Erland and the Carnival are a London, UK folk rock band, formed by multi-in… Read Full Bio ↴Erland and the Carnival are a London, UK folk rock band, formed by multi-instrumentalist Simon Tong (formerly of the the The Verve / Blur / The Good, the Bad & the Queen), Erland Cooper (Orkney Islander - guitars / vocals), David Nock (drums / engineering - recently worked with Paul McCartney & The Fireman). Other members inc: Andy Bruce, Georgia Sands & Danny Wheeler.

After Erland recorded a track –‘Coming Home’ produced by Nock for Tongs Butterfly recordings compilation- “What the folk vol2”- the three of them began writing and playing together around London. Following in the path of Pentangle, The Trees and early Fairport they decided to form their group entitled “Erland and the Carnival.”

Carnival are best known for their contemporary arrangements of traditional Scottish and English folk songs, including Sally Free and Easy, The Parting Glass, Was You Ever See and Love Is a Killing Thing collected by Ralph Vaughn Williams. The band have just finished recording their debut album at Damon Albarns Studio, 13 and have released material, independently, through various collaborative projects.

The band's name comes from the Jackson C Frank song My Name is Carnival after the band recorded their own version of the song from his album Blues Run the Game. They are inspired by the likes of super folk groups Pentangle and Fairport Convention.

Sites: Discogs.

Emmeline
Erland and the Carnival Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Emmeline has not been seen for more than a week
She slipped in between
The two tall trees at the end of the green
We all went after her, Emmeline

Go, go, be on your own, be on your own
Go alone, dance with the soil [Incomprehensible]
Emmeline, what did you see? What did you see?

Emmeline, you slipped in between, you slipped in between

Emmeline came slipping between
The two tall trees at the end of the green
We all ran up to her, Emmeline
Oh, where have you been, Emmeline?

Go, go, be on your own, be on your own
Go alone, dance with the soil [Incomprehensible]

Emmeline, what did you see? What did you see?
Emmeline, you slipped in between, you slipped in between

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Erland and the Carnival's song Emmeline talk about a girl named Emmeline who disappears one day, slipping in between two tall trees at the end of the green. The song expresses the worry and concern of the people who knew her and went after her to try and find her. Despite their search, more than a week has passed and she has not been seen since. The chorus urges Emmeline to go on her own, to dance with the soil and experience life on her own terms. At the same time, it asks her what she saw when she slipped away, and wonders what could have caused her to do so.

The lyrics give a feeling of mystery and intrigue, leaving the listener with unanswered questions about what happened to Emmeline. They also highlight the importance of individuality and the need for people to explore and experience life in their own way. The repetition of the chorus suggests a desire for Emmeline to find herself and return to share her experiences with the people who care about her. Ultimately, the song captures the complexity of human relationships and the unknown mysteries that lie within us all.

Line by Line Meaning

Emmeline has not been seen for more than a week
Emmeline has been missing for over a week and no one knows where she is.

She slipped in between
Emmeline went through a narrow passage or gap.

The two tall trees at the end of the green
The narrow passage or gap that Emmeline went through was between two tall trees located at the end of a green area.

We all went after her, Emmeline
People went to search for Emmeline when they noticed she was missing.

Go, go, be on your own, be on your own
Encouragement to a person to live their life independently and without interference from others.

Go alone, dance with the soil [Incomprehensible]
Encouragement to a person to spend time alone and connect with nature.

Emmeline, what did you see? What did you see?
Asking Emmeline for an explanation of where she had been and what she had been doing during the time she was missing.

Emmeline, you slipped in between, you slipped in between
Repeating the fact that Emmeline went through a narrow passage or gap.

Emmeline came slipping between
Emmeline returned through the same narrow passage or gap where she had disappeared.

Oh, where have you been, Emmeline?
Asking Emmeline for an explanation of where she had been during the time she was missing.

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

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS