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.
What Kind of Man
Florence %2B the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to cross a canyon with a broken limb
You were on the other side, like always
Wondering what to do with life
I'd already had a sip
So I'd reasoned I was drunk enough to deal with it
You were on the other side, like always
And with one kiss
You inspired a fire of devotion that lasts for twenty years
What kind of man loves like this?
To let me dangle at a cruel angle
Oh, my feet don't touch the floor
Sometimes you're half in and then you're half out
But you never close the door
What kind of man loves like this?
What kind of man?
What kind of man loves like this?
What kind of man?
You're a holy fool, all coloured blue
Red feet upon the floor
You do such damage, how do you manage?
Trying to crawl in back for more
And with one kiss
You inspired a fire of devotion that lasts for twenty years
What kind of man loves like this?
What kind of man loves like this?
What kind of man?
What kind of man loves like this?
What kind of man?
But I can't beat you, 'cause I'm still with you
"Oh mercy," I implore ("Oh mercy," I implore)
How do you do it? I think I'm through it
Then I'm back against the wall
What kind of man loves like this?
What kind of man?
What kind of man loves like this?
What kind of man?
The lyrics to Florence + the Machine's song "What Kind of Man" depict a tumultuous and uneven relationship between two individuals. The song begins with the singer (presumably Florence) on a "heavy tip," attempting to navigate a difficult situation with a broken limb. On the other side of the metaphorical canyon is her partner, who is constantly indecisive about his direction in life. However, with one kiss, her partner ignites a passionate devotion within her that lasts for twenty years.
The chorus poses the question, "What kind of man loves like this?" as if the singer is incredulous that someone could have such control over her emotions. She describes the relationship as a constant state of uncertainty, with her feet never touching the ground and her partner never fully committing. Despite this, she can't seem to let go of the hold he has on her, and repeatedly finds herself back "against the wall" with no escape.
Overall, "What Kind of Man" is a powerful portrayal of a relationship that is both exhilarating and destructive, leaving the listener to question the boundaries of love and the sacrifices we make for it.
Line by Line Meaning
I was on a heavy tip
I was heavily under the influence of alcohol
Trying to cross a canyon with a broken limb
I was trying to do something difficult despite my physical limitations
You were on the other side, like always
You were emotionally distant as usual
Wondering what to do with life
You were uncertain about your future
I'd already had a sip
I had already consumed some alcohol
So I'd reasoned I was drunk enough to deal with it
I thought I was drunk enough to handle the situation
You could never make your mind
You always had trouble making decisions
And with one kiss
With just one kiss from you
You inspired a fire of devotion that lasts for twenty years
You ignited a passionate love that has endured for two decades
What kind of man loves like this?
What sort of person could love this intensely?
To let me dangle at a cruel angle
To leave me hanging in a painful and precarious situation
Oh, my feet don't touch the floor
I feel weightless and ungrounded
Sometimes you're half in and then you're half out
Sometimes you're emotionally present, and other times you're not
But you never close the door
But you never completely shut me out of your life
You're a holy fool, all coloured blue
You are a paradoxical figure, spiritual yet melancholy
Red feet upon the floor
Your presence evokes passion and vitality
You do such damage, how do you manage?
You cause emotional harm, yet still hold my affection
Trying to crawl in back for more
Still seeking your love and attention despite the pain
But I can't beat you, 'cause I'm still with you
I can't resist you, because I'm still in love with you
"Oh mercy," I implore ("Oh mercy," I implore)
I plead with you for mercy and kindness
How do you do it? I think I'm through it
I don't understand how you can hurt me and yet keep me coming back
Then I'm back against the wall
Then I find myself trapped and struggling again
What kind of man loves like this?
What kind of person could engage in such a complicated and tumultuous relationship?
Contributed by Jordyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@carlosj4454
"i heard you talking in your sleep last night
-What where you doing?
i as just uh, i was just watching.
you seemed sad.
why didint you wake me up?
auuuuhhhh i didint wanna intervene
seemed like you were suffering somehwhere else
i didint think it was my place to drag you out of there.
i just let you be
-so you just let me suffer?
-so you think people who suffer together would be more connected than people who are content?
yeah.
i do
i suppose if you've been through something, something catastrophic if you've been through like a stOrm or an earthquake together or something horrendous, you'yes.
-it would bring you closer together ?
-what if they're creating the disaster within themselves ?
and theres this big storm all around us but its call because we're in the middle of it
@wtfarockfish
Ok, I've watched this video three times and read the lyric sheet over, I think I'm ready to offer my analysis:
The main theme this song deals with is being trapped in an abusive relationship with someone who constantly pulls you in and then pushes you away. They never cut the cord and set you free, but also are never truly there for you. You know something isn't right, but every time you try to escape, they seduce you anew.
Knowing this, the video slowly starts to make sense. It begins by introducing the idea of a partner that would prefer to let Florence suffer alone than wake her up and free her. The storm is a metaphor for their relationship. Trouble is lurking on the horizon, but when Florence is with her partner she is in the eye of the storm; she can't feel it, but she knows something is wrong.
The dance with the group of men represents the different states of her partner's personality and emotions. They repeatedly try to seduce her and then they push her away and ignore her. When she tries to break free and escape, the man she loves appears again and reels her back in. This pattern repeats itself several times.
The car crash is also a metaphor for their love. Everything appears to be fine, but she can sense something is wrong. Only when it finally crashes can she drag herself free of the wreck (her relationship).
As for the water scene, I'm not completely sure. Perhaps a rebirth?
@laneylynn88
She condemns her partner "what kind of man who loves like this" which caused her to lose her soul. His love was soul-crushing.
She felt calm knowing they were surrounded by the storms. Male dancers personify the many persons/dark sides of her lover she didn't fall for. Despite of the amount of pain he had caused her, his kiss, his true self kept drawing her back to the calm for years.
She constantly had to suffer trying to connect and get closer to her lover, to feel calm around the storm. She couldn't fathom why there was a need for both lovers to suffer in order to connect. That made her go "what kind of man" who loves like this?!!
This created disasters within the relationship, ergo the car crash, leaving her crawl out of the "death" of the relationship.
@leftcoaster5855
Such a powerful artist. Ughh, she gives me shivers!
The life-changing last catastrophic relationship. Addicted to the lust, uncertainty, abandonment and chaos of it all. Over and over again, repeating itself. Hidden beneath the illusion of physical pleasure is dependency. The sub-conscious creates and re-enacts old wounds in an attempt to resolve the original conflict. Sacrificing self to the alter of anger, pain, deceit and insanity, because its all she has ever known. Projecting the blame and cause for the destruction on to men to avoid the harsh reality that she is justifying using each of them to further destruct by pretending it is `love`.
Only way out of the storm and pain is through it...but she is nowhere near out, this is only the first realization of a problem and pattern. As her dreams begin surfacing, coming to terms with her broken self is a process of awakening. No man can save her or love her better, only she can. You can`t take a Tylenol or get another fix of pleasure to dull the pain when you`re bleeding to death. And you can`t get a man or `his love` to heal you if don`t even know you are wounded in the first place.
Unfortunately, this is only the calm before the real storm which will be the journey within. Through her painful bleeding wounds, screams and terror inside the mind, soul and flesh, she will come to real acceptance, healing and change...but not until she first completely breaks apart.
So she is outside in a moving car with one of her boyfriends which represents her current mind set, talking about the dream that is arising in her.
The rain, the lightening. The fingers to mouth. Lust is consuming her.
The fighting with the men in the living room is her raw and real emotional conflict inside and the bedroom scenes of the house is her way of coping and distracting herself.
Underground, in the basement of her sub-consciousness, on a dirty mattress of filth shame, represents her process and what she is avoiding. What she must do. She has to face each and every painful experience that contributed to wounding her. And deeper than that still, naked, alone and striped down, in her dungeon, she must embrace herself.
The older matriarchal women baptizing, washing her clean, represent that she will be born from the waters of this storm into the next level of womanhood. But this is only her dream...This has not even begun. It's only a glimpse.
Then, as if it could not get any more of a mind-melt, she represents two women in two different era`s of time meaning this is symbolic of not just her story, but it represents us. Women. Our odyssey.
@Hi3n0
I was on a heavy tip
Tryna cross a canyon with a broken limb
You were on the other side
Like always, wondering what to do with life
I already had a sip
So I'd reasoned I was drunk enough
To deal with it
You were on the other side
Like always, you could never make your mind
And with one kiss
You inspired a fire of devotion
That lasted 20 years
What kind of man loves like this
To let me dangle at a cruel angle
Oh my feet don't touch the floor
Sometimes you're half in and then you're half out
But you never close the door
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man
You're a holy fool all coloured blue
Red feet upon the floor
You do such damage, how do you manage?
Tryna crawl in back for more
And with one kiss
You inspired a fire of devotion
That lasted 20 years
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man
But I can't beat you
Cause I'm still with you
Oh mercy I implore ("Oh mercy, " I implore)
How do you do it
I think I'm through it
Then I'm back against the wall
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man
What kind of man loves like this
What kind of man
@MustafaKulle
Florence needs to be in a movie of her own.
@catherina996
+Mustafa Kulle i agree with you!
@maymunhusnu6039
+Mustafa Kulle sen TÜRK MÜSÜN ?
@MustafaKulle
Burak güngör
Kibris'liyim (I'm a Cypriot)
@KBust
That would be so awesome!
@matthewwalker5243
+Thersa Rand what are you on about....
@nikolaika7777
This is her best album! Those 11 songs are truly a masterpiece.
@zerefkurogane
wait til u listen to deluxe and b sides an ureleased. she gave her whole heart on this one ngl
@newman2664
@@zerefkurogane can you tell me the names of the songs?
@zerefkurogane
@@newman2664 As Far as I Could Get, Hiding, Make Up Your Mind, Which Witch" (Demo), Third Eye" (Demo), How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Demo), Pure Feeling and Conductor.
Those are the songs that are released on different versions of the album, but the same era.
My fav my far is As Far As I Could Get. :D