Attending music camps and studying the art of singing since childhood, (“I’d sing for whoever was willing to listen…at school, in clubs and bars…anywhere I could”), whilst getting wrapped up in old soul records, the only thing as big as Florence’s love of music was her voice. With a remarkably fresh but mature delivery Florence’s enormous voice swoops and soars through an impressive vocal range taking inspiration and style from legendary vocalists such as Aretha Franklin, Eva Cassidy and Martha Reeves.
On completing her A level exams Florence signed to Dramatico (Katie Melua, Marianne Faithfull, Carla Bruni, Gurrumul) and put those years of musical apprenticeship to good use recording, with Mike Batt, her debut album ‘A Fool In Love’. An impressive debut of authentic soul, raw grooves and rhythm & blues the album was described by Music Week as “a blend that could elevate her to the similar heady heights Melua enjoys. Classy stuff.” The cool, after-dark Motown feel of Florence Rawlings’ first single ‘Hard To Get’ serves as a perfect introduction to this charismatic singer and her debut album of gritty arrangements, soulful melodies and vibrant brass work complemented by gospel vocals and addictive rhythms that culminate in a blend of raw soul that has been off the airwaves for far too long.
As well as singing a collection of powerful original songs penned by Mike Batt himself - including the gorgeous and moving ‘Love Can Be A Battlefield’, the cool, after-dark Motown feel of ‘Hard To Get’ and the debut single - Florence has discovered gems from days gone by and transformed them with her own charismatic soul style.
No Gladys Knight fan would deny that Florence makes the song ‘Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me’ completely her own. Meanwhile Allen Toussaint’s long forgotten ‘Riverboat’ has been rescued from obscurity and reinvented with vigorous production, uplifting horns and sleek dark overtones that give the song a lavish, ominous edge. Florence even performs a version of Chuck Berry’s ‘You Can’t Catch Me’ - following in the potentially daunting footsteps of The Rolling Stones and John Lennon she manages to make the song her own just as convincingly as rock and roll’s elite.
Equally at home in the studio or in concert, the 20 year-old Londoner is a natural performer – as was evident when she took to the stage at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival and stunned the crowds when she performed her songs for the first time. Afterwards the festival’s promoter John Giddings declared “Florence Rawlings rocked the Big Top - a certain star of the future” and other festival promoters have been extraordinarily quick off the mark in booking the 20 year old South Londoner, before a note of music has even been released, for some key spots including the main stage at Guilfest and Tuborg Stage at O2 Wireless in Hyde Park.
Little Richard’s description of his own sound sums up Florence’s electrifying style perfectly, “Rock n’ rollin’, rhythm & blues soulin’”. Florence Rawlings is set to be a modern soul star. In the words of the song - “jump on the wagon and join the dance.”
Hard To Get
Florence Rawlings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
I would have come running
if you called my name
But you played me like a card
in a gambling game
And now I´m happy with the perfect guy
You left it a little too late
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
´Cause now I´m in a better place
You´ve got such a beautiful face
I wouldn´t jumped into your net
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
You knew that we could´ve
had a love so strong
I waited but I could only wait so long
And now I´m living in a perfect world
You left it a little too late
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
´Cause now I´m in a better place
You´ve got such a beautiful face
I wouldn´t jumped into your net
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
And now you´re playing the crying game
You say that it´s never gonna be the same
But honey you´ve only got yourself to blame
And you know why, cos time flies by
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
´Cause now I´m in a better place
You´ve got such a beautiful face
I wouldn´t jumped into your net
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
This song tells the story of a girl who was pursued by a guy who played hard to get. The girl suggests that if the guy had not played so hard to get, things could have worked out differently. She reveals that she would have come running if he had called her name, but he played her like a card in a gambling game. Consequently, she moved on and is now in a better place with a perfect guy. Although she waited for a love that could have been strong, she could only wait for so long, and she is now living in a perfect world. The song concludes with the guy regretting his actions and playing the crying game, but it is too late because time passed by, and she has moved on.
The lyrics of the song Hard To Get convey a message about the consequences of playing hard-to-get in a relationship. The song demonstrates that playing hard-to-get can lead to missed opportunities and the loss of a potential partner. The song also highlights the emotional toll of trying to pursue someone who is playing hard-to-get by suggesting that it is like playing a losing game.
Line by Line Meaning
You shouldn´t have played so hard to get
You made it too difficult for me to pursue a relationship with you
I would have come running if you called my name
I was willing to start a relationship with you if you showed interest in me
But you played me like a card in a gambling game
You treated our potential relationship like a game and took unnecessary risks
And now I´m happy with the perfect guy
I found someone else who is more suitable for me
You left it a little too late
You missed your chance with me and it's too late now
´Cause now I´m in a better place
My life has improved since I moved on from you
You´ve got such a beautiful face
I appreciate your physical beauty, but it's not enough to make up for your behavior
I wouldn´t jumped into your net
I wouldn't have fallen for your trap
You knew that we could´ve had a love so strong
You were aware of the potential for a great relationship between us
I waited but I could only wait so long
I was patient, but there are limits to how long I could hold out for you
And now I´m living in a perfect world
I found happiness without you in my life
And now you´re playing the crying game
You're upset about losing me, but you brought it on yourself
You say that it´s never gonna be the same
You acknowledge that the relationship could have been different if you had acted differently
But honey you´ve only got yourself to blame
You're responsible for the outcome of our potential relationship
And you know why, cos time flies by
Time passed and you missed your chance with me
Contributed by Molly S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ozgreeny
why have we not heard more of her,she's great
@busterthe2
Because she's a better backup singer
@CarrieKingAuthor
I first saw this amazing artist 'live' on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, she simply blew me away! What a voice and such a beautiful girl.
@stonymusicable
Bom Som!! Um bom momento de Soul sem dúvida...
@phildell7261
This ladys music is awsome great voice great music just going through tracks .
@georgedamian8521
love your voice!!
@nkara69
I first heard this song on radio top, Switzerland. It perfectely fitted my situation with my ex. Great song! Wonderful voice! Still waiting for the perfect guy...
@claytonpozzer
Amazing beauty and perfect voice!!!
@Dancelight
what a strong voice! the video is also very decent and simple
@EuroQuartetBarcelona
Realmente MUY BUENA cancion