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."
Its 2003 album, "Cast Of Thousands," entered the UK Charts at #7 to critical acclaim. The lead single, "Fallen Angel," charted at #19.
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.
The band's fifth album Build A Rocket Boys! was released in the UK on March 14, 2011.
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.
Mirrorball
Elbow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That wouldn't wake a baby
On the self-same face
That wouldn't let me sleep,
And the street is singing with my feet,
And the dawn gives me a shadow I know to be taller.
All down to you, dear.Everything has changed.
My sorry name
Has made it to graffiti.
I was looking for
Someone to complete me.
Not anymore, dear,
Everything has changed.
When we make the moon our mirror ball
The street's an empty stage;
The city sirens, violins.
Everything has changed.
So lift off love.
(down to you, dear)
Lift off love.
(down to you, dear)
We took the town to town last night.
We kissed like we invented it!
And now I know what every step is for:
To lead me to your door.
Know that while you sleep,Everything has changed.
We made the moon our mirror ball.
The street's an empty stage;
The city sirens, violins.
Everything has changed.
Everything has changed.
Everything has changed.
Down to you, dear, so lift off love
Down to you, dear, lift off love
Down to you, dear, lift off love
Down to you, dear, lift off love
Down to you, dear, lift off love
Down to you, dear, lift off love
Down to you, dear, lift off love
Down to you, dear
The lyrics to Elbow's song "Mirrorball" showcase the transformative power of love. The singer explains how his relationship has changed him for the better, even causing his sorry name to be elevated to the level of graffiti, a meaningful gesture of recognition. The intimacy between the two lovers is profound, with the singer planting gentle kisses that wouldn't wake a baby on the face of his partner, who also seems to have a guiding influence over his life, leading him to new heights. The imagery throughout the song is vivid and evocative, highlighting the impact that a true connection with another person can have on one's world.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated phrase "You make the moon our mirror ball," serves as a powerful metaphor for the couple's relationship. The moon is often seen as a symbol of romance and mystery, a source of light in the darkness. By transforming the moon into a mirror ball, the song emphasizes the way in which love can make everything sparkle and shine, even in the midst of the mundane. The singer acknowledges that everything has changed since he fell in love, and offers a message of hope and transformation to his partner, urging her to "lift off love" and soar into the heights of their shared happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
I plant the kind of kiss
That wouldn't wake a baby
On the self-same face
The wouldn't let me sleep
I give a gentle kiss on the same face that haunts me all night long, the one that keeps me from sleeping.
And the street is singing with my feet
And dawn gives me a shadow I know to be taller
All down to you dear
Everything has changed
As I walk down the street, my feet carry a tune, and the shadow that the dawn casts seems taller than before, everything in my life has changed thanks to you.
My sorry name has made it to graffiti
I was looking for someone to complete me
Not anymore dear
Everything has changed
My name is now graffiti, but it no longer matters, as I was looking for someone to fill a void in me, but you have fixed that and everything has changed.
You make the moon our mirror ball
The street's an empty stage
The city's sirens, violins
Everything has changed
You make everything magical and beautiful, turning the moon into a mirror ball, the street into an empty stage, and the city's sounds into a symphony.
So lift off love
So lift off love
Let's fly high with love.
And we took the town to town last night
We kissed like we invented it
And now I know what every step is for
To lead me to your door
Know that while you sleep
Everything has changed
Last night we made the town ours, with a passion that felt new and innovative, and now I understand that every step I take leads me closer to you. Know that while you sleep, everything in my world has shifted.
So lift off love
Lift off love
(All down to you dear)
Lift off love
(All down to you dear)
Lift off love
(All down to you dear)
Lift off love
(All down to you dear)
Let's take off together with love, all thanks to you, my dear.
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
@mattharding965
Lyrics to one of the greatest love songs
I plant the kind of kiss that wouldn't wake a baby
On the self-same face that wouldn't let me sleep
And the street is singing with my feet
And dawn gives me a shadow I know to be taller
All down to you, dear
Everything has changed
My sorry name has made it to graffiti
I was looking for someone to complete me
Not anymore, dear
Everything has changed
And we made the moon our mirrorball
The streets, an empty stage
The city sirens violins
Everything has changed
So lift off love
Lift off love
We took the town to town last night
We kissed like we invented it
And now I know what every step is for
To lead me to your door
Know that while you sleep
Everything has changed
We made the moon our mirrorball
The streets, an empty stage
The city sirens violins
Everything has changed
Everything has changed
Everything has changed
So lift off love
Lift off love (down to you, dear)
Lift off love (down to you, dear)
Lift off love (down to you, dear)
Lift off love (down to you, dear)
Lift off love (down to you, dear)
@julieeaton2429
2023 and the sheer beauty of this song still brings me to tears ❤
@BrianLiptrot
it's great is'nt it , quality .
@EricKauppila
Yes when I saw the version where they performed it with the choir and orchestra, I couldn't stop crying, dammit! In fact, thinking about it now is choking me up. Arg.
@eisleylenore
2024 and it still moves me <3
@tomkirk310711
Still listening in May 2019. I'm sure that one day people will realise the that this is one of the greatest concerts of all time.
@fffffffggggg11111
I remember watching it live, sitting forward in my chair, locked to the screen, hardly believing what I was seeing and hearing
@brianmcgonigal229
Feb.14 ,2020.Happy Valentine's Day everybody.
@jamessteven711
Every night since it came out june 2020
@allydougall6486
I remember watching on TV. I went to their gig in Edinburgh, Queens Hall, 2005, 800 or so capacity on the back of LOTFW roughly 1 week before my 19th birthday, I had never before and never will feel anything like that at a gig ever again. The emotion in the music and the feelings they generate especially in live shows is on another level.
@gshields73
Well said