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.
Empty Hand
Eliza Doolittle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of anybody checking their face,
In the shade of my glasses,
One way ticket on the fast train,
And I'm solo all the way.
I could maybe read a novel,
To push away the trouble,
But I know that it will find me,
When I finish the last page.
An empty hand I wave goodbye,
I feel a tickle in my eye.
No I'll never, sever any time,
Tired of the journey,
No hand held in mine,
No I'll never, sever any time,
Tired of the journey,
No hand held in mine.
Will I always feel it more,
On a day when there's a storm,
Or a raincloud, so dangerous and lonely,
No one ever told me,
That the darkness is my fault.
And I'm looking out the window,
And losing both my dimples,
As they enter the ends of my smile,
'Cause I am a thousand miles,
From the place I need to go.
And empty hand I wave goodbye,
I feel a tickle in my eye.
No I'll never, sever any time,
Tired of the journey,
No hand held in mine,
No I'll never, sever any time,
Tired of the journey,
No hand held in mine.
The lyrics of Eliza Doolittle's song Empty Hand convey a sense of loneliness and isolation. The singer is wearing shaded glasses, and she cannot see other people's reflections, which implies she is not able to connect with anyone else. She is on a fast train, alone, with no one by her side. She reads a novel to distract herself, but she knows that her troubles will catch up with her once she finishes reading.
The chorus reveals a sense of resignation, as she waves with an empty hand and feels a tickle in her eye. She is tired of the journey, and no one is holding her hand. The second verse adds to the melancholy mood of the song, as she mentions the storm and darkness. She is far from where she needs to be, and she cannot hide her sadness anymore.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet feeling of traveling alone, the sense of adventure mixed with loneliness, and the longing for connection with others. Through the use of vivid imagery and introspective lyrics, Eliza Doolittle creates a powerful emotional landscape that resonates with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't have the reflection,
I don't see myself in others, no matter how much they reflect
Of anybody checking their face,
I can't relate to people who need to confirm their appearance
In the shade of my glasses,
Even with my shades on I'm still invisible to the world
One way ticket on the fast train,
My journey is one way, hurtling forward at high speed
And I'm solo all the way.
I'm alone and abandoned with no one to share this journey with
I could maybe read a novel,
I could distract myself from my problems with a good read
To push away the trouble,
To try and forget the pain that's buried deep inside
That sits in the pit of my tummy,
The pain eats away at my stomach and makes me feel sick
But I know that it will find me,
No matter how far from my problems I run, they always catch up
When I finish the last page.
The end of the book signals the return of reality
An empty hand I wave goodbye,
I'm leaving with nothing, feeling empty and alone
I feel a tickle in my eye.
My eyes are welled up with tears, but I refuse to cry
No I'll never, sever any time,
I will never let go, no matter how much it hurts
Tired of the journey,
Exhausted from fighting my demons
No hand held in mine,
No one to offer me comfort or take my hand
Will I always feel it more,
Will the pain ever go away, or will it always hurt this much?
On a day when there's a storm,
When everything else is dark and gloomy, will my pain intensify?
Or a raincloud, so dangerous and lonely,
Just like a raincloud, my pain is dangerous and makes me feel isolated
No one ever told me,
No one ever taught me how to deal with this pain
That the darkness is my fault.
I feel like the cause of my pain is something I did wrong
And I'm looking out the window,
I'm watching the world go by, but I'm too busy dealing with my pain to enjoy it
And losing both my dimples,
I've lost my smile, my joy, my happiness
As they enter the ends of my smile,
Even when I try to smile, my pain shows through
'Cause I am a thousand miles,
I am so far from where I want to be, both physically and mentally
From the place I need to go.
I don't even know where I'm heading anymore
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ELIZA DOOLITTLE, GREG KURSTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elizabeth Ruth
I was listening to all her songs and I was expecting something upbeat like Rollerblades and Pack Up and when this came it was a little saddening but somehow it's still just as great as her others
Maisie Edwards
I have loved this song for ever and it makes me feel sad but calm at the same time and it has really deep lyrics
kayteekisskiss
Awww I love this song :') its like a bedtime nursery rhyme :')
Maisie Edwards
Love this song it's so sad.
Reyna
wow this song just gets me.....O.o
Speed Kills
This is one amazing song! Thanks for the upload. :)
Max
havent heard this in ages. amazing song... gonna be my next cover
kayteekisskiss
I am so so so sorry to hear this, I am sending my deepest love, care and sympathy to you and your family and friends. xxx
Samy Vazquez
I am obsessed with this song!!!
sandy mazonde
love this song soooo much