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.

Nightingale
Erland and the Carnival Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You built yourself a world inside the world
Where before was nothing but silence
Musical were [Incomprehensible]
And love was not forgiving, love was not forgiving
Like a shadow you just fly into the night
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
[Incomprehensible] nightingale

Sings so long [Incomprehensible]
You should only sing for me
As the world closes around you
As the world closes around you
Like a shadow you just fly into the night
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
Like a shadow you just fly into the night
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
Like a shadow you just fly into the night
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
Like a shadow you just fly into the night

Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered
Leaving me broke, leaving me shattered

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Erland and the Carnival’s song “Nightingale” depict the pain of unrequited love. The singer describes how the person he loves has built her world inside the world, where before was nothing but silence. He appreciates her world and believes that she has created it with great effort. However, despite the singer's admiration, his love is not returned. He compares himself to a shadow, as the person he loves flies away into the night, leaving him shattered and broken.

The song’s chorus refers to a nightingale, a bird known for its beautiful singing voice. The singer wants the nightingale to sing only for him, but he knows it will not happen. He feels that the world has closed in around him, and he is left alone to deal with his heartbreak. The song ends with the repetition of the metaphor of the shadow and the night as the singer clearly and painfully accepts that he has been left heartbroken.

Overall, this song depicts the universal feeling of unrequited love and the pain associated with it. The metaphor of the shadow and the night, along with the nightingale, adds to the feeling of sadness and loneliness.

Line by Line Meaning

You built yourself a world inside the world
You created a parallel reality within our own

Where before was nothing but silence
Where once there was only emptiness and quiet

Musical were [Incomprehensible]
Melodies and rhythms were the only sounds

And love was not forgiving, love was not forgiving
And love was unforgiving, unforgiving