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/
My Very Best
Elbow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though it never made the grade
When it seems that it's just not enough to love
Then love lie down
And would you tell her
Not to talk as if I died
Though a tiny part just did
And would you tell her
And I'll be swinging with the kids
Keep your sympathy
Don't need the healing to start
You've gone
Gone and made a beautiful hole in my heart
In the corner of the room
In the room we used to love
Of the love we should say this
There were switches never flicked
Long away and far apart
That's how forest fires start
Start again it felt like this
Fresh and simple as a kiss
I bounce these feelings off the moon
The echoes don't come back
Keep your sympathy
Don't need the healing to start
You've gone
Gone and made a beautiful hole in my heart
Elbow's "My Very Best" is a song about a failed relationship and the lingering emotions that remain once it's over. When the singer asks to "give that girl my very best," it's a clear indication that things didn't work out between them. The sentiment "though it never made the grade" suggests that the relationship was inadequate or unsatisfactory in some way. The line "When it seems that it's just not enough to love, then love lie down" speaks to the idea that love requires more than just affection and that sometimes it simply can't sustain a relationship that is otherwise failing.
Despite the break-up, the singer asks the listener to relay a message to his former partner. He doesn't want her to talk as if he's died, though a part of him has. This could be a reference to the part of him that loved her or the part of him that was able to make the relationship work, but either way, it's gone. However, the singer emphasizes that he comes from a long line of survivors and that he'll continue to move on with his life.
The last verse of the song takes place in the corner of the room where the love was once alive. The switches that were never flicked suggest missed opportunities or unexplored depths, and the forest fires imagery emphasizes the potential of those missed opportunities to do greater harm. Nevertheless, the singer is able to "start again" and find something fresh and simple. However, the echoing feeling suggests that these emotions may never fully dissipate, even if he's able to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Give that girl my very best
Even though our relationship wasn't perfect, I hope that she knows that I care deeply for her.
Though it never made the grade
Although our love wasn't successful, I still cherish the memories we shared together.
When it seems that it's just not enough to love
Sometimes love isn't enough to overcome certain obstacles and challenges in a relationship.
Then love lie down
In those moments, it's better to let love rest and take a break.
And would you tell her
I hope that someone can convey this message to her on my behalf.
Not to talk as if I died
Although our relationship is over, I am still alive and well.
Though a tiny part just did
Even though I'm still alive, a small part of me feels like it died with the end of our relationship.
I'm from a long line of survivors
My family has a history of overcoming tough times, and I am determined to do the same.
And I'll be swinging with the kids
I will continue to enjoy life with the same sense of joy and wonder that children do.
Keep your sympathy
I don't need pity or condolences from anyone.
Don't need the healing to start
I need time to process my emotions and heal on my own terms, without interference.
You've gone
Although it's painful to accept, you've moved on from our relationship.
Gone and made a beautiful hole in my heart
Even though our love ended, I will always cherish the memories we shared, and they will leave a lasting mark on me.
In the corner of the room
I can still picture the place where our love began.
In the room we used to love
The same place where we shared so many happy memories together.
Of the love we should say this
Although we never said it aloud, our love was still real and true.
There were switches never flicked
There were aspects of our love that we never explored or acted upon.
Long away and far apart
Although we have gone our separate ways, those memories still linger.
That's how forest fires start
Just like an ember in a forest, the smallest spark can reignite feelings that we thought were extinguished.
Start again it felt like this
If we could start over again, it would be just as fresh and exciting as it was at the beginning.
Fresh and simple as a kiss
The start of a new relationship is always filled with hope and possibility, like a simple kiss.
I bounce these feelings off the moon
I'm still grappling with my emotions and trying to make sense of them.
The echoes don't come back
Sometimes, we don't get the answers that we're looking for, and our feelings return unanswered.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Peter James Turner, Richard Barry Jupp, Craig Lee Potter, Mark Potter, Guy Edward John Garvey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@abstractgecko
Amazes me more folks outside of the UK know of these guys. Some of the smartest lyrics. This song kills me every time, every time!!!
@gavinkerber7165
I happen to be one of those folks that do! From the USA and these boys are my favorite band hands down
@twochordcool
Don't get too cocky - you and I have failed at convincing millions of other Americans how amazing this band is.
@ferranscepeda7006
From Chile, I love these guys, they comfort me,
@reawatters6603
Cant get this song out off my head ,,Beautiful
@MrJunglewhite101
... in the corner of the room, the room we used to love!!!
@Simon0
i just discovered elbow 6 months ago! I love them. Their strength is that they write very few weak songs.. in comparison to other bands which might write several good songs, but also several weak ones. Elbow tend to have about only 1 weak song on every albumn.
@johnfdm123
This song is so good on so many levels.
@doriancuculic5825
Haven't listened to this for a couple of years, I feel like I rediscovered them. Feels good :) used to listen to this album on my player on repeat...
@MrDigimonas1
Pure love, pure feelings, and I feel good things, those what are my very best.
Found them, Elbow, from fugitive motel days when cast of thousands came out. And it's one of the bands that I and my wife like!