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.
Girl With One Eye
Florence + the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I told her not to fuss and relax
Pretty little face stopped me in my tracks
But now she sleeps with one eye open
That's the price she'll pay
I took a knife and cut out her eye
I took it home and watched it wither and die
That's why she sleeps with one eye open
That's the price she'll pay
I said, hey, girl with one eye
Get your filthy fingers out of my pie
I said, hey, girl with one eye
I'll cut your little heart out 'cause you made me cry
I slipped my hand under her skirt
I said don't worry, it's not gonna hurt
Oh, my reputation's kinda clouded with dirt
That's why you sleep with one eye open
But that's the price you pay
I said, hey, girl with one eye
Get your filthy fingers out of my pie
I said, hey, girl with one eye
I'll cut your little heart out 'cause you made me cry
You made me cry
You made me cry
You made me cry
I said, hey, girl with one eye
Get your filthy fingers out of my pie
I said, girl with one eye
Get your filthy fingers out my pie
I said, hey, girl with one eye
Get your filthy fingers out of my pie
I said, hey, girl with one eye
I'll cut your little heart out 'cause you made me cry
The lyrics to Florence + the Machine's song "Girl With One Eye" paint a disturbing picture of abuse and power dynamics. The song appears to be written from the perspective of an abuser, who describes a victim he has taken advantage of. The opening lines describe how the abuser and victim met: the abuser was warned not to step on cracks, but brushed it off until he saw the victim's "pretty little face," which stopped him in his tracks. The abuser then describes taking a knife and removing the victim's eye, taking it home and watching it wither and die. He claims that the victim is "lucky" that he didn't "slip her a smile," which may be interpreted as a nod to rape or sexual assault. The chorus repeats the line "that's the price she'll pay," implying that the victim deserved this violence in some way.
The second verse is equally disturbing, as the abuser describes slipping his hand under the victim's skirt and telling her not to worry because "it's not gonna hurt." He acknowledges that his reputation is "kinda clouded with dirt," which suggests that he is aware on some level that what he is doing is wrong. The chorus is repeated twice more, with the final lines of "you made me cry" serving as a disturbing justification for the violence that has taken place.
Overall, the lyrics to "Girl With One Eye" are deeply unsettling, depicting a power dynamic in which one person takes complete control over another. The song may be interpreted as a commentary on the ways in which people can use their positions of power to take advantage of others, or as a warning against getting too close to those who may seek to harm us.
Line by Line Meaning
She told me not to step on the cracks
She warned me to avoid things that might harm me
I told her not to fuss and relax
I told her not to worry or stress about small things
Pretty little face stopped me in my tracks
Her attractive appearance caught my attention
But now she sleeps with one eye open
She is always alert and cautious
That's the price she'll pay
Being cautious is the price she has to pay to stay safe
I took a knife and cut out her eye
I violently harmed her and obliterated her innocence
I took it home and watched it wither and die
I enjoyed the suffering I inflicted on her
Well, she's lucky that I didn't slip her a smile
She's fortunate that I didn't try to deceive her into thinking everything was okay
That's why she sleeps with one eye open
Her fear and distrust of me cause her to be extra cautious
I said, hey, girl with one eye
I addressed her by referring to the horrific act I committed against her
Get your filthy fingers out of my pie
I don't want her to touch or interfere with something that belongs to me
I'll cut your little heart out 'cause you made me cry
I'm threatening to harm her emotionally and physically because she hurt me
I slipped my hand under her skirt
I violated her sexually without her consent
I said don't worry, it's not gonna hurt
I tried to make her feel safe and coerced her into going along with my actions
Oh, my reputation's kinda clouded with dirt
I am known for being dishonest and untrustworthy
That's why you sleep with one eye open
The reputation I have earned justifies her suspicion and mistrust of me
But that's the price you pay
I want her to know that her fear and discomfort are her fault and are a result of her actions
You made me cry
She hurt me emotionally and caused me pain
I'll cut your little heart out 'cause you made me cry
I am threatening to cause her physical harm because she made me emotional
Get your filthy fingers out of my pie
I want her to know that what is mine is off-limits to her
I said, girl with one eye
I continue to refer to her by the traumatic experience I inflicted on her
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Chris Morris, David Ashby, Dominic Peach, James Mccool, Matthew Allchin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind