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.
Never Let Me Go
Florence + the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fractured moonlight on the sea
Reflections still look the same to me
As before I went under
And it's peaceful in the deep
Cathedral where you cannot breathe
No need to pray, no need to speak
And it's breaking over me
A thousand miles down to the sea bed
Found the place to rest my head
(Never let me go, never let me go)
(Never let me go, never let me go)
And the arms of the ocean are carrying me
And all this devotion was rushing out of me
And the crashes are heaven for a sinner like me
But the arms of the ocean delivered me
Though the pressure's hard to take
It's the only way I can escape
It seems a heavy choice to make
But now I am under, oh
And it's breaking over me
A thousand miles down to the sea bed
Found the place to rest my head
(Never let me go, never let me go)
(Never let me go, never let me go)
And the arms of the ocean are carrying me
And all this devotion was rushing out of me
And the crashes are heaven for a sinner like me
But the arms of the ocean delivered me
And it's over and I'm going under
But I'm not giving up, I'm just giving in
I'm slipping underneath
So, so cold and so sweet
In the arms of the ocean, so sweet and so cold
And all this devotion, I never knew at all
And the crashes are heaven for a sinner released
In the arms of the ocean delivered me
(Never let me go, never let me go)
(Never let me go, never let me go)
Delivered me
(Never let me go, never let me go)
(Never let me go, never let me go)
(Never let me go, never let me go)
Delivered me
(Never let me go, never let me go)
(Never let me go, never let me go)
Delivered me
(Never let me go, never let me go)
And it's over and I'm going under
But I'm not giving up, I'm just giving in
I'm slipping underneath
Ooh, so cold and so sweet
The song "Never Let Me Go" by Florence + the Machine features emotive lyrics that speak mainly of surrender or loss of control, but most likely in a figurative sense. The opening line, "Looking up from underneath" suggests that the singer is at a low point or resting on the ocean or sea bed. The singer then describes the peacefulness that she feels while being submerged, comparing the experience to that of being in a cathedral, where there is no need to pray or speak.
The chorus ("And the arms of the ocean are carrying me...") like most of the lyrics of the song, insinuates that the singer is letting go, to relinquish her own control and letting the "arms of the ocean" take her. Although the experience of being deep underwater is peaceful, it is not easy, as mentioned in the line, "Though the pressure's hard to take, it's the only way I can escape." The singer is embracing the pain in order to escape or release something. Florence refers to herself metaphorically as a sinner therefore the idea of being delivered from that state resonates throughout the song, where one believes that giving in isn't giving up.
Overall, "Never Let Me Go" creates a sense of surrender to the unknown forces and the battles of one's self. Florence states that the ocean is so cold and so refreshing (sweet) like letting go is a necessary reprieve from the pressures of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking up from underneath
Starting at the lowest point of her downfall
Fractured moonlight on the sea
Beautiful moments that still exist despite her negative state of mind
Reflections still look the same to me
Despite her change in state, she sees things the same way she always has
As before I went under
Nothing has changed despite her state of mind
And it's peaceful in the deep
Finding peace in the midst of depression
Cathedral where you cannot breathe
A reference to drowning, an escape from the pain of living
No need to pray, no need to speak
No use for words or prayer as there's no one to help
Now I am under all
Fully succumbed to her depression
And it's breaking over me
The weight of depression is crushing her
A thousand miles down to the sea bed
Emphasizing her deep and darker state of mind
Found the place to rest my head
Finding an escape, a place to lay her head and escape the pain
(Never let me go, never let me go)
Repeating the plea to not let her go as she's found solace from the outside world
And the arms of the ocean are carrying me
Feeling a sense of solace from being in the midst of the vastness of the water
And all this devotion was rushing out of me
Unloading her sorrow in the vast and freeing ocean
And the crashes are heaven for a sinner like me
Finding beauty in the chaos, finding acceptance in her imperfection
But the arms of the ocean delivered me
Finding escape and release from the vastness of the ocean
Though the pressure's hard to take
The weight of the world is suffocating her
It's the only way I can escape
Escaping from the real world is her only option
It seems a heavy choice to make
Acknowledging the weight of the decision to separate from the real world
But now I am under, oh
Fully succumbed to her escape, under the weight of her own mind
And it's over and I'm going under
The struggle with depression is feels like an overwhelming defeat
But I'm not giving up
Despite being wrapped up in depression, she hasn't lost all hope or hopelessness
I'm just giving in
Acknowledging the surrendering nature of finding solace in depression
In the arms of the ocean, so sweet and so cold
Finding solace in the vastness of the water, the beauty in the coldness of the water surrounding her
And all this devotion, well, I never knew at all
Realizing that finding comfort in depression was never something expected
And the crashes are heaven for a sinner released
Releasing herself in the chaos brought her a sense of peace
Deliver me
The chorus repeats as a plea for continued release from the grips of depression and solace from the vastness of the ocean
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Epworth, Tom Harpoon, Florence Welch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind