Born in Hereford, England, she later moved to the country's east coast to study drama at the University of Kent. Goulding had developed a love for folk music as a teenager, and her time at university also exposed her to electronica. After two years, she took a break from her studies and moved to West London, where she pursued a career as an alternative singer/songwriter and befriended producers like Starsmith and Frankmusik, who gave her songs an electro-pop twist. In 2009, Goulding began building an audience via the Internet, where early tracks like "Starry Eyed" and a cover of Sam Sparro's "Black & Gold" were posted on tastemaking MP3 blogs such as Discodust. Goulding soon graduated from the blogosphere to print media, gaining praise from mainstream publications like The Guardian and fielding offers from record labels. She ultimately signed a major-label deal with Polydor Records and began making preparations to release her debut album. In the meantime, she penned songs for Diana Vickers, Gabriella Climi, and others.
During the final weeks of 2009, Goulding topped the BBC's Sound of 2010, a poll conducted by British music critics and industry insiders to identify new talent. Building on that momentum, she released Lights -- a sparkling debut album that splashed Goulding's vocal flutter across a landscape of acoustic and synthesized instruments -- in March 2010. Lights topped the U.K. charts during its first week and spun off "Starry Eyed" as a Top Five single (it also charted well in Ireland and New Zealand). Later that year, the album was re-released as Bright Lights, featuring seven new recordings (including a cover of Elton John's "Your Song," which peaked at number two).
In 2012, Goulding returned with her sophomore album, Halcyon, which showcased an even more sonically adventurous, electro-pop-infused sound. In 2013, a deluxe reissue featuring ten extra songs was released; entitled Halcyon Days, it acted as a supplement to the original release. Two of its new songs, "Burn" and "How Long Will I Love You," were among her biggest hits. The following year, she was featured on Calvin Harris' Top Ten U.K. hit "Outside," participated in Band Aid 30's update of "Do They Know It's Christmas?," and entered the U.K. Top Ten once more with "Beating Heart," a song released on the soundtrack for Divergent. Another soundtrack single, "Love Me Like You Do," added to the success of Fifty Shades of Grey in 2015.
That same year, Goulding released her third studio album, Delirium, which featured collaborations with Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, and others. The pop-leaning Delirium included the single "On My Mind" and peaked at number three on the U.S. and U.K. charts. Goulding returned in 2017 on "First Time," a collaboration with electronic producer Kygo.
In 2018, Goulding joined Tap Management after almost a decade with First Access Management.[107] She appeared on a collaboration with Sean Paul on his Mad Love the Prequel EP titled "Bad Love", released on 29 June 2018.[108]
Goulding collaborated with Diplo and Swae Lee on the single "Close to Me", which was released on 24 October 2018.[109] On 1 January 2019, The Guardian reported that she has been working on her fourth album, set to release in the same year.[110] On 1 March, she released the next single "Flux".[111] She said regarding the album, "It's very much written by me".[112]
On 12 April 2019, Goulding released the single "Sixteen".[113] Goulding said of the single, "...That age was such a pivotal year for me in many ways and this song is so close to my heart. It takes me back to the reckless days of being a teenager and I hope it reminds us all about the innocence of youth."[114]
Goulding released "Hate Me" with American rapper Juice Wrld on 26 June 2019.[115][116] It was premiered by Zane Lowe as his 'World Record' on Beats 1.[117] In July, Goulding stated that her next material to be released would be the songs "Woman I Am" and "Start".[118] In November, she released her rendition of Joni Mitchell's Christmas song "River", which topped the UK Singles Chart, becoming her third UK number one single and the last UK number one song of the 2010s.[119]
On 13 March 2020, Goulding released the new single "Worry About Me" which was created in-collaboration with Blackbear.[120] In a radio interview with Heart the same month, she revealed that the album "kind of comes in two parts", adding that "the first side is something written entirely by me which was fun and I wrote most of it in New York when I was living there a few years back. I play the guitar and I play the bass and piano and then I'm singing a lot of vocals. It's very classically influenced because I love classical music. There's a lot going on, it's a big soundscape and one big film. The second half is my kind of alter ego songs."[121] On 21 May she released single "Power" and on 30 June single "Slow Grenade" with Lauv.
Goulding released her fourth studio album, Brightest Blue, on 17 July 2020. Originally scheduled for 5 June 2020, the album's release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart, becoming Goulding's third album to do so,[122] as well as at No. 2 in Scotland.[123] It reached the top 10 in Ireland[124] as well as the top 40 in over ten countries including Australia, Germany and the United States.
Goulding announced on an Instagram Q&A that she would be releasing new music which was not part of the Brightest Blue era at the end of January 2021.[125] On 21 January, she released a collaboration with electronic duo Silk City, titled "New Love".[126] On 30 September, Goulding performed "Anything Could Happen" as part of the opening ceremony for Expo 2020, held in Dubai.[127]
On 19 June 2022, Goulding performed at Rock in Rio in Lisbon, Portugal. After the concert, she announced that she would be releasing new music in July. The following day, she blacked out all her social media profiles.[128] Back in July 2021, during an interview with Joe Wicks, she described the forthcoming album as "a dance record. It's electronic pop, a dance thing from outer space".[129] On 4 July 2022, she announced the release of "Easy Lover" featuring Big Sean, which was released on 15 July.[130] The single did not enter the UK Singles Top 100, but peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart Top 100.[131] It was followed by "All by Myself", a collaboration between Goulding and producers Alok and Sigala, on 7 October.[132] Goulding released the single "Let It Die" along with its video on 19 October and announced the same day that her fifth studio album Higher Than Heaven would be released on 3 February 2023.[133][134]
On 22 March 2023, Goulding released the single "By The End Of The Night".[135][136]
Dead in the Water
Ellie Goulding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you were someone else
I'd say so much to you
And I would tell the truth
'Cause I can hardly breathe
When your hands let go of me
The ice is thinning out
And my feet brace themselves
I'm there in the water
Still looking for you
I'm there in the water
Can't you see?
Can't you see?
You've seen this all before
A life left on the shore
We're smiling all the same
You sail away again
I'm there in the water
Still looking for you
I'm there in the water
Can't you see?
Can't you see?
Oh, yeah, I'm dead
(I'm dead in the water)
I'm dead in the water
(Still looking for you)
Oh, still looking for you
(I'm dead in the water)
For you, for you, oh
(Can't you see?)
Can't you see?
I'm dead in the water
Still looking for you
I'm dead in the water
Can't you see?
I'm dead in the water
Still looking for you
I'm dead in the water
Can't you see?
Can't you see?
"Dead in the Water" by Ellie Goulding is a song about a failed relationship. The singer insinuates that if she were not herself and the person she was talking to was someone else, she would be able to share how she truly feels. The singer is struggling to breathe after being let go by the other person's hands. She feels like she is in the water, looking for her former partner, but the ice is thinning, and her feet feel shaky. The singer may be trying to metaphorically say that she is struggling to stay afloat and survive without the presence of her partner.
The chorus repeats this feeling of being lost, still looking for her partner, but the partner sails away, and the singer feels left in the water struggling. It's a relatable feeling to those who have lost their partner and are struggling to find their place in the world after that loss. The singer expresses the hurt and confusion in a surprisingly upbeat and light manner.
Line by Line Meaning
If I was not myself
If I were different from who I am
And you were someone else
And you were a different person
I'd say so much to you
I would say a lot to you
And I would tell the truth
And I would be honest
Cause I can hardly breathe
Because I'm struggling to breathe
When your hands let go of me
When you release me from your grip
The ice is thinning out
The situation is becoming more vulnerable and unstable
And my feet brace themselves
And I prepare myself for what's to come
I'm there in the water
I'm immersed in the situation
Still looking for ya
Still searching for you
Can't you see, can't you see
Don't you see it?
You've seen this all before
You've experienced this before
Life left on the shore
Life continues without us
We're smiling all the same
We're still pretending to be happy
You sail away again
You leave again
Oh yeah
Just an expression of emotion
I'm there in the water
I'm still in the situation
Still looking for ya
Still searching for you
Can't you see, can't you see
Don't you realize?
I'm there in the water
I'm still in the situation
Still looking for ya
Still searching for you
Can't you see, can't you see
Don't you see it?
I'm there in the water
I'm still in the situation
Still looking for ya
Still searching for you
Can't you see, can't you see
Don't you realize?
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Finlay Graham Dow Smith, Elena Jane Goulding
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thekvcoco
Lyrics:
If I was not myself
And you were someone else
I'd say so much to you
And I would tell the truth
Cause I can hardly breathe
When your hands let go of me
The ice is thinning out
And my feet brace themselves
I'm there in the water
Still looking for ya
I'm there in the water
Can't you see, can't you see
You've seen this all before
Life left on the shore
We're smiling all the same
You sail away again
I'm there in the water
Still looking for ya
I'm there in the water
Can't you see, can't you see
Oh yeah
I'm there in the water
Still looking for ya
I'm there in the water
Can't you see, can't you see
I'm there in the water
Still looking for ya
I'm there in the water
Can't you see, can't you see
@promghost07
My friend requested that this song be played at her funeral when she died. Not long after, she committed suicide. I never knew she was going to, but I desperately wish I had so I could've helped her in whatever way I could. My heart breaks every time I listen to this song. I miss you. <3
@jenny-bu4le
I'm sorry to hear that, I hope that you can one day feel not so down about it or at least not feel so bad, I could never imagine something like that happening
@iconic198
sorry for your lost but sometimes we don't know how bad some people are hurting cause they keep it tucked away trying to stay strong for everyone else
@promghost07
She had been planning it for awhile and wouldn't talk to me or any of her other friends. Then she left the state shortly before she did it. She wanted to go, but if I had known.... I would've done everything I could to convince her that her life was worth living and how she affected my life so positively, and other lives too. And that none of what was going on was her fault. I can't do anything about it now except keep her memory alive and honor her and all the good she did. It's been almost three years, but it's still hard to believe she's not in my life anymore.
@shaniqua2950
your story saddens my heart. I'm so sorry for your loss.
@verity5554
It is not your fault. Whatever she was going through must have been horrible. She is now in a better place for her and her state of mind. <3
@GimmeSome1DLove
T:"Can I ask you something?"
F:"Sure."
T:"What's your tattoo?"
F: "Wanna see it?"
T:"It's amazing…. The factions….. why do you have all of them?"
F:"I don't want to be just one thing…. I can't be. I wanna be brave, and I want to be selfless. Intelligent, and honest, and kind…. Well… I'm still working on kind." 😍 😂 DIVERGENT ❤️
@jezvictor791
The feels of tris & four
@ItsMarenxoxo
Malu Robertson you dont even know how to spell tris...
@jezvictor791
damn sorry... It's Maren 〈3