Before entering the charts, Doolittle toured the UK with her band to gain recognition. This later turned into the "Playground Unplugged" tour where she performed at secondary schools Hagley RC High School, The Magna Carta School, The Bewdley School and Sixth Form Centre, Highworth Grammar School and Presdales School.
The first release from Doolittle is a self-titled EP that features four tracks Rollerblades, Moneybox, Police Car and Go Home. This was released on 29 November 2009. Tracks from the EP were remixed by Plastic Little ('Rollerblades'), Sam Young and Jamie xx from The xx ('Money Box'). The EP received radio plays from Rob Da Bank, Nick Grimshaw, Fearne Cotton and Jo Whiley.
Her debut single Skinny Genes was released on 12 April 2010. The song had featured in a television advert for an online retailer. She told BBC's Steve Lamacq the song is "a funny scenario if you didn’t like someone, if they were really annoying, but you had a good time under the sheets." Doolittle's second release is entitled Pack Up and released on 5 July 2010, debuting at #12 on the Official UK Singles Chart on 11 July 2010.
She recorded the song Running For Life which featured on the soundtrack to the film AdULTHOOD. Doolittle was a special guest on Paloma Faith's concert tour which began on 30 October 2010.
Checkmate
Eliza Doolittle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Playin' at being king I took my kingdom back,
Throwing arrows at the window,
But they're not getting in though,
You made a move too late,
And now you're in checkmate
Bugging like a fly against my window pane,
That day I made a promise,
To raise my fisty cuffs,
You won't fool me twice,
Once is quite enough
Cause you're just a little boy in a big girls land,
Playin' at being king I took my kingdom back,
Throwing arrows at the window,
But they're not getting in though,
You made a move too late,
And now you're in checkmate
Someone stupid told me that romance was dead,
They took him to the tower and cut off his head,
But I don't believe it,
And I've got the proof,
Standing right beside me,
When I compare him to you
You're just a little boy in a big girls land,
Playin' at being king I took my kingdom back,
Throwing arrows at the window,
But they're not getting in though,
You made a move too late,
And now you're in checkmate
You're just a little boy in a big girls land,
Playin' at being king I took my kingdom back,
Throwing arrows at the window,
But they're not getting in though,
You made a move too late,
And now you're in checkmate
Oh you're never gonna make it over these walls of mine
You should runaway,
'Cause you'll never get past me and my army, my army,
Yea you should runaway,
'Cause you'll never get past me and my army, my army,
Yea you should runaway,
'Cause you'll never get past me and my army, my army,
You should runaway,
'Cause you'll never get past me and my army, my army
You're just a little boy in a big girls land,
Playin' at being king I took my kingdom back,
Throwing arrows at the window,
But they're not getting in though,
You made a move too late,
And now you're in checkmate
The lyrics to Eliza Doolittle's song "Checkmate" convey a sense of empowerment and triumph over a failed relationship. The singer describes how she is no longer being played by her partner, who is portrayed as a little boy pretending to be a king in a big girls' land. She has taken back control and is now holding all the power. The metaphors in the song, such as throwing arrows at the window and being in checkmate, create a sense of being on the defensive, but ultimately winning the game.
The chorus is repeated several times throughout the song and reinforces the message of the verses. The lyrics also mention how the singer has been hurt in the past and is no longer willing to be fooled by her partner. She has the power to defend herself and is prepared to fight against any attempt to break through her barriers. The bridge of the song contrasts the little boy with the singer's current partner, whom she believes is far superior.
Overall, "Checkmate" is a song that empowers the listener to take control of their life and refuse to be played or taken advantage of by anyone. It highlights the importance of being strong, independent and standing up for what you believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a little boy in a big girls land,
I am surrounded by people who think that they can rule me, but they don't know that I can take them on.
Playin' at being king I took my kingdom back,
I am taking charge of my life and no one can bring me down.
Throwing arrows at the window,
The people who were against me are trying to get back in, but they can't.
But they're not getting in though,
No matter how hard the opposition tries, I am standing strong.
You made a move too late,
The fools never had a chance, I out-strategized them and won the game.
And now you're in checkmate
The victory is mine!
Bugging like a fly against my window pane,
The people who doubted me are trying to get back in but I won't let them enter.
Pain is what you gave me when you left that day,
You hurt me when you walked away and underestimated my abilities, but I am proving you wrong now!
That day I made a promise,
I vowed to never let anyone take advantage of me again.
To raise my fisty cuffs,
I am prepared to fight back against those who try to bring me down.
You won't fool me twice,
I am too smart to let anyone trick me twice.
Once is quite enough
Your games are over, you can't win against me anymore.
Someone stupid told me that romance was dead,
People are misinformed and have lost faith in the idea of romance, but I have not given up on it.
They took him to the tower and cut off his head,
The people who disagree with me try to silence their opposition through violence and hate, but I will not let them win.
But I don't believe it,
I believe in love and hope for the future.
And I've got the proof,
I have someone special in my life that reminds me of the goodness in the world.
Standing right beside me,
My support system is always there for me.
When I compare him to you
You cannot compare to the good in my life, you are just a thing of the past now.
Oh you're never gonna make it over these walls of mine
You cannot overcome the obstacles and perseverance it took for me to build up my success.
You should runaway,
You should walk away from this fight because you are always going to be lost in it.
'Cause you'll never get past me and my army, my army,
You cannot compete with my support system, who are always there for me.
Yea you should runaway,
It's time for you to give up and walk away because it's a losing battle.
You should runaway,
I am too strong for anyone to come against me.
Cause you'll never get past me and my army, my army,
My army of supporters will always be there to help me win, so you cannot compete with me.
You're just a little boy in a big girls land,
The opposition is weak compared to me, the mighty opponent.
Playin' at being king I took my kingdom back,
They tried to rule me, but now I am in control of my own life.
Throwing arrows at the window,
The competition is trying to take back what they lost, but they will remain unsuccessful.
But they're not getting in though,
I am too powerful for the opposition to succeed.
You made a move too late,
The opposition failed to outsmart me and make their moves in time to win.
And now you're in checkmate
I am victorious and the competition is defeated.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WAYNE ANTHONY HECTOR, STEVE ROBSON, ELIZA DOOLITTLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind