2) US ; country singer
1) Singer, writer and concertina player based in the North East of England. With a BBC Folk Award nomination for her work with harmony trio The Devil’s Interval, Emily is already an established musician on the UK folk scene, commended by Shirley Collins and annually touring with Waterson:Carthy. Emily has recently appeared at The Southbank Centre as part of their ‘Folk Roots, New Routes’ series and debuted her new songs at The Sage Gateshead. She is also fast making waves beyond the folk scene, being featured as a soloist on the BBC's adaptation of 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' as well as appearing on alt-folk songwriter Alasdair Roberts’ forthcoming album.
Emily originally hails from Glastonbury, where, raised on a diet of fairytales and deep Somerset folklore she began songwriting at the age of six, starting out with a keyboard, a tape recorder and a thirst for blood-curdling stories. After years immersed in traditional songs, Emily's return to songwriting has already grabbed the attention of the BBC, with Radio 3’s 'Late Junction' recently previewing her new music and ‘Words and Music’ broadcasting live performances of songs from the album at their 'Free Thinking' Festival. Inspired by folktales and Ballads, Emily weaves harmony-rich narratives relaying female experience, accompanied by Viola player Lucy Farrell (fresh from touring with The Unthanks) and Harpist Rachel Newton of BBC folk Award Nominees The Shee. These visceral visions of a darker Albion conjure landscapes where mythical sirens collide in urban backstreets. Emily's debut solo album ‘The Glamoury’ was released in March 2010.
2) US ; country singer : http://www.last.fm/music/Emily+Portman/Country+Girl+Like+Me
Grey Stone
Emily Portman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not scared of the sea faces
(being my mother's daughter)
I choose a smooth grey skimming stone
Watch it vanish into the foam
And dive into the water
(dive into the water)
(how she sighs, how she cries)
She longs to be a skimming stone
(and vanish in the water)
How she'd dip and dive away
Into the green and silver-grey
Her eyes are on the water
(her eyes are on the water)
When the moon is dark she slips away
(how she sighs, how she cries)
She sings to the blue and silver-grey
(ripples on the water)
She walks down to the cold black sand
Seals appear and kiss her hand
Her eyes are made of water
(her eyes are made of water)
Oh mother, mother, look what I found
(soft and silky silver-grey)
Oh mother, mother, look what I found
(present from your daughter)
She took the skin and slipped inside
How she sighed, how she cried
Then dived into the water
(dived into the water)
(i-un-die, i-un-dor...)
I find the pools and the hidden places
I see her in the salt sea faces
I choose a smooth grey skimming stone
Watch it vanish into the foam
My eyes are made of water
The song Grey Stone by Emily Portman evokes a sense of longing and connection to the water, inherited through generations. The first stanza introduces the singer's affinity for finding hidden places near the sea, and the proud acknowledgement of being her mother's daughter. The act of selecting a smooth grey stone and watching it disappear into the waves, followed by diving into the water, signifies an unshakable bond with the sea, a desire to merge with it.
The second stanza depicts the singer's mother, who is also yearning to be one with the water. She longs to be a skimming stone, to dip and dive away into the green and silver-grey, almost like an escape from her reality. She sings to the blue and silver-grey and walks down to the cold black sand, demonstrating her unrequited love for the sea, a place where her eyes truly belong.
The final verse has the singer finding something soft and silky, present from her mother, and slipping inside it. The lyrics are repetitive, emphasising the sense of belonging, but the final line - "my eyes are made of water" - is a beautifully poignant metaphor for the connection between the sea and ourselves.
Overall, Grey Stone is a beautiful tribute to the sea, its inherent link to the past, and how it shapes our identity in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
I find the pools and the hidden places
I seek out the less-traveled areas, the lesser-known opportunities.
I'm not scared of the sea faces
I am unafraid of the challenges of the open sea.
(being my mother's daughter)
(I inherited this trait from my mother.)
I choose a smooth grey skimming stone
I select a perfect oval-shaped piece of rock that I can hurl across the water.
Watch it vanish into the foam
I follow the stone as it skips out of sight.
And dive into the water
I jump into the water to retrieve it.
(dive into the water)
My mother says she's far from home
My mother speaks of her sense of displacement.
(how she sighs, how she cries)
(She is filled with sadness and longing.)
She longs to be a skimming stone
She yearns for the freedom and joy that comes from casting oneself out like a stone.
(and vanish in the water)
How she'd dip and dive away
How she would move up and down, in and out, happy and carefree.
Into the green and silver-grey
Into the depths of the ocean, where the light fades and colors blend.
Her eyes are on the water
Her focus is solely on the water in front of her.
(her eyes are on the water)
When the moon is dark she slips away
During the moonless nights, she disappears without a trace.
(how she sighs, how she cries)
(Her feelings are more pronounced than ever during these times.)
She sings to the blue and silver-grey
She sings to the spirits of the sea, whom she feels a kind of kinship with.
(ripples on the water)
She walks down to the cold black sand
She goes down to the beach, to the rough texture of the obsidian rock studding the sand.
Seals appear and kiss her hand
The playful, friendly creatures of the sea show her affection and seem to understand her better than any human ever could.
Her eyes are made of water
Her eyes are the same color as the sea and filled with the same depth of meaning.
(her eyes are made of water)
Oh mother, mother, look what I found
Look at this beautiful rock I discovered.
(soft and silky silver-grey)
(It's smooth and cool to the touch.)
Oh mother, mother, look what I found
I want you to share in the joy I feel in this moment.
(present from your daughter)
(A way of showing my love and appreciation for you.)
She took the skin and slipped inside
She slid into her own skin, like a seal or a mermaid.
How she sighed, how she cried
The magnitude of the experience was too much for her to handle.
Then dived into the water
Overcome with emotion, she submerged herself in the essence of what she loves.
(dived into the water)
(i-un-die, i-un-dor...)
I find the pools and the hidden places
I continue to seek out the lesser-known areas, constantly discovering new adventures.
I see her in the salt sea faces
I see my mother in the very essence of the sea, the place she loves best.
I choose a smooth grey skimming stone
I find comfort and joy in the same activity beloved by my mother.
Watch it vanish into the foam
I watch it skip across the water and out of sight.
My eyes are made of water
I, like my mother, am deeply connected to the sea and all the emotions it stirs in me.
Contributed by Caleb R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.