As a teenager, Barker was known to sing heavy metal and soul covers at high-school assemblies. She first entered the British music scene via the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2002, where she appeared with Rob Jackson, Boo Hewerdine’s guitarist. The success of this performance led them to form a band called the-low-country, in which Barker was the songwriter and front person. They released two albums (the first being in 2003), played numerous alt-country venues and festivals, and enjoyed several plays on John Peel’s show.
2005 saw the birth of Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo, consisting of Barker and the all-female trio of Anna Jenkins, Jo Silverston and Gill Sandell who collectively provide backing harmony vocals and who respectively play violin, cello and musical saw, and accordion, piano and flute.
The band’s second studio album, Despite The Snow, was recorded in live sessions in a 16th century barn in Norfolk. Self-released in November 2008 on Emily’s own label Everyone Sang, the album again garnered much praise.
February 2011 saw the release of Almanac. Dear River followed in 2013.
* Official site
Any More Goodbyes
Emily Barker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back of the sea
Swallow my skin
Come drown with me
Be as the stars
Sweeter than tears
Sugar my lips
Listen to me
I'll listen to you
We can figure out
What we should do
For deep is the cold
Water below
Gather me in
Don't let me go
Who ever thought this summer's day would end?
Holding on to the last rays of light
What more can I do to keep from losing you?
I'm not ready for any more goodbyes
Be as the blood
Red in my veins
For love is fragile
Love is brave
Love is everything
I'm scared to lose:
The sea, the stars,
My life with you
Who ever thought this summer's day would end?
Holding on to the last rays of light
What more can I do to keep from losing you?
I'm not ready for any more goodbyes
I'm not ready for any more goodbyes
No more goodbyes
No more goodbyes
Be as the blue
Back of the sea
Swallow my skin
Come drown with me
The opening lyrics of Emily Barker's song "Any More Goodbyes" are striking in their vivid, poetic imagery. By invoking the blue back of the sea, Barker paints a picture of depth and mystery, something vast and overwhelming. The instruction to "Swallow my skin, come drown with me" is simultaneously inviting and ominous - there's a sense of surrender and vulnerability, but also a hint of danger. The song continues to use colorful and emotive language throughout, describing the stars as "sweeter than tears" and love as both "fragile" and "brave."
Thematically, the song seems to be grappling with the fear of loss and the desire to hold onto something precious. The repeated refrain of "I'm not ready for any more goodbyes" is particularly poignant, evoking the sense of trying to cling onto a fading moment or relationship. The line "What more can I do to keep from losing you?" is particularly heart-wrenching, encapsulating the sense of helplessness that comes with facing the possibility of losing someone or something you love. However, the song ultimately seems to offer a sense of hope - the insistence on listening and figuring things out suggests that there's still a chance to salvage what's important.
Line by Line Meaning
Be as the blue
Be as cool and calm as the blue of the sea
Back of the sea
Far away into the deep blue sea
Swallow my skin
Embrace me
Come drown with me
Be with me in the sea of love
Be as the stars
Be beautiful like the stars
Sweeter than tears
Sweeter than the sadness caused by tears
Sugar my lips
Kiss me
Fall through the years
Let's grow old together
Listen to me
Hear my words
I'll listen to you
Let's communicate together
We can figure out
We can solve
What we should do
The next steps to take
For deep is the cold
The water is very deep and very cold
Water below
Underneath the waves
Gather me in
Bring me close to you
Don't let me go
Hold on to me tightly
Who ever thought this summer's day would end?
The end of summer came too soon
Holding on to the last rays of light
Holding on to what's left of happiness
What more can I do to keep from losing you?
How can I make you stay?
I'm not ready for any more goodbyes
I can't say goodbye to you again
Be as the blood
Be as important as the blood in my veins
Red in my veins
Inside my body
For love is fragile
Love can be easily broken
Love is brave
But love is also strong
Love is everything
Love means the world to me
I'm scared to lose
I'm afraid of losing what I have with you
The sea, the stars,
Our shared experiences and memories
My life with you
Our life together
No more goodbyes
I don't want to say goodbye again
No more goodbyes
I won't let go of you
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: EMILY BARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nicholascant3930
Love it! Great vocal, great instrumentation.
@EmilyBarker
Thank you Nicholas!
@migueladolfomartinezsuarez7748
SPLENDID EMILY 🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼
@EmilyBarker
Thank you Miguel! :)
@chrisedwards4917
Bloody beautiful as per usual!
@EmilyBarker
Thank you Chris!
@Paul49myspace
Thanks for the heads up on “Social Dilemma” The good and the bad.
Cheers E
@EmilyBarker
Yes so good to be informed isn't it. I hope The Centre for Humane Technology starts getting through to some of the big tech companies.