was not becoming
The cold air was unpleasant.
This tune I started humming
I started humming a melody.
And you lay there so still
You were lying there quietly.
With dark eyes shut and whiskey breath
You had your eyes closed and your breath smelled like whiskey.
You hadn't taken off your black dress
You were still wearing your black dress from the night before.
The curtain fell from it's rail
The curtain fell down from its rail.
I shut the window so it wouldn't shatter
I closed the window tightly so it wouldn't break.
But it was nothing it didn't matter
It was not a big deal and it didn't matter.
To me our lives are barely built to last
Our lives are very fragile and temporary in the grand scheme of things.
How did you creep up on me so damn fast my dear?
I'm surprised at how fast you came into my life and became such an important part of it.
I sat in the kitchen and thought
I sat in the kitchen lost in my thoughts.
I've had a few knocks here and there
I've had some setbacks in my life.
Was mostly my fault so I don't care
Most of the problems were my own fault and I don't really care.
You said I have a bad side
You pointed out that I have some undesirable qualities.
It comes when all the clocks have stopped
These qualities come out when I feel lost and helpless.
I feel my heart begin to drop
I feel a sense of dread and despair.
To me our lives are fast approaching death
Our lives are quickly moving towards death.
So lets go out in my suit and your black dress
So let's make the most of the time we have left by dressing up in our best clothes.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: ED HARCOURT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind