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.
My Boy Builds Coffins
Florence + the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He doesn't build ships, he has no use for sails
He doesn't make tables, dressers or chairs
He can't carve a whistle 'cause he just doesn't care
My boy builds coffins for the rich and the poor
Kings and queens have all knocked on his door
Beggars and liars, gypsies and thieves
My boy builds coffins, he makes them all day
But it's not just for work and it isn't for play
He's made one for himself
One for me too
One of these days he'll make one for you
For you, for you, for you
My boy builds coffins for better or worse
Some say it's a blessing, some say it's a curse
He fits them together in sunshine or rain
Each one is unique, no two are the same
My boy builds coffins and I think it's a shame
That when each one's been made, he can't see it again
He crafts every one with love and with care
Then it's thrown in the ground, it just isn't fair
My boy builds coffins, he makes them all day
But it's not just for work and it isn't for play
He's made one for himself
One for me too
And one of these days he'll make one for you
For you, for you, for you, for you
The beginning of this song introduces us to the singer, who is a boy with an unusual craft. He builds coffins with hammers and nails, and as we learn later in the song, he has no interest in other woodworking projects. The repetition of the line "he can't carve a whistle 'cause he just doesn't care" emphasizes this point. The second verse reveals that he builds coffins for people from all walks of life, from the lofty kings and queens to the less fortunate beggars and liars. The melancholic refrain "one of these days he'll make one for you" makes us ponder on the inevitability of death and leaves us with a sense of foreboding.
The third verse takes a more somber turn. We learn that the boy has made coffins for him, the singer, and has one for himself. This heightens the sense of melancholy and death that the song has been building up. The next verse introduces us to the idea that some see the boy's craft as a blessing while others see it as a curse. There is a sense of inevitability that comes with his work - he fits each coffin together regardless of the weather and each one is unique. The final verse shows the singer's regret that, after each coffin is made with love and care, it is thrown into the ground and forgotten.
Overall, the song offers a unique perspective on death and the inevitability of it all. It approaches the subject with a somber and accepting tone, emphasizing the craft and care that goes into each coffin. The repetition of the refrain "one of these days" adds to the idea that death is inevitable and, in the end, the boy's craftsmanship is just a fleeting remembrance of a life that is gone.
Line by Line Meaning
My boy builds coffins with hammers and nails
The singer's significant other creates coffins as a profession using tools such as hammers and nails.
He doesn't build ships, he has no use for sails
The singer's significant other doesn't build any other objects such as ships or use sails since his work is solely focused on creating coffins.
He doesn't make tables, dressers or chairs
The singer's significant other doesn't create furniture such as tables, dressers, or chairs and instead only focuses on constructing coffins.
He can't carve a whistle 'cause he just doesn't care
The artist's significant other doesn't care to create anything other than coffins, even small items like whistles.
My boy builds coffins for the rich and the poor
The artist's significant other creates coffins for individuals of all social classes, ranging from wealthy to poor.
Kings and queens have all knocked on his door
Even royals have purchased coffins from the singer's significant other at some point in time.
Beggars and liars, gypsies and thieves
Individuals from all backgrounds, including those who may be looked down upon in society, seek the singer's significant other's services to construct their coffins.
They all come to him 'cause he's so eager to please
The artist's significant other is well-liked in his profession due to his eagerness to ensure that each coffin he constructs meets his customers' needs.
My boy builds coffins, he makes them all day
The artist's significant other spends his entire workday creating coffins for his customers.
But it's not just for work and it isn't for play
While constructing coffins takes up the majority of the artist's significant other's time, it is not solely for work purposes and there is certainly no joke involved.
He's made one for himself
The singer's significant other has also crafted a coffin for himself in the future.
One for me too
The artist has also been given a coffin by her significant other.
One of these days he'll make one for you
The singer's significant other will eventually make a coffin for the listener as well.
For you, for you, for you
The singer wants to emphasize that the listener will also receive a coffin crafted by her significant other.
My boy builds coffins for better or worse
The singer's significant other creates coffins regardless of the situation or circumstances surrounding his clients' deaths.
Some say it's a blessing, some say it's a curse
While some view the artist's significant other's profession as helpful and beneficial, others consider the idea of constructing coffins all day to be more ominous and a curse.
He fits them together in sunshine or rain
The artist's significant other is able to construct coffins in all weather conditions, from sunny to rainy days.
Each one is unique, no two are the same
Although the singer's significant other constructs coffins frequently, each one is crafted differently and never the same as another.
My boy builds coffins and I think it's a shame
While the singer is proud of her significant other's abilities, she also feels saddened that each coffin he constructs never gets to be seen again once buried.
That when each one's been made, he can't see it again
The artist's significant other constructs coffins never to see them again once they've been buried alongside their respective clients.
He crafts every one with love and with care
The artist's significant other takes pride in ensuring that each coffin he constructs is created with love and great attention to detail.
Then it's thrown in the ground, it just isn't fair
Despite the love and care crafted into each coffin, the fact that they are only utilized once in a person's life before being buried seems unfair to the artist.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Florence Leontine Mary Welch, Matthew David Allchin, Robert Damian Ackroyd
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind