The band is named after a line in the BBC TV mini-series 'The Singing Detective', in which a character says that the word "elbow" is the most sensuous word in the English language (not due to its definition per se but due to how it feels to say it). Though the group came about in 1990, intially going by names such as 'Soft' and 'Mr. Soft', it wasn't until 'The Noisebox EP' came out on 1 January 1998 that they had a real release. Elbow started out specializing in "chilled funk", but the guys changed the direction of their music after unanimously deciding that they were "shit."
Their new songs picked up notice from both Island Records, but the band got dropped due to business shenanigans before anything actually came out post-singing. Elbow then released two critically acclaimed EP's on the independent Ugly Man Record label, starting with the aformentioned 'Noisebox EP'. Luckily, their work caught the attention of V2 Records.
V2 released Elbow's debut album: "Asleep In The Back." The album was a surprisingly moderate success, gaining substantial critical acclaim and, ultimately, a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize in 2001. The single "Newborn" received attention after being banned by Radio 1 for the lyric, "I'll be the corpse in your bathtub."
Word of mouth then began to work in Elbow's favor. Its 2003 album, "Cast Of Thousands," entered the UK Charts at #7 to critical acclaim. The lead single, "Fallen Angel," charted at #19.
In 2004, Elbow became the first British band to ever play a concert in Havana during an unofficial Cuban tour. The tour was made into a short film by British documentary maker Irshad Ashraf.
Elbow released its third album in 2005: "Leaders Of The Free World." Despite a continued lack of commercial notice, "Leaders Of The Free World" charted at #12, with its lead single, "Forget Myself" achieving #22 in the charts. That autumn, Elbow headlined the first of two sell-out tours.
March 17, 2008, saw the release of Elbow's fourth album, entitled "The Seldom Seen Kid." Released through Fiction, it entered the UK album chart at #5, and went on to win the 2008 Mercury Music Award. "The Fix," features guest vocals and lead guitar by Richard Hawley. April 2009 saw the release of The Seldom Seen Kid Live At Abbey Road, recorded with The BBC Concert Orchestra and Chantage. This album, recorded in Studio One of the world famous Abbey Road Studios on Saturday, January 17, 2008, is a complete run-through of the Mercury winning album. It features the band, a 52-piece orchestra, and a 20-member choir.
"Grounds for Divorce" was featured in VALVe Software game Left 4 Dead in 2008.
The band's fifth album Build A Rocket Boys! was released in the UK on March 14, 2011.
The First Steps Songfacts reports that Elbow was commissioned by the BBC to write a song for their coverage of the 2012 Olympics. The resulting tune is "First Steps". The full song lasts six and a half minutes, but it was written in such a way so that it could be divided into different minute or two long elements for use over both winning and losing footages.
In July 2015, Elbow released the Lost Worker Bee EP, which was soon followed by Guy Garvey's first solo album 'Courting the Squall' (Oct 2015).
Their seventh studio album, 'Little Fictions' was released on 3 February 2017, with Elbow's eighth studio album, 'Giants of All Sizes', released 2 years later on 11 October 2019.
Website: http://elbow.co.uk/
Buttons and Zips
Elbow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bad boy and god
Beck knew how to push a boy to blush
Known as The Fox
Tom came out in June to a crowded room
No one was shocked
Ed had the hair, the shoes and the blues
'Will I ever get this song off my lips' is what you said
We were at each others buttons and zips
In the blossom shed
Joe wanted to go before he could
Joe's doing good
Cath was my all and every day
She married in May
The song "Buttons and Zips" by Elbow tells the story of different people that the singer has crossed paths with in his life. The lyrics mention different characters and their unique descriptive features. For instance, the opening line of "Al had the guile and the sideways smile" portrays Al as a cunning and clever individual with a charming and disarming smile. The song also mentions people who stood out due to their personalities, like Tom who came out to a crowded room, but his sexuality was not a surprise to anyone, and Cath who was significant in the singer's life as she was with him every step of the way until she got married in May.
The central theme of the song is that people matter; they leave an indelible impression on those they encounter. The interactions between people and relationships established could result in lasting effects in our lives. The lyrics emphasize the different ways that people impact our lives, such as the foxiness of Beck, the blues that Ed carried around, and Joe's desire to depart before anything significant happened, which ultimately led him to do good.
Elbow has been known to create songs with deep, insightful, yet relatable lyrics that captivate its listeners. The song "Buttons and Zips" includes similar elements, revealing the stories of people with relatable traits that make the song a favorite of many. The poignant lyrics and somber, mellow mood create a poignant, evocative song that stays with you long after the last chords.
Line by Line Meaning
Al had the guile and the sideways smile
Al was a cunning and sly person, always sporting a crooked grin
Bad boy and god
He had a reputation of being both rebellious and admirable
Beck knew how to push a boy to blush
Beck had a way of making boys feel embarrassed or self-conscious
Known as The Fox
He acquired the nickname Fox for his wit and slyness
Tom came out in June to a crowded room
Tom publicly announced his sexual orientation to a large group of people in the month of June
No one was shocked
No one was surprised by this revelation
Ed had the hair, the shoes and the blues
Ed had a distinct hairstyle, fashionable footwear and a tendency to feel down or melancholy
Got me arrested once
Ed's actions caused me to be detained by the authorities at one instance
'Will I ever get this song off my lips' is what you said
You expressed doubts on ever being able to stop yourself from singing this song
We were at each others buttons and zips
We were intimately exploring each other's clothing and body
In the blossom shed
This act took place in a secluded area filled with flowers and greenery
Joe wanted to go before he could
Joe had a desire to leave life before it was naturally time for him to do so
Joe's doing good
Joe is currently in a good state of health and/or wellbeing
Cath was my all and every day
Cath was my everything and I thought of her every single day
She married in May
She got married in the month of May
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CRAIG LEE POTTER, GUY EDWARD JOHN GARVEY, MARK POTTER, MARK ELLIS POTTER, PETER JAMES TURNER, RICHARD BARRY JUPP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ElectricBloo
This is one of the most beautiful notions ever expressed within a song
Beach Episode
Ed, Ed had the hair, the blues, the shoes. Got me arrested once...
Lu Butler
Why don't more listen to this great tune about back seat love?
funkster505
The lack of viewers just shows how unknown elbow are, it annoys me so. >:(
Richard Olds
They are definatly a great band saw them at Portsmouth 1 week ago in September 2021 a great night ,
Gavin da jya jya
YouTube views mean nothing.
... NoThiNg !!!!!!!