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/
Teardrop
Elbow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love is a doing word
Fearless on my breath
Gentle impulsion
Shakes me makes me lighter
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire
Nine night of matter
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath
Water is my eye
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire of a confession
Fearless on my breath
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath
Stumbling a little
Stumbling a little
At the heart of Elbow's song "Teardrop" are themes of love, fear, and self-discovery. The song opens with the assertion that "love is a verb", suggesting that love is an action rather than an emotion. Love requires us to do certain things to cultivate it and keep it alive. The line "love is a doing word" emphasizes that love involves action.
The next lines talk about being "fearless on my breath" and feeling a "gentle impulsion" that makes the singer feel lighter. This suggests a sense of liberation by embracing fear and moving forward despite it. The phrase "teardrop on the fire" may be interpreted as a metaphor for the cleansing and purifying power of tears.
As the song progresses, the imagery switches to darkness and decay, with "black flowers" blooming in the "nine night of matter". However, the singer remains "fearless on my breath" despite the grim imagery. The line "water is my eye, most faithful mirror" suggests that the singer is exploring their own emotions and inner world.
The final lines "teardrop on the fire of a confession, most faithful mirror, fearless on my breath" bring the themes of love and fear together as the singer confesses their emotions, which ultimately leads to catharsis and liberation.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, love is a verb
Love requires action and is demonstrated through actions, not just words.
Love is a doing word
In order to love, you must do something; it is an active feeling rather than a passive one.
Fearless on my breath
Despite feeling scared or nervous, the singer is pushing through and holding onto their courage.
Gentle impulsion
A soft urging or pull, like the way a breeze moves leaves on a tree.
Shakes me makes me lighter
The gentle impulsion is causing a physical reaction in the artist, making them feel lighter and maybe even carefree.
Teardrop on the fire
A drop of emotion, like a tear, added to a tense or heated situation can lead to an explosion of feelings.
Nine night of matter
Possibly referring to the idea of the nine nights of mourning in some cultures, this line suggests that the singer is in a time of sorrow or grief.
Black flowers blossom
Even in dark and difficult times, beauty can still be found and created.
Water is my eye
Tears represent the deep emotions that are sometimes difficult to express in words.
Most faithful mirror
Tears can reflect the truest and most honest version of oneself.
Teardrop on the fire of a confession
The act of confessing can be scary and intense, like adding a teardrop to a fire that's already burning hot.
Stumbling a little
The artist is admitting to making mistakes or experiencing setbacks, but is still pushing forward despite them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Elizabeth Fraser, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Marshall, Andrew Vowles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mwng
Theres a slightly different version out there somewhere....at the end of which Guy mutters a gentle Merci.. which will forever have me clutching my hands together and whispering....no Guy...Thank you..as I writhe in convulsions of ecstasy.
Hutchmaster
I've been trying to track down that version for so long