At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from small town Harriston, Ontario on her own to Toronto, where she began singing at open-mic nights, a journey that in 1997 led to a meeting with the president of EMI Publishing Canada, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he was moved to set up and finance recording sessions with Doc, a guitarist and studio engineer. Their debut album, Breath from Another, was released to critical acclaim in 1998 and is widely seen as one of the more accessible albums of the trip-hop genre.
Though she remained active following the moderate success of the debut album, featuring on tracks by such artists as Nelly Furtado and The Black Eyed Peas, it would take over 7 years for a proper follow-up to be released (due to a confluence of factors that included a lengthy creative process, the closure of the WORK record label and marketing delays) in the form of 2005's Wikked Lil Grrrls, an album that crossed genre boundaries with its heavy debt to jazz and hip-hop. The album was preceded in 2004 by a pair of EPs, The O.G. Bitch Remixes (with the title song reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart) and We R In Need of a Musical Revolution, which served as a preview of the full length album.
After the release of Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero devoted an increasing amount of time to songwriting and production, with her work featuring on albums by Brandy and Kanye West (most prominently on West's single Love Lockdown).
2012 saw the release of Esthero's third full-length album, Everything is Expensive (Universal Music Canada), preceded by the release of Never Gonna Let You Go as the lead single and video. The album was partially funded through a campaign on PledgeMusic in which backers could choose from exclusives such as artwork by the singer. Everything is Expensive debuted on Billboard's Heatseeker chart at #13.
Official Websites
www.esthero.net
Swallow Me
Esthero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soothing rhythms stoked the fire in my belly
Music is the man that made a woman out of me
The purest voices call to me, deafening as the cry of ten thousand babies
Music was the lamb that made a lion out of me
Long as I have my voice, I don't need arms to hold
I never need arms to hold me
Swallow me
Recognizing, realizing
Recognize between the lines of what you feel and what you be
You can be so lost and so found
Oh, deep inside of me
Swallow me
The composition fractured me
Yet, I pieced into the girl I long to be
When I fall apart, that's when the notes will swallow me
Long as I have my voice, I don't need arms to hold
Long as you have your voice, you don't need arms to hold
You'll never need arms to hold you
You'll never need arms to hold me
Recognizing, realizing
Recognize between the lines of what you feel and what you be
You can be so lost and so found
Oh, deep inside of me
Swallow me
Recognize, realize, utilizing
Swallow me
Utilize, recognize
Realize in you and me, and these arms belong to you
It's all inside of you, it's all inside of me
You look, but you don't see
It's deep inside of you, and deep inside of me
Swallow me
In "Swallow Me", Esthero muses on the transformative power of music in her life. She speaks of how it has molded and shaped her personality; transforming her from a lamb to a lion. The song begins with Esthero talking about how the slowest and most soothing melodies have coated her and set her spirit aflame, evoking feelings of comfort and calm. She acknowledges music as the force that made a woman out of her, going further to describe how it always calls to her with purity and intensity, even amidst a crying baby's ten-thousand-loud wail. Here Esthero suggests that music has the power to overpower even the loudest and strongest of worldly cries.
The idea of needing arms to hold is a significant theme in this song. She sings of how she needs only her voice to keep her composed, just like we've been told that we need someone to hold us or lean on. Her vocals and the music swallow her, making her feel complete and whole. The song's outro is a repetition of the theme of recognizing, realizing, and utilizing. She ends the song by telling the listeners that it's all inside them, the same way it's all inside of her- being in tune with yourself is a vital step in the utilization of the power of music.
Line by Line Meaning
The slowest melodies coated me
The slow, soothing music enveloped me and affected me deeply.
Soothing rhythms stoked the fire in my belly
The relaxing rhythms stirred up a passion and drive inside of me.
Music is the man that made a woman out of me
Music has influenced and shaped my identity as a woman.
The purest voices call to me, deafening as the cry of ten thousand babies
The most honest and powerful music speaks to me like nothing else, overwhelming me like the cries of many children.
Music was the lamb that made a lion out of me
The gentle nature of music has transformed me into a fierce and strong individual.
Long as I have my voice, I don't need arms to hold
I have the strength and resilience to stand on my own, without relying on the comfort of others.
I never need arms to hold me
I am capable of finding comfort and solace within myself, without depending on anyone else.
Swallow me
Allow me to become fully immersed and consumed by the power of the music.
Recognizing, realizing
Coming to a place of understanding and awareness.
Recognize between the lines of what you feel and what you be
Differentiate between your emotions and your true self.
You can be so lost and so found
You have the capacity to feel both incredibly adrift and completely grounded at the same time.
Oh, deep inside of me
These realizations and emotions are coming from a deep, internal place within oneself.
The composition fractured me
The intricacies and complexities of the music have challenged and broken me down.
Yet, I pieced into the girl I long to be
Despite the challenges, I have been able to put myself back together and become the person I aspire to be.
When I fall apart, that's when the notes will swallow me
In moments of struggle and turmoil, the music has the power to completely envelop me.
Utilize, recognize
Make use of and acknowledge the power and depth of the music.
Realize in you and me, and these arms belong to you
Recognize that the power of music exists within all of us, and we have the ability to find comfort within ourselves.
It's all inside of you, it's all inside of me
The beauty and strength of music is within everyone.
You look, but you don't see
Although music is ever present, many people fail to truly understand and appreciate its value.
Swallow me
Allow me to fully immerse myself in the power of the music, and be consumed by its beauty and depth.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Daniel Mc Kinney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lushluxesubs
The slowest melodies coated me
Soothing rhythms stoked the fire in my belly
Music is the man that made a woman out of me
The purest voices call to me, deafening as the cry of 10, 000 babies
Music was the lamb that made a lion out of me
Long as I have my voice, I don't need arms to hold
I never need arms to hold me, swallow me
Recognizing, realizing
Recognize between the lines of what you feel and what you be
You can be so lost and so found
Oh, deep inside of me, swallow me
The composition fractured me
Yet I pieced into the girl I long to be
When I fall apart that's when the notes will swallow me
Long as I have my voice, I don't need arms to hold
Long as you have your voice, you don't need arms to hold
You'll never need arms to hold you
You'll never need arms to hold me
Recognizing, realizing
Recognize between the lines of what you feel and what you be
You can be so lost and so found
Oh, deep inside of me, swallow me
Recognize, realize, utilizing
Oh, swallow me
Utilize, recognize, realize in you and me and these arms belong to you
It's all inside of you, it's all inside of me
You look but you don't see, it's deep inside of you, deep inside of me
Swallow me
@tasha1985
This song is addicting ass 🔥that beat, flick of that harp, violin in background, skip of drums, melody, her tone, lyrics omg. Damn. its unreal perfection.
@swervezeroindefinite8
🤣☝️
@user-cn1cb5mr6d
@swervezero indefinite babes just say you have no taste and move on with your sad life 😕
@heyanna4689
No seriously
@laced1273
If her music cant open your mind.......Nothing will...Long Live ESTHERO!
@happywithdrawal
my mom used to play this on car rides at night when i was very young. to this day it still makes me sleepy with nostalgia. love you mama <3
@Snowkitten707
Esthero is truly amazing - I've seen her in concert - a small venue in Cambridge, MA - she was amazing! One of the best concerts I've ever seen. She's one of those artists who everyone wants that they produce more but they don't. Because she knows what she's worth but she cares more about the music than the money. She's a true artist.
@endokuken1678
The instrumentation in this song is so top notch!
@Lovedasyouare1
i have cried soooo many tears to this song.Tears of love.Music and Sound is the Creator
@morpheuswick4790
That is So Deep and Profound.......oooh and 1,000,000% TRUTH!! Thank you for posting this!