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.
Paper Forest
Emmy the Great Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Falling in nobody's eyes but mine
The birds were closing in again, I try
To fight them back and find my way outside
Squinting like a newborn in the light
I walk for like an hour, maybe five
You're the only reason that I might find
My way, out here tonight
I came here when the road was very dry
The road was dry as paper so I typed
And in the accident of hands producing lines
I hope to clear the birds away and give them flight
And when you clear the birds away you see the sky
And when you see the sky you know which way to tread
And I think you're the only reason
That I might, might, might
Illuminate the text
So I can see to where the grass is really bright, bright, bright
Meet you there and know which way to step
Oh my love you're always further than I'd like
Always moving just ahead of me like time
And it isn't that I want to fall behind
And it isn't that I don't know how to love
But the world is made of paper so I type
I write but I could never write enough
Now I can see to where the grass is really bright, bright, bright
But I don't know if I'll ever make it out
And all the birds are falling limbless from the sky
Falling in nobody's eyes but mine
And I'm squinting like a newborn in the light
Squinting like a newborn in the light
Of a paper forest starting to ignite
Of a paper forest burning out of sight
And I think you're the only reason
You're the reason, you're the reason
The reason for the fire
Oh
Let these paper forests burn and burn until they're down
Maybe then the birds will herd, emerge and lead you out
Let these paper forests burn and burn until they're down
Maybe then the birds will herd, emerge and lead you out
The song "Paper Forest" by Emmy the Great tells a story of being lost in what feels like a fabricated world. The first two stanzas describe a surreal setting in which the birds are falling from the sky, but only the singer seems to notice. She is trying to find her way out but experiences difficulty in the foreign place. The third and fourth stanzas reveal that the singer has come to this place to write because the world she knows is made of paper. She writes to clear the birds away so they can fly, see the sky, and find their way. The singer then reveals that she feels left behind by her love who is always moving ahead of her. She believes that only with her love's help can she see the true brightness of the world outside the "paper forest."
Line by Line Meaning
The birds were falling limbless from the sky
Birds were falling from the sky with no hope, with no one to see but me
Falling in nobody's eyes but mine
There was no one there to help me, and no one else could see the tragedy
The birds were closing in again, I try
The birds are returning to attack again, as I try to overcome them
To fight them back and find my way outside
I try to fend off the birds and find a way out of this place
Squinting like a newborn in the light
I am blinded by the bright light, like a newborn baby experiencing the world for the first time
I walk for like an hour, maybe five
I am walking for what seems like hours on end, trying to find a way out
You're the only reason that I might find
You are the only reason I have hope that I will find a way out of this place
My way, out here tonight
I need to find my way out of here, tonight
I came here when the road was very dry
I came here during a time when everything seemed hopeless and dry
The road was dry as paper so I typed
The conditions I was in were so dry and brittle, it was like typing on paper
And in the accident of hands producing lines
By chance, my hands started to create something, lines of text
I hope to clear the birds away and give them flight
Through my writing, I hope to remove the obstacles in front of me and give the birds the freedom to fly
And when you clear the birds away you see the sky
Once the obstacles are removed, you can see clearly and know where to go
And when you see the sky you know which way to tread
Once you have clarity, you can make your way forward
And I think you're the only reason
I believe that you are the only thing keeping me from giving up
That I might, might, might
That I might find a way to succeed
Illuminate the text
Bring light to the words I have written
So I can see to where the grass is really bright, bright, bright
So I can see where the good things are in my life
Meet you there and know which way to step
Once I find the good things, I will know where to go and what to do
Oh my love you're always further than I'd like
My love, you're always just out of reach
Always moving just ahead of me like time
You're always advancing towards your goals, just like time advances forward
And it isn't that I want to fall behind
It's not that I am not willing to follow you, I just can't keep up
And it isn't that I don't know how to love
It's not that I don't know how to love or care for you
But the world is made of paper so I type
The world is fragile, and I try to make sense of it through writing
I write but I could never write enough
I try to capture everything I am feeling, but it is never enough
Now I can see to where the grass is really bright, bright, bright
Now I can see the good in the world and in my life
But I don't know if I'll ever make it out
I still don't know if I'll be able to free myself from the obstacles
And all the birds are falling limbless from the sky
The birds are falling helplessly, and I am the only one there to see it
Falling in nobody's eyes but mine
The tragedy of the birds falling is something only I am able to witness
And I'm squinting like a newborn in the light
I am overwhelmed and blinded by what I see
Of a paper forest starting to ignite
The world around me is starting to burn, to fall apart
Of a paper forest burning out of sight
The fragile world around me is disappearing before my eyes
And I think you're the only reason
It's you who keeps me going, who keeps me hoping
You're the reason, you're the reason
It's all because of you, and how much you mean to me
The reason for the fire
You are what keeps me going, even in the face of disaster
Let these paper forests burn and burn until they're down
Let everything negative burn and disappear, until there's nothing left
Maybe then the birds will herd, emerge and lead you out
Once the bad things are gone, the good things will come forward and guide me to safety
Let these paper forests burn and burn until they're down
Let everything negative burn and disappear, until there's nothing left
Maybe then the birds will herd, emerge and lead you out
Once the negative things are gone, the positive things will come forward and lead me to freedom
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Mute Song Limited, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: EMMA MOSS, EUAN HINSHELWOOD, GARETH GRIFFITH-JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stefansalvatore4103
Lyrics
You're not unlucky, you're just not very smart
These things will never leave you
They're as close as you can get
To a blueprint for the future
But you can call it fate
It's like these days I have to write down
Almost every thought I've held
So scared I am becoming
Of forgetting how it felt
And these fears, they will unravel me one day
But still I am afraid
But I'm blessed
Just to be, more or less
Standing in the afterglow of rapture
With the words the rapture left
Now you're blessed amongst all women
Now a man who's very good
He tells you how you feel
Until your life is understood
And he leads you through it arm-in-arm
As though there was a map to guide the way
And now you write because you love him
Now you write because he's kind
You write so much, you look up
And you've wrote yourself behind
And you're standing in a labyrinth of paper
And the map has been erased
But you're blessed
Just to be, more or less
Standing in the afterglow of rapture
With the words the rapture left
Are you blessed?
Just to be, more or less
Now you're standing in the afterglow of rapture
But there is no rapture left
Oh come and we will celebrate
The things that make us real
The things that break us open
And the things that make us feel
Like, these accidental meetings up and partings of the way
Are not so much our choice, but in the blood of how we're made
It's like the way I have to write down almost everything I see
So that the record does obscure the thing the record used to be
And I know I'm not unlucky
I was just born this way
But I'm blessed
And a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles
The baby born with teeth looks at its mother and it smiles
And we all fall down as the wind blows through the paper forest
And a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles
Alarm clock fingers turn
They're counting seconds like they're miles
And you say 'Wake up now, cause I can see no paper forest'
@dinhnguyenanhthu
You're not unlucky, you're just not very smart
These things will never leave you - they're as close as you can get
To a blueprint for the future - but you can call it fate
It's like these days I have to write down almost every thought I've held
So scared I am becoming of forgetting how it felt
And these fears they will unravel me one day
But still I am afraid
But I'm blessed -
Just to be, more or less -
Standing in the afterglow of rapture with the words the rapture left
Oh blessed -
Just to be, more or less -
Standing in the afterglow of rapture with the words the rapture left
Now you're blessed amongst all women
Now a man who's very good
He tells you how you feel until your life is understood
And he leads you through it arm in arm as though
There was a map to guide the way
Now you write because you love him, now you write because he's kind
You write so much, you look up and you wrote yourself behind
And you're standing in a labyrinth of paper and the map has been erased
But you're blessed -
Just to be, more or less -
Standing in the afterglow of rapture with the words the rapture left
Are you blessed?
Just to be, more or less?
Now you're standing in the afterglow of rapture, but there is no rapture left
Oh come, and we will celebrate the things that make us real
The things that break us open, and the things that make us feel
Like these accidental meetings up and partings of the way
Are not so much our choice but in the blood of how we're made
It's like the way I have to write down almost everything I see
So that the record does obscure the thing the record used to be
And I know I'm not unlucky
I was just born this way
But I'm blessed
Now a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles
The baby born with teeth looks at its mother and it smiles
And we all fall down
Like wind blows through the paper forest
And a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles
The baby born with teeth looks at its mother and smiles
And we all fall down
As wind blows through the paper forest.s
And a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisle
Alarm clock fingers turn they're counting seconds like they're miles
And you say, "wake up now, 'cause I can see no paper forest."
@Chiara_Elena
Okay, here's my interpretation of the lyrics:
"You're not unlucky, you're just not very smart.
These things will never leave you - they're as close as you can get
To a blueprint for the future - but you can call it fate."
To me this refers to most people's lives and their perception of it. We may expect something special out of life, only to be disappointed by the realization that our achievements are generally quite average. We may say "Hey, that's unlucky, I know I've had more potential", but that's not true. We just weren't smart enough to make more out of it, but that's okay. Sometimes your possiblities are limited by default. You can't change anything about that, so you may as well call it fate.
"It's like these days I have to write down almost every thought I've held,
So scared I am becoming of forgetting how it felt"
She's capturing every memory to make her not forget about it, thus creating the paper forest.
"But I'm blessed -
Just to be, more or less -
Standing in the afterglow of rapture with the words the rapture left."
Even though life isn't perfect and may feel like it wasn't always lived to the fullest, she sings to herself that she's blessed. 'More or less', because sometimes she's not too sure about it herself. The song is a way to convince and remind herself of it, nonetheless. Remembering the rapture / the good times is what's important.
"Now you're blessed amongst all women,
Now a man who's very good,
He tells you how you feel until your life is understood,
And he leads you through it arm in arm as though
There was a map to guide the way.
Now you write because you love him, now you write because he's kind,
You write so much, you look up and you wrote yourself behind,
And you're standing in a labyrinth of paper and the map has been erased."
She met a man who was everything to her. She relied on him as he guided her through life. Things probably weren't always that good, but she was so caught up in her writings (= dwelling on good memories) that she didn't realize when things went downhill. In the end, the man has left her and the "map" that he guided her with is suddenly erased. She feels lost.
"Are you blessed?
Just to be, more or less?
Now you're standing in the afterglow of rapture, but there is no rapture left."
It is now a question. The afterglow of rapture was a blessing. But still, "afterglow" also means the rapture is gone and it's waking her doubts about how blessed she really is.
"Oh come, and we will celebrate the things that make us real,
The things that break us open, and the things that make us feel
Like these accidental meetings up and partings of the way
Are not so much our choice but in the blood of how we're made"
In the end, she decides that even the bad stuff is something to celebrate. Some things just can't be changed and that's okay. We need to accept it as that's what makes us human.
"Now a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles,
The baby born with teeth looks at its mother and it smiles"
To me, the paper forest holds two meanings. It's the soothing accumulation of good memories, but it can easily transform into the "labyrinth of paper" where you get lost and don't grasp onto reality.
Here, I think she refers to the good meaning, as in beautiful memories being created at the most common places. It's in the simple things, like a baby smiling at its mother in a supermarket aisle.
"Alarm clock fingers turn they're counting seconds like they're miles
And you say, "wake up now, 'cause I can see no paper forest."
I still don't know how to feel about the last two lines. It may be a positive ending, as she realizes how she wants to create a new paper forest for herself, thus capturing new good memories to dwell on and enjoy life.
But it may also mean that all her good memories have faded and she's left with nothing but the cruel reality that her present life is. If you've read until this point, what do you think?
@ManinManchester
You hit the spot with the melody every time and the lyrics are poetry. You are awaited expectantly in all corners of the land.
@pearlyp9898
This is such a beautiful song, I especially adore the way 'blessed' is sung, it just sends you such a light and hopeful vibe, like rain clouds opening up to sunlight after a storm :>
@stefansalvatore4103
Lyrics
You're not unlucky, you're just not very smart
These things will never leave you
They're as close as you can get
To a blueprint for the future
But you can call it fate
It's like these days I have to write down
Almost every thought I've held
So scared I am becoming
Of forgetting how it felt
And these fears, they will unravel me one day
But still I am afraid
But I'm blessed
Just to be, more or less
Standing in the afterglow of rapture
With the words the rapture left
Now you're blessed amongst all women
Now a man who's very good
He tells you how you feel
Until your life is understood
And he leads you through it arm-in-arm
As though there was a map to guide the way
And now you write because you love him
Now you write because he's kind
You write so much, you look up
And you've wrote yourself behind
And you're standing in a labyrinth of paper
And the map has been erased
But you're blessed
Just to be, more or less
Standing in the afterglow of rapture
With the words the rapture left
Are you blessed?
Just to be, more or less
Now you're standing in the afterglow of rapture
But there is no rapture left
Oh come and we will celebrate
The things that make us real
The things that break us open
And the things that make us feel
Like, these accidental meetings up and partings of the way
Are not so much our choice, but in the blood of how we're made
It's like the way I have to write down almost everything I see
So that the record does obscure the thing the record used to be
And I know I'm not unlucky
I was just born this way
But I'm blessed
And a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles
The baby born with teeth looks at its mother and it smiles
And we all fall down as the wind blows through the paper forest
And a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles
Alarm clock fingers turn
They're counting seconds like they're miles
And you say 'Wake up now, cause I can see no paper forest'
@volkor360
No sĂ© si Emmy leerá esto o alguien,pero actualmente para mĂ esto es mĂşsica original,mĂşsica artĂstica,transmite energĂa de sentimiento y tiene un pudor bastante fuerte,muchas gracias a ti amigo o amiga lectora ten un excelente dĂa! :D
@MrSanjaJazz
The dancing Daphne is so inspiring! And a very good actress. She kept me smile all the time except for the end when she made me cry
@dakotamillwee4963
I used to feel so very connected to music and one day (I cannot pinpoint the exact day, it tends to be blurry in reflecting) it simply disconnected. Emotions and music became two very different places, a venn diagram if you will with an overlapping circle that got thinner and thinner. This song has placed every circle upon the other. I'm submerged in how it feels to be what I used to feel <3 Thank you Emmy The Great
@ka4426
so many of her songs give me goosebumps
@dinhnguyenanhthu
You're not unlucky, you're just not very smart
These things will never leave you - they're as close as you can get
To a blueprint for the future - but you can call it fate
It's like these days I have to write down almost every thought I've held
So scared I am becoming of forgetting how it felt
And these fears they will unravel me one day
But still I am afraid
But I'm blessed -
Just to be, more or less -
Standing in the afterglow of rapture with the words the rapture left
Oh blessed -
Just to be, more or less -
Standing in the afterglow of rapture with the words the rapture left
Now you're blessed amongst all women
Now a man who's very good
He tells you how you feel until your life is understood
And he leads you through it arm in arm as though
There was a map to guide the way
Now you write because you love him, now you write because he's kind
You write so much, you look up and you wrote yourself behind
And you're standing in a labyrinth of paper and the map has been erased
But you're blessed -
Just to be, more or less -
Standing in the afterglow of rapture with the words the rapture left
Are you blessed?
Just to be, more or less?
Now you're standing in the afterglow of rapture, but there is no rapture left
Oh come, and we will celebrate the things that make us real
The things that break us open, and the things that make us feel
Like these accidental meetings up and partings of the way
Are not so much our choice but in the blood of how we're made
It's like the way I have to write down almost everything I see
So that the record does obscure the thing the record used to be
And I know I'm not unlucky
I was just born this way
But I'm blessed
Now a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles
The baby born with teeth looks at its mother and it smiles
And we all fall down
Like wind blows through the paper forest
And a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisles
The baby born with teeth looks at its mother and smiles
And we all fall down
As wind blows through the paper forest.s
And a paper forest grows up in the supermarket aisle
Alarm clock fingers turn they're counting seconds like they're miles
And you say, "wake up now, 'cause I can see no paper forest."
@rad941205
emmy you are amazing thank you for blessing us with your music x
@gallusmacclure4107
Love that chorus! Quality song, awesome job.