Her father is Italian and her mother Icelandic. Emilíana grew up in Kópavogur where, at the age of 7, she joined a choir as a soprano. She continued with the choir until she went to opera school at the age of 15. Later she worked as waitress at her father's restaurant. In 1994, Emilíana became well-known at the age of 17 after winning the song competition for junior college students (Icelandic: Söngkeppni framhaldsskólanna), singing "I Will Survive".
Prior to her appearance on the worldwide stage, she released 3 other albums in Iceland: Spoon in 1994, Crouçie D'où Là in 1995, and Merman in 1996. Emilíana also worked with trip-hop group Gus Gus on their debut Polydistortion (1997) on two songs: Is Jesus Your Pal? and Why?.
Later Torrini continues to collaborate with other artists, notably composing Kylie Minogue's international #1 track Slow with Dan Carey in 2003, and providing the voice for Gollum's Song, the closing theme for the film "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". Also in 2002, she sang vocals on Paul Oakenfold's song Hold Your Hand taken from his Bunkka album.
In 2003 she collaborated with Thievery Corporation on two songs Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes and Until the Morning from The Richest Man in Babylon (2005), and Slovo's debut album, Nommo.
Emilíana Torrini released her international debut album, Love In The Time Of Science in November 1999. This trip-hop album was produced by Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears. Four singles were issued: Dead Things, Baby Blue, To Be Free, and Unemployed in Summertime.
Working with Dan Carey, her second major album release released in 2005, Fisherman's Woman, signified a departure from her earlier electronic roots to an acoustic-folk sound; applying the ethereal beauty of her voice in a much more intimate setting, reminiscent of the work of Nick Drake and fellow Icelanders múm. The singles Lifesaver, Sunnyroad, and Heartstopper supported the album.
Her third album, Me and Armini was released on 8 September 2008, to generally good reviews. The album was promoted by three singles: Me and Armini, Big Jumps, and Jungle Drum. The single Jungle Drum became Emilíana's most successful song, reaching #1 in Iceland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, #5 on Finland, and #11 in Switzerland.
Her fourth international studio album, Tookah was released in 2013.
http://www.emilianatorrini.com/
Torrini has lately worked with Canada's Kid Koala, providing vocals on the ambient album Music To Draw To: Satellite, released in January 2017.
The album is described as "...his first non sample-based album, with all the instruments and effects being manipulated by him and him alone) and lyricist (a collaboration with Icelandic vocalist Emilíana Torrini, who somehow makes this sometimes stark, often celestial-sounding record even more chilling with her captivating performances on tracks like "Collapser" and "Adrift") — is able to transport listeners to the depths of space, or wherever their imagination wills them, with ease."
http://exclaim.ca/music/article/kid_koala-music_to_draw_to_satellite
Thinking Out Loud
Emilíana Torrini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He is a victim of gravity
The unbearable color of things
Gets him down
And as his raincoat covers me
We know it was never raining
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Like strings in a fan
The shoelaces aren't done
The solitude reflection of his fate
Gets him down
And as the shadow covers me
I thought he was only sleeping
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
His clothes on the floor
Underwear silver lined
The smell of lavender and tar
Brings me down
If the telephone should ring
God knows it could never be him
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
The lyrics of "Thinking Out Loud" by Emiliana Torrini are melancholic and poetic. The first verse sets the tone of the song, talking about the weight of gravity and the unbearable color of things getting the subject of the song down. It could be interpreted that these lines represent the feelings of the subject, making it hard for them to see the brighter side of things.
The second verse talks about solitude and its reflection on the fate of the subject. The line "And as the shadow covers me, I thought he was only sleeping" suggests the subject's possible demise, which brings sorrow to the singer. The third verse talks about the remnants of the subject, such as his clothes and the smell of lavender, which serve as a constant reminder of the subject's absence.
The chorus, repeating "Sorry it was me, was I thinking out loud," implies that the singer feels guilty for something, perhaps for not being able to save the subject or for not understanding their struggles.
Overall, the lyrics of "Thinking Out Loud" convey deep emotions of loss, guilt, and regret. The song presents a vivid imagery of the subject's absence and its impact on the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Like the leaves at my feet
He is weighed down by everything around him, like how leaves on the ground are held down by gravity
He is a victim of gravity
He cannot escape the forces that hold him down, just like how gravity pulls everything towards the center of the earth
The unbearable color of things
The world can be overwhelming and depressing because of the intensity and darkness of colors
Gets him down
All of these things bring him down and make him feel heavy and sad
And as his raincoat covers me
He tries to shelter me from the storm and protect me from the things that weigh him down
We know it was never raining
There was no actual storm, but the weight of his feelings made it feel that way
Sorry it was me
She takes responsibility for the things that have been weighing him down
Was I thinking out loud
She wonders if her thoughts and actions unintentionally contributed to his feelings of being weighed down
Like strings in a fan
The tangled mess of his shoelaces is a metaphor for how entangled and confused he feels
The shoelaces aren't done
He feels like he is constantly falling and can never seem to get himself back up, just like his undone shoelaces
The solitude reflection of his fate
He is alone in his thoughts and constantly ponders his life's direction
Gets him down
His thoughts and feelings become heavy and depressing
And as the shadow covers me
His overwhelming and depressive thoughts start to affect her as well
I thought he was only sleeping
She believed he was only resting, but in reality, his mind is consumed by these heavy thoughts
His clothes on the floor
The physical evidence of his actions is there, but he feels like he has lost control
Underwear silver lined
Even the smallest details of his situation are overwhelming and hard to handle
The smell of lavender and tar
The combination of sweet and harsh scents convey the complexity of his thoughts and feelings
Brings me down
She is affected by the weight of his feelings and struggles to handle it
If the telephone should ring
She hopes for a way to connect with him and ease his pain
God knows it could never be him
She realizes that even though she hopes for a change, he is unlikely to be the one to make it happen
Sorry it was me
She takes responsibility for her own thoughts and feelings and how they affect him
Was I thinking out loud
She questions whether her own thoughts and actions have contributed to the situation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EMILIANA TORRINI, CHRIS CORNER, LIAM COVERDALE-HOWE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind