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.
As Far as I Could Get
Florence + the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I drew bedraggled breaths
Because I am unloved
I went as far as I could get
In the cedars like sparks
Wasting my goddamn time
Past the museum of death
I sail on new beginnings
And psychics taking chances
In the cedars like sparks
Wasting my goddamn time
As far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
In the cedars like sparks
Wasting my goddamn time
Past the spires and the temple
Looking like a Disney castle
As far as I could get
Past the girls late for rehearsal
Oh, a pirate on the left
And Jesus on the right
And the Pacific sweeps through
Like a bird in flight
As far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
In the cedars like sparks
Wasting my goddamn time
Cause if I am unloved, I have unloved too
Cause if I am unloved, I have unloved too
As far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
Past the city and the sermons
The cemetery standing still
Past the mountain and the monument
The houses and the hills
Past the signs and the sirens
The sinners and the saints
I went as far as I could get
Past the hallowed and the horror
The humbled and agreed
I went as far as I could get
Cause if I am unloved, I have unloved too
As far as I could get
As far as I could get
As far as I could get
And I'm not far enough yet
I went as far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
And I'm not far enough yet
I went as far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
And I'm not far enough yet
I went as far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
I went as far as I could get
And I'm not far enough yet
The lyrics of "As Far as I Could Get," by Florence + the Machine, speak to the human experience of feeling unloved and searching for something more. The song opens with the image of the "celestial vaults," which symbolizes heaven and eternity, but the singer feels out of place and unwelcome there. She takes deep, ragged breaths, as if struggling to find her place in this world. She then declares, "Because I am unloved, I went as far as I could get," indicating that her sense of isolation has driven her to explore the furthest reaches of the world in search of meaning and connection.
As the song progresses, the singer describes her journey through various landscapes, all imbued with a sense of otherworldliness and whimsy. She passes by the "museum of death" and a "mad man yelling answers," suggesting that she is seeking knowledge and understanding but only encountering madness and chaos. She also encounters various figures, such as a pirate and Jesus, who represent different aspects of human experience and possibility. Throughout it all, she is consumed by a feeling of restlessness and dissatisfaction, expressed through the repeated refrain, "In the cedars like sparks, wasting my goddamn time."
Despite the singer's sense of yearning and searching, the song ends on a note of ambiguity. She declares, "And I'm not far enough yet," suggesting that she is still on a journey to discover what she needs to find. At the same time, she asserts, "Cause if I am unloved, I have unloved too," indicating that she has come to a place of self-acceptance and understanding. Ultimately, "As Far as I Could Get" is a song about the human search for meaning and connection, and the struggles we face when we feel lost and alone.
Line by Line Meaning
In the celestial vaults
In the skies above
I drew bedraggled breaths
I breathed heavily and with difficulty
Because I am unloved
Because I feel unloved
I went as far as I could get
I traveled as far as I possibly could
In the cedars like sparks
Among the trees that resemble sparks
Wasting my goddamn time
Wasting my valuable time
Past the museum of death
Beyond the place where death is studied
And the mad man yelling answers
And the insane person shouting solutions
I sail on new beginnings
I embrace new opportunities
And psychics taking chances
And people willing to take risks
Past the spires and the temple
Beyond the tall, pointed structures and the religious building
Looking like a Disney castle
Resembling the castle in Disney movies
Past the girls late for rehearsal
Beyond the girls who are running late for practice
Oh, a pirate on the left
Oh, there is a pirate on the left side
And Jesus on the right
And Jesus on the right side
And the Pacific sweeps through
And the Pacific Ocean flows through
Like a bird in flight
Just like a bird soaring in the sky
Cause if I am unloved, I have unloved too
Because if I feel unloved, I have also felt unloved before
Past the city and the sermons
Beyond the urban areas and religious teachings
The cemetery standing still
The graveyard, motionless
Past the mountain and the monument
Beyond the towering mass of rock and the remembrance structure
The houses and the hills
The residences and the rolling elevated terrain
Past the signs and the sirens
Beyond the traffic signals and warning alarms
The sinners and the saints
The wrongdoers and the virtuous people
Past the hallowed and the horror
Beyond the esteemed and the frightening
The humbled and agreed
The unpretentious and compliant people
And I'm not far enough yet
But I still have a long way to go
Contributed by Aria C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
william
Perfect on every level !
David Nettleton
That is a fantastic still image!