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.
Caught
Florence + The Machine Lyrics
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To try and keep from calling you
Well, can my dreams keep coming true
How can they, cause when I sleep
I never dream of you
As if the dream of you, it sleeps too
But it never slips away
To drag me through the day
And I'm caught
I forget all that I've been taught
I can't keep calm, I can't keep still
Pulled apart against my will
It's the hardest thing I've ever had to prove
You turn to salt as I turned around to look at you
Old friends have said, the books I've read
Say it's the thing to do
But it's hard to see it when you're in it
Cause I went blind for you
Then you leave my head and crawl out of bed
Subconscious [?]
And for those hours deep in the dark
Perhaps you don't exist
But I'm caught
I forget all that I've been taught
I can't keep calm, I can't keep still
Pulled apart against my will
And I was thrashing on the line
Somewhere between
Desperate and divine
I can't keep calm, I can't keep still
Persephone will have her fill
And I'm caught
I forget all that I've been taught
I can't keep calm, I can't keep still
Pulled apart against my will
And I'm caught
I forget all that I've been taught
I can't keep calm, I can't keep still
Pulled apart against my will
The lyrics to Florence + the Machine's song "Caught" describe the internal struggle of the singer as they try to move on from a past love. The verses reveal that the singer's dreams still hold remnants of their former lover, even though they actively try to avoid thinking about them during their waking hours. The chorus repeats the singer's state of being "caught" and unable to maintain their composure, despite their best efforts. They feel pulled in different directions, torn apart by their longing for what once was and their desire to let go and move on.
The second verse explains that even when the singer is awake and distracted, thoughts of their former lover linger in their subconscious. When they finally acknowledge that they cannot escape the memories, they feel trapped in their emotional purgatory, unable to move forward.
The bridge of the song expresses the intensity of the singer's emotional turmoil, comparing their experience to the Greek myth of Persephone, who was stuck between the worlds of the living and the dead. The singer cannot stay stagnant, but also cannot move on from their past, caught in a perpetual state of longing.
Overall, "Caught" is a poignant look at the struggles of moving on from love, and the song's haunting instrumentation and emotive delivery by Florence Welch only adds to the emotional weight of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do
Trying to resist the urge to call you is the most difficult task I've ever faced
To try and keep from calling you
I'm struggling to hold back from contacting you
Well, can my dreams keep coming true
Is it possible for my dreams to still come true despite everything?
How can they, cause when I sleep
That's unlikely, as I never dream about you when I'm asleep
I never dream of you
You don't seem to exist in my dreams
As if the dream of you, it sleeps too
It's as if even my subconscious is avoiding thoughts of you
But it never slips away
However, the thought of you never truly dissipates
It just gains its strength and digs its hooks
Instead, it becomes stronger and more difficult to push aside
To drag me through the day
It pulls me along, refusing to let go, even during waking hours
And I'm caught
I'm stuck and can't escape this feeling
I forget all that I've been taught
I'm unable to recall what I should be doing in this situation
I can't keep calm, I can't keep still
I'm restless and can't stay put
Pulled apart against my will
It feels as though I'm being pulled in different directions without any control
It's the hardest thing I've ever had to prove
Trying to prove to myself that moving on is the right choice is incredibly difficult
You turn to salt as I turned around to look at you
You're gone, as if you've turned to salt and disappeared, as soon as I glance away
Old friends have said, the books I've read
My friends and books I've read have suggested a way forward
Say it's the thing to do
But it's hard to believe that's the right course of action when I'm so immersed in this feeling
But it's hard to see it when you're in it
It's difficult to gain perspective when you're so caught up in something
Cause I went blind for you
I became so involved with you that I lost sight of what's true or right
Then you leave my head and crawl out of bed
Sometimes you exit my thoughts and disappear for a while
Subconscious
Only to return later, lurking in my subconscious
And for those hours deep in the dark
During those long nights in the darkness
Perhaps you don't exist
You seem almost unreal or illusory during those moments
And I was thrashing on the line
I was struggling intensely
Somewhere between
Caught between
Desperate and divine
Feeling both helpless and full of faith or hope
Persephone will have her fill
I'll have to pay the price for my temptation, like Persephone who ate the seeds of the Underworld
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES ELLIS FORD, FLORENCE LEONTINE MARY WELCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind