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.
Hurricane Drunk
Florence + the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No sleep, nothing in between me and the rain
And you can't save me now
I'm in the grip of a hurricane
I'm gonna blow myself away
I'm going out
I'm gonna drink myself to death
I see you with someone else
I brace myself
'Cause I know it's going to hurt
But I like to think at least things can't get any worse
No home, I don't want shelter
No calm, nothing to keep me from the storm
And you can't hold me down
'Cause I belong to the hurricane
It's gonna blow this all away
I'm going out
I'm gonna drink myself to death
And in the crowd
I see you with someone else
I brace myself
'Cause I know it's going to hurt
But I like to think at least things can't get any worse
I hope that you see me
'Cause I'm staring at you
But when you look over, you look right through
Then you lean and kiss her on the head
And I never felt so alive, and so dead
I'm going out
I'm gonna drink myself to death
And in the crowd
I see you with someone else
I brace myself
'Cause I know it's going to hurt
I'm going out, I'm going out
I'm gonna drink myself to death
And in the crowd
I see you with someone else
I brace myself
'Cause I know it's going to hurt
I'm going out, I'm going out, I'm going out
I'm going out, I'm going out, I'm going out
In Florence + the Machine's song Hurricane Drunk, the singer expresses a complete lack of control over her own life. The imagery of a hurricane is used to depict the unpredictable and destructive forces that are causing chaos in the singer's life. The repeated line "I'm going out, I'm gonna drink myself to death" highlights the desperation the singer feels, as she turns to alcohol to numb her pain and escape her circumstances.
The singer's obsession with the person she sees with someone else in the crowd adds to the sense of loss and hopelessness. She hopes to catch his attention and make him aware of her presence, but he continues to ignore her. The line "And I never felt so alive, and so dead" captures the conflicting emotions she experiences in this moment.
Overall, Hurricane Drunk is a raw and emotional portrayal of someone who has lost all sense of stability and control in their life. The singer is in the midst of a storm and cannot see a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
No walls can keep me protected
There is nothing that can shield me from the troubles I feel
No sleep, nothing in between me and the rain
There is no escape and no reprieve from the difficulties I face
And you can't save me now
Even with your best efforts, there is nothing you can do to stop what is happening to me
I'm in the grip of a hurricane
I'm caught in the midst of a chaotic storm, unable to free myself
I'm gonna blow myself away
I'm on the edge of destruction and I am going to go all the way
I'm going out
I'm leaving to indulge in self-destructive behavior
I'm gonna drink myself to death
I am going to consume alcohol until it takes my life
And in the crowd
Even among many people, I feel alone
I see you with someone else
You have moved on and found happiness without me
I brace myself
I prepare myself mentally for the pain I know is coming
'Cause I know it's going to hurt
I am aware that the outcome of my actions will lead to more pain
But I like to think at least things can't get any worse
I hold onto the hope that there is no place to go but up from this dark place I am in
No home, I don't want shelter
I reject any offer of comfort or assistance because I feel unworthy or beyond redemption
No calm, nothing to keep me from the storm
I am lost in a tumultuous and chaotic situation with no hope of escape
And you can't hold me down
Your attempts to restrain me are futile because I am determined to follow through with my destructive behavior
'Cause I belong to the hurricane
I have surrendered to the destructive force affecting me and it has a hold on me now
It's gonna blow this all away
The hurricane will consume everything, leaving nothing in its wake
I hope that you see me
I desire to be noticed and recognized by you
'Cause I'm staring at you
I am fixated on you and cannot look away
But when you look over, you look right through
You do not acknowledge or recognize my presence
Then you lean and kiss her on the head
You express affection toward someone else, causing me to feel jealousy and despair
And I never felt so alive, and so dead
The intense emotions I feel are overwhelming and consume me, but at the same time, I feel numb and lifeless
I'm going out, I'm going out, I'm going out
I am committed to my plan of self-destruction and will follow through with my actions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Florence Welch, Francis White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind