Emmy the Great is the stage name of London-based singer-songwriter Emma-Lee… Read Full Bio ↴Emmy the Great is the stage name of London-based singer-songwriter Emma-Lee Moss (born in 1984 in Hong Kong). Her albums include First Love (2009), Virtue (2011) and Second Love (2016).

Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother and was into music from a young age. She emigrated with her family to London at the age of 12.

Moss started performing in 2005 and her first release was the Secret Circus EP the following year.

In 2007 Moss performed with Lightspeed Champion, alongside Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine) . She has also played with Noah and the Whale. She has not been a permanent member of either line up.

After a series of further singles and EPs, Moss' début full album First Love (Close Harbour) was released in February 2009. The album was ranked by The New York Times at #7 in their list of "Best Albums of the Year 2009."

Moss' band has included Euan Hinshelwood (of Younghusband) and Tom Rogerson (of Three Trapped Tigers).

Moss' second album, Virtue, was released on 13 June 2011. It started out as a third person project, however, the religious conversion of her fiancé and their subsequent break-up inspired her to take a personal approach towards her song-writing.

Iris
Emmy the Great Lyrics

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There is a radiance, usually afforded to a source of light
Vomiting gradients
Beaming all around you as you walk tonight
Oh tell me Iris
What if the sight of you could take my eyes?

Princess Impermanent
Princess Always Looking for the next Result

And when they serve you it,
Don't you always wish that you had something else?
So indeterminate, So unobtainable, it must be hell
That you should burn for it, and not exactly know its face
But it's something like a feeling

And oh, When you're hoping to know
What you wanted to know
But oh, But it comes and it goes
But it comes and it goes
I'll help you find the word for it

And Iris, Cancel all the things
Cancel all the things you had to do
If you're an island,I will find some meaning in the waves for you
Until the light coming out of the coves
Coming out of the coves
It falls like life
Filling into the deep blue
Don't you know that I see you, now
Like for the first time without eyelids?

And oh, When you're hoping to know
What you wanted to know
But oh, But it sticks in the throat
But it sticks in the throat
I'll help you find a word for it
I'll give you something to believe in

Cause there has to be a word for this
Or it would only be a feeing

Overall Meaning

The song Iris by Emmy the Great revolves around the concept of longing and desiring something that is unattainable. The first stanza describes the radiant aura that accompanies the subject of the song, but also implies a sense of unfulfilled desire. The use of the metaphor "vomiting gradients" suggests the overwhelming nature of this radiance that consumes the singer, while "what if the sight of you could take my eyes" points to the intensity of the feeling and its potential blinding force. The second verse creates an image of a "Princess Impermanent" who is always searching for the next thing to grasp, feeling indifferent and lackluster towards what is already in her possession. The use of the term "indeterminate" further cements the idea of inaccessibility, something that cannot be clearly defined but looms over the singer's head nonetheless.

The chorus is where the singer offers their aid to Iris in finding a suitable expression for what they both feel. The repetition of "oh" at the beginning of the phrases creates a sense of urgency and frustration, emphasizing the need for understanding. The idea of canceling all the things that need to be done also adds to this idea of immediacy and the importance of the moment. The bridge creates an image of the singer stumbling upon Iris in a lonely, almost mystical setting, where they see her for the first time without the veil of their own expectations. The use of the metaphor "like life filling into a deep blue" creates a sense of transcendence and growth. In the end, the need to find words for elusive emotions is reinforced once more as the singer offers comfort and a sense of belief in the possibility of identifying and understanding the feeling that lurks in the background.

Line by Line Meaning

There is a radiance, usually afforded to a source of light
You radiate an energy associated with a source of light.

Vomiting gradients
Radiating light in various shades and hues.

Beaming all around you as you walk tonight
You shine brightly in your movements.

Oh tell me Iris
The artist addresses Iris and asks her a question.

What if the sight of you could take my eyes?
Your beauty is dazzling and could even cause blindness.

Princess Impermanent
Iris is a temporary and fleeting figure in the singer's life.

Princess Always Looking for the next Result
Iris is always searching for the next thing without ever being content.

And when they serve you it,
Iris is always given things, but never fully satisfied.

Don't you always wish that you had something else?
You are never content with what you have.

So indeterminate, So unobtainable, it must be hell
The feeling of always wanting something else must be torturous.

That you should burn for it, and not exactly know its face
The desire for something is overwhelming, but it’s not clear what it is you actually want.

But it's something like a feeling
The feeling is hard to define.

And oh, When you're hoping to know What you wanted to know
The singer sympathizes with Iris's search for understanding.

But oh, But it comes and it goes
Answers are fleeting and transitory.

I'll help you find the word for it
The singer promises to help Iris find clarity.

And Iris, Cancel all the things Cancel all the things you had to do
The artist encourages Iris to pause and take a break from her constant search.

If you're an island,I will find some meaning in the waves for you
If you feel like an isolated island, the artist will help you find some meaning in the world around you.

Until the light coming out of the coves Coming out of the coves It falls like life Filling into the deep blue
The world is full of beauty and possibility if we can let go of our constant search for something else.

Don't you know that I see you, now Like for the first time without eyelids?
The singer sees Iris for who she is, unencumbered by preconceived notions.

But oh, But it sticks in the throat
Answers can be hard to accept or articulate.

I'll give you something to believe in
The artist offers Iris hope and faith in the unknown.

Cause there has to be a word for this Or it would only be a feeling
There must be a name for the undefinable feeling, otherwise it will remain only a feeling.

Contributed by Olivia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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