Born… Read Full Bio ↴Eliza Carthy (b. 1975) is an English folk singer and violinist.
Born on 23rd August 1975, she is the daughter of legendary English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson. She formed The Waterdaughters with her mother, aunt (Lal Waterson), and cousin Maria Knight in 1989. She has subsequently worked with Nancy Kerr, and also with her parents as Waterson:Carthy, in addition to her own solo work.
She has twice been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for UK album of the year: in 1998 for Red Rice, and again in 2003 for Anglicana. In 2003 Carthy swept the boards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, winning Folk Singer of the Year, Best Album (for Anglicana), and Best Traditional Track (for "Worcester City").
In 2004 she was part of Oysterband's Big Session, a collaboration with numerous folk artists. They produced an album The Big Session Volume One, and the group as a whole were awarded Best Group at the Folk Awards in 2005.
The Company Of Men
Eliza Carthy Lyrics
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To men who didn't want me anymore
Why they didn't tell me before
I have never been sure
And I sat and listened for hours
To boys that I'm not sure I liked
My evenings have passed me by
I have made myself a fool
In the company of men
I have cried in the night
With no light and then done it again
And they always think
All I want is to stay
When what I really want
Is to get my fix and then get away
Now I don't want to be popular
And I don't want to be liked anymore
I don't want to be one of the beautiful people
Cause beautiful people are boring
I've given blowjobs on couches
To men who didn't want me anymore
All the drunken hazy evenings
And sober days alone
All I have to say is maybe
The smoke got in my eyes
And down the end of the fire
Eliza Carthy's song The Company Of Men is a hard-hitting and candid portrayal of the emotional turmoil that can come with seeking acceptance and validation in the company of men. The lyrics allude to sexual encounters that were not wanted or were based on reciprocal arrangements. The lines "I've given blowjobs on couches, to men who didn't want me anymore" capture the bleakness of experiences that seem to offer validation but end up leaving the singer feeling used and empty. The lyrics suggest that there are significant power imbalances at play, as she is unsure why men did not tell her they no longer wanted her. It highlights how the singer feels trapped in her own self-destructive cycle, unable to move beyond the intoxicating pull of these encounters.
The lyrics also explore the singer's longing for connection, even as she recognizes the toxic patterns in the men she surrounds herself with. The line "And they always think all I want is to stay // When what I really want is to get my fix and then get away" showcases her recognition of the disconnect between her desires and theirs. The song is an introspective plea for agency and autonomy, with the singer questioning what she really wants from these encounters and challenging societal norms around what women are expected to desire. The final lines of the song, "All I have to say is maybe // The smoke got in my eyes // And down the end of the fire," leave a sense of ambiguous hope, as if the singer is daring to think that there might be a chance to rise above these destructive patterns.
Line by Line Meaning
I've given blowjobs on couches
I performed sexual acts on men while sitting on couches
To men who didn't want me anymore
The men did not desire or care for me, but I still engaged in sexual activity with them
Why they didn't tell me before
I am unsure why these men didn't communicate their lack of interest before the sexual encounter
I have never been sure
I don't know why it happened or why I allowed it to happen
And I sat and listened for hours
I spent hours listening to conversations with men
To boys that I'm not sure I liked
I'm uncertain if I actually enjoyed their company
My evenings have passed me by
I wasted my evenings on these exchanges
I have made myself a fool
My actions have made me look foolish
In the company of men
When interacting with men
I have cried in the night
I have shed tears during the night
With no light and then done it again
When alone in darkness, I have cried and continued to repeat my mistakes
And they always think
Men tend to have the assumption
All I want is to stay
That my goal is to continue to be with them
When what I really want
In reality, my true desire is
Is to get my fix and then get away
To satisfy my cravings and then leave
Now I don't want to be popular
I have lost interest in being well-liked
And I don't want to be liked anymore
I don't desire attention or admiration
I don't want to be one of the beautiful people
I have no desire for physical admiration or to be one of the popular crowd
Cause beautiful people are boring
I find physical beauty uninteresting as an appealing quality
All the drunken hazy evenings
All of the nights spent in a drunken stupor
And sober days alone
And facing sober days spent in solitude
All I have to say is maybe
I can only speculate
The smoke got in my eyes
It's possible that my judgment was clouded
And down the end of the fire
At the end of the road
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: BEN IVITSKY, ELIZA AMY FORBES CARTHY, MARTIN CARTHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind