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/
Forget Myself
Elbow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And moaning for the mercy of a never come rain
The sun's had enough and the simmering sky
Has the heave and the hue of a woman on fire
Shop shutters rattle down and I'm cutting the crowd
All scented and descending from the satellite towns
The neon is graffiti singing make a new start
So I look for a plot where I can bury my broken heart
No I know I wont forget you but I'll forget myself if the city will forgive me
The man on the door has a head like Mars
Like a baby born to the doors of the bars
And surrounded by steam with his folded arms
He's got that urban genie thing going on
He's so mercifully free of the pressures of grace
Saint Peter in satin he's like Buddha with mace
No I know I wont forget you but I'll forget myself if the city will forgive me
Do you move through the room with a glass in your hand?
Thinking too hard about the way you stand
Are you watching them pair off and drinking them long?
Are you falling in love every second song?
No I know I wont forget you but I'll forget myself and the city will forgive me
The first verse of Elbow’s “Forget Myself” is a vivid portrayal of a bustling city that teeters on the brink of chaos. The singer describes people pacing in packs while moaning for rain that never comes. The sun has beat down too long, and the atmosphere is heavy with fevered anticipation. Shop shutters rattle, and the singer cuts through the crowd, sensing the desperation in the air.
The neon lights “sing” invitingly of new beginnings, and the prevailing mood is one of reinvention. It is into this frenzied milieu that the singer searches for a spot to bury their broken heart, emphasizing that the city is the backdrop for all that is happening.
The second verse describes a character the singer encounters on the door of a bar. This man has a “head like Mars” and seems to be immune to the pressures of societal norms. The singer likens him to Buddha carrying a mace. The third verse is a series of questions, and the tone of the lyrics becomes accusatory. The singer questions if the listener holds a glass and thinks too hard about their stance, if they watch people pair off, and if they fall in love every second song.
Overall, the song depicts a sense of unease that is common in cities, particularly at night. The singer seems to struggle with the city’s energy and how it threatens to swallow them whole, but they still cannot forget the person they left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
They're pacing Piccadilly in packs again
Groups of people are once again walking up and down Piccadilly, a street in London.
And moaning for the mercy of a never come rain
The people are complaining about the fact that it never rains, even though they want it to.
The sun's had enough and the simmering sky
The sun and heat have been around for too long, causing the sky to look like it's boiling.
Has the heave and the hue of a woman on fire
The sky has a red and orange color, making it look like a woman who is on fire.
Shop shutters rattle down and I'm cutting the crowd
Stores are closing and I'm trying to walk through a large group of people.
All scented and descending from the satellite towns
The people are coming from the suburbs, with a distinct smell about them.
The neon is graffiti singing make a new start
The bright lights of the city have graffiti on them, encouraging people to start fresh.
So I look for a plot where I can bury my broken heart
I'm searching for a place where I can hide and mourn the loss of my love.
No I know I wont forget you but I'll forget myself if the city will forgive me
I know I can't forget my love, but I'm willing to forget who I am if the city will let me.
The man on the door has a head like Mars
The bouncer at the club has a head resembling the planet Mars.
Like a baby born to the doors of the bars
He looks like a child who was raised in a bar.
And surrounded by steam with his folded arms
There is steam around him, and he has his arms crossed in front of him.
He's got that urban genie thing going on
He has an air of magic around him, like an urban genie.
He's so mercifully free of the pressures of grace
He doesn't feel the need to be graceful or act in a particular way.
Saint Peter in satin he's like Buddha with mace
He looks like a peaceful religious figure, but also has a sense of power and authority.
Do you move through the room with a glass in your hand?
Are you walking around the room holding a drink?
Thinking too hard about the way you stand
Are you overthinking your body language and posture?
Are you watching them pair off and drinking them long?
Are you observing others pairing up and drinking a lot?
Are you falling in love every second song?
Do you feel like you're falling in love every time you hear a new song?
No I know I wont forget you but I'll forget myself and the city will forgive me
I can't forget my love, but I'm willing to lose myself and the city will be okay with it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Peter James Turner, Craig Lee Potter, Mark Potter, Richard Barry Jupp, Guy Edward John Garvey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Houle
They're pacing Piccadilly in packs again
And moaning for the mercy of a never come rain
The suns had enough and the simmering sky
Has the heave and the hue of a woman on fire
Shop shutters rattle down and I'm cutting the crowd
All scented and descending from the satellite towns
The neon is graffiti singing make a new start
So I look for a plot where I can bury my broken heart
No I know I won't forget you but I'll forget myself if the city will forgive me
The man on the door has a head like Mars
Like a baby born to the doors of the bars
And surrounded by steam with his folded arms
He's got that urban genie thing going on
He's so mercifully free of the pressures of grace
Saint Peter in satin he's like Buddha with mace
No I know I won't forget you but I'll forget myself if the city will forgive me
Do you move through the room with a glass in your hand
Thinking too hard about the way you stand
Are you watching them pair off and drinking them long
Are you falling in love every second song
No I know I won't forget you but I'll forget myself and the city will forgive me
Jahn Xavier Bonfiglio
So many more people should be loving this eleven years later. This is a perfect record.
I'm Batman
All these years later, still one of my favourite songs of all time 💜
Jake Cowan
This band is just pure talent . . . nuff said
Dawn Bezanson
This is the song that made me, a child raised on classical music and the occasional oldies radio, decide that maybe music with drum sets was something I should include in my life. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
That said, watching this video while trying in vain to fall asleep was a terrible, terrible idea.
charles mayer
He's so mercifully free of the pressures of grace, the song that saved my life and tipped me into enlightenment. Thank you boys X
Jump_ IfN0tZero
This song is so underrated it's a crime.
Razor Beard
The song isn't underrated. It's an artistically imaginative song and expansive in every way that just means the intent will be lost on people who like things more simplistic and cookie cutter.
Lynda Henry
..also pantera,rage against the machine??,mate...politics fer toddlers....l was right the first time...jog on
Lynda Henry
@Mikey Tavarez
Do one....
Jack MacArthur
band*