Lead singer, Florence Welch, was an art-college drop-out, from Camberwell (London), who was discovered singing Motown covers in a nightclub toilet, drunk. ”The Machine” name originated with an in-joke between Welch and Summers. Musically, Florence + The Machine's sound is sometimes referred to as soul-inspired indie rock. Welch grew up listening to The White Stripes and Kate Bush and says she writes metaphorical songs that are "stories with consequences and weird morality issues."
2008
Florence + The Machine's music has received praise across the British music media, especially from the BBC, who played a large part in their rise to prominence, by bringing them into the spotlight as part of "BBC Introducing" (a program to support unsigned artists) - firstly at South By South West (SXSW) in Austin, Texas in March 2008 and later that year (Sept 2008) the band recorded a full session for the BBC at their Maida Vale studios.
2009 - 2010 - first awards and first studio album - "Lungs"
At the Brit Awards 2009, Florence + The Machine received the Critics' Choice Award at the Brits in the UK. The award was introduced in 2008 (when it was awarded to Adele) and focuses on new and emerging British talent, voted for by a panel of music industry experts.
The band's début album was "Lungs" (Jul 2009, Universal), preceded by third single Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (Jun 2009, Moshi Moshi). "Lungs" went on to become number one in the UK album charts in January 2010, and won the MasterCard British Album award at the 2010 Brits, where they performed a hugely popular collaboration, You've Got the Dirtee Love (live at The Brit Awards 2010) with Dizzee Rascal - a mix of You've Got the Love, the Candi Staton cover from "Dog Days Are Over" (Nov 2008, IAmSound), and Dizzee’s Dirtee Cash (Sept 2009, Dirtee Stank).
2011 - second studio album - "Ceremonials"
The second album "Ceremonials" (31 Oct 2011, Island) - with which Welch was inspired for the title and some themes from a '70s Super 8 film of an art installation, she recalls: "... this big procession of kind of coquette-style hippies and all these different coloured robes and masks, and it was all to do with colour, really saturated, brightly coloured pastas and balloons. I saw it a couple years ago, and it was called 'Ceremonials' and then, like, Roman numerals after it. And the word sort of stuck with me, and I think the whole idea of performance ...". The album is also influenced by hymns, poems and church bells.
2012 - MTV Unplugged album - "MTV Unplugged"
In 2012, the band released a live album - "MTV Unplugged" (Apr 2012, Universal) - as part of the MTV Unplugged series. It was filmed in December 2011 in New York’s oldest synagogue building, Angel Orensanz Center, with the band being backed by a ten-person choir.
2015 - third studio album - "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful"
The band's long awaited third studio album is called "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful". It was released on May 29, 2015 on Island Records.
2018 - fourth studio album - "High As Hope"
The band's fourth studio album is called "High As Hope". It was released on June 29, 2018 on Republic Records.
Delilah
Florence %2B The Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Holding on for your call)
Climbing up the walls for that flashing light
(I can never let go)
'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine
(Holding on for your call)
'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine
(Maybe not tonight)
Now, the sun is up and I'm going blind
(Holding on for your call)
Another drink just to pass the time
(I can never say no)
'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine
(Holding on for your call)
'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine
(But maybe not tonight)
It's a different kind of danger
And the bells are ringing out
And I'm calling for my mother
As I pull the pillars down
It's a different kind of danger
And my feet are spinning 'round
Never knew I was a dancer
Till Delilah showed me how
Too fast for freedom
Sometimes it all falls down
These chains never leave me
I keep dragging them around
Now I'm dancing with Delilah and her vision is mine
(Holding on for your call)
A different kind of danger in the daylight
(I can never let go)
Took anything to cut you, I can find
(Holding on for your call)
A different kind of a danger in the daylight
(Can't you let me know)?
Now, it's one more boy and it's one more lie
(Holding on for your call)
Taking the pills just to pass the time
(I can never say no)
I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine
(Holding on for your call)
'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine
(But maybe not tonight)
It's a different kind of danger
And the bells are ringing out
And I'm calling for my mother
As I pull the pillars down
It's a different kind of danger
And my feet are spinning 'round
Never knew I was a dancer
Till Delilah showed me how
Now I'm dancing with Delilah and her vision is mine
(Holding on for your call)
A different kind of danger in the daylight
(I can never let go)
Took anything to cut you, I can find
(Holding on for your call)
A different kind of a danger in the daylight
(Can't you let me know)?
Strung up, strung out for your love
Hanging, hung up, it's so rough
I'm wrung and ringing out
Why can't you let me know?
Strung up, strung out for your love
Hanging, hung up, it's so rough
I'm wrung and ringing out
Why can't you let me know?
It's a different kind of danger
And the bells are ringing out
And I'm calling for my mother
As I pull the pillars down
It's a different kind of danger
And my feet are spinning 'round
Never knew I was a dancer
Till Delilah showed me how
It's a different kind of danger
And the bells are ringing out
And I'm calling for my mother
As I pull the pillars down
It's a different kind of danger
And my feet are spinning 'round
Never knew I was a dancer
Till Delilah showed me how
Too fast for freedom
Sometimes it all falls down
These chains never leave me
I keep dragging them around
Too fast for freedom
Sometimes it all falls down
These chains never leave me
I keep dragging them around
The lyrics of Florence + The Machine's song Delilah are about addiction and the struggles of breaking free from it. The singer is drifting through life, waiting for a call that may never come, and drowning in alcohol to pass the time. She believes that someday she will be free, but that may not happen tonight. She then describes the feeling of being consumed by a different kind of danger, where she hears the bells ringing and spirals out of control as if she is battling with herself. The singer then laments about not being able to escape the chains of addiction, even though she desperately wants to be free.
The metaphor of Delilah is referring to the seductive and dangerous temptation of addiction, consuming the singer's life until she is spinning out of control, unable to stop. The following verse also speaks of the pills and boys, which further reinforce the message of the song. The singer is wrung and ringing out, asking for someone to help her break free.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm drifting through the halls with the sunrise
I'm wandering aimlessly through the morning, waiting for your call
Climbing up the walls for that flashing light
I'm going crazy trying to reach out to you, desperate for your attention
'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine
I keep telling myself that I'll be okay without you, but I'm holding onto the hope that you'll come back to me
Now, the sun is up and I'm going blind
I'm losing myself in the daylight, becoming blinded by my own thoughts and feelings
Another drink just to pass the time
I'm drowning my pain and boredom with alcohol
It's a different kind of danger
This situation is dangerous in a way that I've never experienced before
And the bells are ringing out
This danger is coming to a head and I can feel it all around me
And I'm calling for my mother
I'm searching for comfort and safety in a hopeless situation
As I pull the pillars down
I'm tearing apart my life and everything I know in my desperation to make sense of my feelings
Never knew I was a dancer, Till Delilah showed me how
I never realized how free and alive I could feel until I started living my life recklessly with Delilah
Took anything to cut you, I can find
I'm willing to do anything to get over you, but nothing seems to work
Now, it's one more boy and it's one more lie
I keep making the same mistakes over and over again, chasing after meaningless relationships
Taking the pills just to pass the time
I'm numbing myself with prescription drugs to avoid facing my real problems
Strung up, strung out for your love
I'm completely hooked on the idea of you and can't get you out of my head
Hanging, hung up, it's so rough
This obsession is tearing me apart and I can't shake it no matter how hard I try
These chains never leave me, I keep dragging them around
The pain and weight of my past mistakes and regrets are always with me, no matter how hard I try to move on
Why can't you let me know?
I wish you would reach out to me and tell me how you feel, so I can finally move on from this deadlock
Contributed by Chase C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.