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.
Loneliness
Ed Harcourt Lyrics
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When your old friends drift apart (loneliness)
Wandering round the house in the dark (lonelines)
Faded glory of a broken star (loneliness)
Loneliness
Loneliness
What would I do without you?
Stays around, won't let you be (loneliness)
Corners me in dead-end streets (loneliness)
To bring unwanted memories (loneliness)
That find their way into my blood stream (loneliness)
Loneliness
Loneliness
What would I do without you?
Loneliness
Loneliness
Is this all you have to give me?
Your love is a place for a lonely man
With too much in his head
The liars and thieves who cramp your style
Won't be there for your last breath
Be there for your last breath
Loneliness!
Loneliness!
What would I do without you?
Loneliness!
Loneliness!
Is this all you have to give me?
To give me?
To give me?
The song "Loneliness" by Ed Harcourt deals with the theme of loneliness and its profound impact on an individual. The lyrics talk about how loneliness can be experienced in different ways, such as in an empty cinema or wandering around the house in the dark. The broken star represents faded glory, which is a metaphor for life's fleeting moments. The repetition of the word "loneliness" and the question of what the singer would do without it underscores the centrality of this emotion in his life.
The verses go on to describe how loneliness lingers and corners the singer in dead-end streets. It brings back unwanted memories that find their way into his bloodstream, indicating how loneliness can be physically felt. The chorus "What would I do without you?" suggests that loneliness has become a part of the singer's life and that he cannot imagine existence without it.
The final verse reiterates the idea that love can be a place for a lonely person but warns against those who cramp their style. The phrase "Won't be there for your last breath" emphasizes the idea that loneliness is ultimately the only companion who will be with us until the end.
Overall, the song offers a poignant and introspective look at the experience of loneliness, how it shapes our lives, and the challenge of coming to terms with it.
Line by Line Meaning
In an empty cinema
The feeling of being alone and isolated like an uninhabited theater
When your old friends drift apart
The sadness of feeling left behind by friends that used to be close
Wandering round the house in the dark
The aimless feeling of wandering in a dark and lonely environment
Faded glory of a broken star
The despair of watching someone's glory and light decay into darkness and insignificance
Loneliness
The overwhelming feeling of being alone
Loneliness
The repeated feeling of isolation
What would I do without you?
Questioning the need of the feeling, even though it is painful
Stays around, won't let you be
The feeling of loneliness lingering and never truly subsiding
Corners me in dead-end streets
The feeling of loneliness trapping one in hopeless, unescapable situations
To bring unwanted memories
The memories that are summoned and unwelcome when feeling lonely
That find their way into my blood stream
The memories that become a part of you, unescapable once they enter
Loneliness
The lonely feeling that remains
Loneliness
Continued feeling of being alone
Is this all you have to give me?
Questioning the worth of the feeling, irregardless of the pain it causes
Your love is a place for a lonely man
Feeling like the only love one has is the one coming from within while continuing to remain lonely
With too much in his head
Having too many thoughts, all kept bottled up inside making feeling lonely harder to escapable.
The liars and thieves who cramp your style
People who are there to cause stress and agony when already feeling lonely
Won't be there for your last breath
Those negative people won't be there when life comes to an end
Loneliness!
The pain that is being felt because of being alone
Loneliness!
The continued feeling of isolation
Is this all you have to give me?
Questioning the worth of the pain
To give me?
Asking why this feeling was created.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: YOKO ONO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind