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.
Rabbit Heart
Florence %2B the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How quickly the glamour fades
I start spinning, slipping out of time
Was that the wrong pill to take? (raise it up)
You made a deal and now it seems you have to offer up
But will it ever be enough?
(Raise it up, raise it up) It's not enough
A rabbit-hearted girl
Frozen in the headlights
It seems I've made
The final sacrifice
We raise it up
This offering
We raise it up
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
I look around but I can't find you (raise it up)
If only I could see your face (raise it up)
I start rushing towards the skyline (raise it up)
I wish that I could just be brave (I must become)
A lion-hearted girl
Ready for a fight
Before I make
The final sacrifice
We raise it up
This offering
We raise it up
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
(Raise it up, raise it up)
(Raise it up, raise it up)
And in the spring, I shed my skin
And it blows away with the changing winds
The waters turn from blue to red
As towards the sky I offer it
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
This is a gift
"Rabbit Heart" by Florence + The Machine is a song that explores the theme of sacrificing oneself for fame and success. The opening lines of the song speak of the allure of fame, represented by a shiny looking glass that quickly loses its glamour. Florence then sings about being trapped in a cycle of chasing success, slipping out of time and wondering if she's made the wrong choices. The chorus speaks of her being a "rabbit-hearted girl frozen in the headlights" and making the final sacrifice, which suggests giving up her true self for fame and recognition.
The song continues with Florence asking who the lamb and who the knife are in this offering she's making, and mentions King Midas, who holds her so tightly that she turns to gold in the sunlight. This can be viewed as a metaphor for the way fame can consume and change a person. In the second verse, Florence wishes she could be brave like a lion-hearted girl before making the final sacrifice. The final chorus repeats the themes of sacrifice and the price that comes with the gift of fame.
Overall, the song presents a cautionary tale about the dangers of sacrificing one's true self for the sake of success and recognition. Florence's powerful vocals and the driving beat of the song create a sense of urgency and intensity that highlights the weight of the sacrifice she's making.
Line by Line Meaning
The looking glass, so shiny and new
At first glance, everything seems great and attractive
How quickly the glamour fades
But soon enough, that enchanting feeling starts to disappear
I start spinning, slipping out of time
Then, the singer starts feeling disoriented and lost
Was that the wrong pill to take? (raise it up)
She questions her decisions and actions that led her to this point
You made a deal and now it seems you have to offer up
The artist made some kind of decision or agreement which came with consequences
But will it ever be enough?
Now, she wonders how much she has to give up to fulfill this agreement
(Raise it up, raise it up) It's not enough
She feels that whatever she has given so far is not sufficient
(Raise it up, raise it up) Here I am
She feels almost like she is stuck in this situation, and that's her identity now
A rabbit-hearted girl
She feels scared and inadequate
Frozen in the headlights
Her fear paralyzes her, and she doesn't know how to move forward
It seems I've made
She realizes she's made a mistake or some kind of regrettable decision
The final sacrifice
And she's at the point where she feels like there's nothing left to give
This is a gift, it comes with a price
The singer realizes that whatever she has been offered or gained came with a cost
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
She isn't sure of the role she plays or who else may be involved in the situation
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
The singer feels trapped in a situation with someone who holds a lot of influence or power over her
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
Yet, she feels like she is viewed as something precious or valuable just as gold
I look around but I can't find you (raise it up)
She feels like she doesn't have anyone to turn to in this difficult moment
If only I could see your face (raise it up)
And she wishes that she could find some kind of guidance or reassurance from someone else
I start rushing towards the skyline (raise it up)
She tries to escape from the current situation but doesn't know where to go
I wish that I could just be brave (I must become)
She acknowledges that she needs to muster up some courage to move forward
A lion-hearted girl
She wants to be brave, courageous and fierce
Ready for a fight
She's willing to fight her way through this difficult situation
Before I make
She knows that she needs to gather her courage first
The final sacrifice
If she's going to give anything up, it will be after she's fought and tried her best
And in the spring, I shed my skin
She's ready to leave this current situation behind and start fresh
And it blows away with the changing winds
She wants to forget everything about it
The waters turn from blue to red
Everything changes and takes on a different, more intense color or meaning
As towards the sky I offer it
She wants to give it all up and start over, and lets it all go
(Raise it up, raise it up)
The repetition of this line shows the urgency and importance of what she's going through
Contributed by Grace I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.