The British singer songwriter’s roots lie firmly in the east-end of London - something which is reflected in her frank lyrics and gritty melodies, but as much of the young songstresses time is spent between here and her new home in Los Angeles the album takes on definite nuances from both places.
Ellem’s Brit/Cali sound is an addictive melting pot of contrasts. Her raw and honest vocal on the stripped down acoustic song Shadow has a delicate haunting quality, mix that with the dirty blues rock but intriguingly poppy east-end tone of By Heart and the quirky title track Inside Still Beats you have a whimsical yet heart-on-sleeve truthful collection of songs which is deliciously more-ish.
Inside Still Beats, Ellem’s rather impressive solo debut is indeed a strong collection of heartfelt mini-musical-stories packed with intrigue, heartbreak and light-relief. With lyrics like “if I show you my cracks will you be my glue” and “I don’t know how the words go, but if this is my song then life is my show.” Ellem has an infectious way of reaching into hearts and staying there!
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Put A Ribbon Round It - A warming and festive collection of quirky folk-pop songs. Another masterfully crafted collection from the British / Los Angeles songstress. 'Put A Ribbon Round It' will whisk you away on a melodic narrative that your mind can't help but engage in.
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Ellem’s second full length album A Little Reminder (released July 2011) covers a good ol’ swath of modern-folk with ever so subtle and beautifully infused nuances of a Celtic influenced childhood. The title track 'A Little Reminder' sees an expected tip of the hat to what Ellem is known and loved for – an unashamed and quirky-pop approach to songwriting. Mix this with the lighthearted and playful lyrics of opening number 'Tape and Glue' which strip grown up problems back to their often childish roots and the achingly evocative, venerable yet self-assured vocal of Sit Down Sister and you have a masterful collection of wonderfully crafted songs.
Download on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ellem/id356700976?uo=6
Ellem on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/helloellem
Website
http://www.helloellem.com
Ellem is now in We Came as Strangers
Mismatch
Ellem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You dance like dance
Oh oh oh oh
I'm falling for you
Your laugh really gets on my nerves
Your jokes are kinda klishe and lame
Oh oh oh oh
I'm lost without you
Why do you do that to me
Oh what a mismatch
Like who I'm being
Coz I think I hate you
But I'm sure I love you
And I know I'm blurring lies
Coz I wanna diss you
But I gotta kiss you
I hate you I love you
All of the time
All of the time
Oh
Ask me why and I couldn't tell you
You unquificly should be mr right
Oh oh oh oh oh oooh
I'm falling for you
I'm falling for you
I'm falling for you
Why do you do that
Why do you do that to me
Oh what a mismatch
Like who I'm being
Coz I think I hate you
But I'm sure I love you
And I know I'm blurring lies
Coz I wanna diss you
But I gotta kiss you
I hate you I love you
All of the time
Ooooh
Mmmm
Why do you do that
Why do you do that to me
Oh what a mismatch
Like who I'm being
Coz I think I hate you
But I'm sure I love you
And I know I'm blurring lies
Coz I wanna diss you
But I gotta kiss you
I hate you I love you
All of the time
Ooooh
All of the time (why do you do that)
Mmmm
Why do you do that
The lyrics of "Mismatch" by Ellem reveal the complexity of a relationship where one person is attracted to the other, but is also repulsed by certain qualities. The song describes the singer's conflicting emotions towards their love interest - the way they dress and dance attracts them, but their irritating laugh and cliched jokes annoy them. Ellem is describing a mismatched relationship where the two people are incompatible, but the singer cannot help falling for them.
Throughout the song, the singer questions why they have these mixed emotions towards the other person, but they cannot explain it. They criticize themselves for falling for someone who is not their "mr right," highlighting the inner conflict that the singer is feeling. The chorus repeats the phrase "I hate you I love you" as a representation of the singer's conflicted feelings towards their love interest.
The song's lyrics also touch on the idea that the singer is blurring the lines between truth and lies - this could be because they are lying to themselves about their true feelings towards the other person or because they are hiding their mixed emotions from others. Overall, "Mismatch" is a song that delves into the complicated nature of a relationship where love and annoyance intersect.
Line by Line Meaning
You dress like an 80's revival
Your fashion sense is reminiscent of the 1980s.
You dance like dance
Your dancing is very energetic and lively.
Oh oh oh oh
I'm falling for you
I am developing strong feelings for you.
Your laugh really gets on my nerves
The way you laugh is irritating to me.
Your jokes are kinda klishe and lame
Your jokes are unoriginal and uninteresting.
Oh oh oh oh
I'm lost without you
I feel lost when you are not around.
Why do you do that
Why do you do that to me
Oh what a mismatch
Like who I'm being
I am confused about why I have feelings for someone who seems so different from me.
Coz I think I hate you
But I'm sure I love you
And I know I'm blurring lies
Coz I wanna diss you
But I gotta kiss you
I hate you I love you
All of the time
I am conflicted about my feelings for you and am struggling to express them clearly.
Ask me why and I couldn't tell you
You unquificly should be mr right
Oh oh oh oh oh oooh
I'm falling for you
I cannot explain why I am attracted to you, but I feel like you have the potential to be my perfect match.
Why do you do that
Why do you do that to me
Oh what a mismatch
Like who I'm being
Once again, I am struggling to reconcile my feelings for you with the differences between us.
Coz I think I hate you
But I'm sure I love you
And I know I'm blurring lies
Coz I wanna diss you
But I gotta kiss you
I hate you I love you
All of the time
Ooooh
I am torn between my conflicting emotions for you and cannot decide how I truly feel.
Mmmm
Why do you do that
I am left wondering why you behave the way you do and how it affects me.
Contributed by John N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.