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]
Home
Ellie Goulding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They seep into mind, into me
Brush your teeth
Wash the dirt,
A hard days work, know my place
On my own
No poison in my bones
This is where I build my home
My home
This will always be my home
This will always be my home
I work until its late
Will again close the gates
I look in the window and I gaze on my face
Every line and every abrasion
This took my life to make
This took my life to make
On my own
No poison in my bones
On my own
This is where I build my home
I need someone to hold
I need someone to hold
On my own
My home
This will always be my home
This will always be my home
In Ellie Goulding's song Home, the lyrics touch on themes of loneliness, hard work, and finding a place to call one's own. The opening lines set the tone for the song with "Lonely thoughts, they seep into mind, into me" which immediately create a sense of isolation and introspection. The listener is then taken on a journey through the singer's day, with a highlight on the hard work that goes into their daily routine. The lyrical phrases "Brush your teeth, Wash the dirt, A hard day's work, know my place" paint a picture of someone who is responsible and focused on their responsibilities.
As the song progresses, the repeated refrain of "On my own, No poison in my bones, This is where I build my home" becomes the signature statement of the song. This repeated phrase asserts a sense of pride in independence and self-sufficiency, making it clear that the singer is content with their situation. However, there is a wistful sadness that creeps into the song with the line "I need someone to hold" which suggests that even though they are capable and hard-working, there is a part of them that longs for companionship.
Overall, the lyrics of Home by Ellie Goulding are reflective and introspective, telling the story of someone who may be alone but is driven by a sense of purpose and autonomy.
Line by Line Meaning
Lonely thoughts, They seep into mind, into me
The singer expresses her feelings of isolation that constantly invade her mind.
Brush your teeth Wash the dirt, A hard days work, know my place
The singer imposes on herself daily cleaning rituals as a reminder of her humble beginnings and her hard work to build her life.
On my own No poison in my bones
Although she feels lonely, the singer finds a certain calmness in her solitude, and she is determined not to let the toxicity of the world affect her.
This is where I build my home
The singer sees her current state of isolation as an opportunity to build and shape her life the way she wants.
I work until its late Will again close the gates I look in the window and I gaze on my face Every line and every abrasion This took my life to make
The singer reflects on her hard work, determination, and struggles that have contributed to shaping her current life, which only she can take responsibility for.
I need someone to hold
Amidst the singer's self-imposed isolation, she still craves human connection and the comfort of being held.
My home This will always be my home This will always be my home
The singer has come to terms with her current state of being, and she accepts it as her permanent home while appreciating the struggles that got her there.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ELLIE GOULDING, FREDERIK FALKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
StrangeStrawMan
I listened to this song on my first day of Uni with dreams of one day finding my home. 5 years later and I'm still listening, but I'm getting closer. I can feel it.
Johnathan Herron
@Kye Lunari lmao what
iusethisplatform - Jacob
I hope you’ve found it 🤧
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A T // Dako Willins Lives On
i wish i could go back 5 years
starbuckszeal
This really puts tears in my eyes every time I hear this.. :') love it!
SOULSENSESELLIESTEFFENSOULSENSESISTHEGOULDENSPRING
❤️
MrLifeismagic
i swear this is one of the greatest songs i have ever heard :)
Penny Ormos
this song is really meaningful and I love it and almost all of Ellie's other songs too.
rookierror
Oh my god this is my first time listening to this and at 0:58 I got chills, this is amazing. Ellie is amazing!