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.
Whole
Eliza Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sliding around inside you, you are so big
So beautiful and so mine
If only I could be you all the time.
I could be all the way around you and swallow you in myself
Wrap my body around you, you are so small
So delicate and so mine
Do you smell my breathing around you, my body breathing you in
My self and my soul and grace, you are so still
So transient and so mine
If only I could breathe you all the time.
And it's ten o'clock in the morning
And you show no sign of waking
My love has worn you down but I
Know no way of stopping
This swallowing you whole
Body and soul
The lyrics of Eliza Carthy's song "Whole" express an intense desire for complete interconnectedness with a loved one. The first verse begins "I could climb all the way inside you and be you for a day," which implies a longing to experience life from the perspective of the other person. The key phrase "you are so big/so beautiful and so mine" highlights the depth of love and admiration that the singer feels for their partner. The second verse continues with the imagery of physical merging, with the singer wanting to "be all the way around you and swallow you in myself." Here, the phrase "so delicate and so mine" shows the tenderness and protectiveness of the love the singer has for their partner. The final verse shifts from physical merging to spiritual or emotional connection, with the singer asking if their partner can "smell my breathing around you, my body breathing you in." The words "my self and my soul and grace" add a religious or spiritual quality to the lyrics, suggesting that the singer feels a deep connection that transcends the physical.
The chorus of the song is repetitive, with the words "if only I could" appearing each time, followed by a variation on the idea of wanting to be more connected to the partner. The final lines of the song "And it's ten o'clock in the morning/ And you show no sign of waking/My love has worn you down but I/Know no way of stopping/ This swallowing you whole/Body and soul" convey that the singer's love is all-consuming and possibly overwhelming to their partner.
Overall, the lyrics of "Whole" express a powerful longing for complete unity with the beloved that is both physical and spiritual. The desire for a deeper level of connection is passionate and all-consuming, with the singer willing to "swallow" their partner whole.
Line by Line Meaning
I could climb all the way inside you and be you for a day
I wish to feel what it's like to be you by experiencing your world for a day.
Sliding around inside you, you are so big
Your world is so vast and diverse, and I want to explore every bit of it.
So beautiful and so mine
Your world is a magnificent creation, and I wish to have it as my own.
If only I could be you all the time
I wish to be like you permanently and always live in your world.
I could be all the way around you and swallow you in myself
I wish to protect you and have you close to me by surrounding you with my own body.
Wrap my body around you, you are so small
You are vulnerable and need someone to shelter you from the harshness of the world.
So delicate and so mine
You are fragile and need my care and affection to thrive.
If only I could warm you all the time.
I wish to provide you with love and comfort all the time.
Do you smell my breathing around you, my body breathing you in
I want to blend my essence with yours and create an intimate connection with you.
My self and my soul and grace, you are so still
I wish to share my innermost self with you, but I feel that you are emotionless and distant.
So transient and so mine
You are brief but precious, and I wish to seize the opportunity to enjoy your presence.
If only I could breathe you all the time
I want you to be an inseparable part of myself, and I want to feel your essence with every breath I take.
And it's ten o'clock in the morning
It's a new day, and the world is waiting to be explored.
And you show no sign of waking
Despite my wishes, you remain distant and unresponsive.
My love has worn you down but I
My affection for you has taken a toll on your emotions and well-being.
Know no way of stopping
I can't help but love you and wish to be with you.
This swallowing you whole
I want to be so close to you that we can become one body and soul.
Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cezar Y
I've been looking for her music after I lost this album.
Her music is great. Thank you for uploading it on Yuotube
aliceschesya
Thank you, a departure from previous work. A very interesting song full of powerful and disturbing imagery