James Blake began his final year at Goldsmiths in September 2009 studying popular music while recording songs in his bedroom. In July 2009, he attended the Latymer School and released his debut single "Air and Lack Thereof" on Hemlock Audio. It was a firm favorite with Gilles Peterson from BBC Radio 1, and Blake was invited to do a special mix on Peterson's worldwide show, which included an exclusive Mount Kimbie track.
Blake released his debut EP The Bells Sketch on 8 March 2010 on Hessle Audio, followed soon after by CMYK on 31 May 2010 and Klavierwerke on 10 October 2010, both on R&S Records. All three EPs were met with significant critical acclaim: BBC's Nick Grimshaw chose CMYK as his Record of the Week, the title track of CMYK was ranked 24th on Frontier Psychiatrist's top 40 songs of the year, and all three of Blake's 2010 EPs were collectively ranked 8th on Pitchfork's top 50 albums of 2010.
On 4 February 2011, Blake released his self-titled debut LP, James Blake, via ATLAS and A&M. Three singles were released for the album: "Limit to Your Love," "The Wilhelm Scream," and "Lindisfarne"/"Unluck". The album was very well-received by critics: on 29 September 2010, BBC's Zane Lowe made "Limit To Your Love" his "Hottest Record in the World," Pitchfork awarded the album Best New Music and ranked it the 12th best album of 2011 on their year-end list, and it was nominated for the 2011 Mercury Prize.
On 7 October 2011, Blake released his fourth EP, Enough Thunder, via ATLAS and A&M. Two singles were released for the EP: "Fall Creek Boys Choir," a collaboration between Blake and Bon Iver, and "A Case of You," a cover of Joni Mitchell. On 12 December 2011, Blake released another EP through R&S, Love What Happened Here.
Atmosphere
James Blake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't walk away in silence
See the danger, always danger
Endless talking, life rebuilding
Don't walk away
Walk in silence
Don't turn away in silence
Worn like a mask of self-hate
Confronts and then dies
Don't walk away
People like you find it easy
Naked to see, walking on air
Hunting by the rivers, through the streets, every corner
Abandoned too soon, set down with due care
Don't walk away in silence
Don't walk away in silence
Don't walk away
The lyrics in James Blake's song Atmosphere are about the difficulties that we all face in life and how it can be tempting to walk away from them. The first stanza encourages the listener to face the danger and the challenges that come with life head-on rather than just talking about them or rebuilding your life without addressing the root of the problem. The second stanza talks about the illusion that we can create for ourselves when we're confused or unsure about something. We might pretend that everything is alright even though it's really not, and this can be like wearing a mask of self-hate. However, the lyrics remind us that we must confront our confusion and illusions because they will eventually die if we don't walk away.
In the final stanza, the singer addresses people like the listener who might find it easy to simply walk away from their problems. It's much easier to pretend like we're fine when we're really struggling, but the lyrics remind us that we need to face the challenges in our lives head-on. The line "Naked to see, walking on air" suggests that we might be visible and exposed, but we need to keep walking anyway. The song ends with a repetition of the command "Don't walk away in silence" as if the singer is trying to remind us to stay present in our lives and not give up or walk away.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk in silence
Move without making sound
Don't walk away in silence
Don't leave without saying anything
See the danger, always danger
Notice impending harm, an ever-present threat
Endless talking, life rebuilding
Nonstop chatter while trying to rebuild one's life
Don't walk away
Stay and face the situation
Your confusion, my illusion
Your uncertainty is my deception
Worn like a mask of self-hate
Covered up like a disguise for self-loathing
Confronts and then dies
Encountered and then disappears
People like you find it easy
Individuals like you do it with ease
Naked to see, walking on air
Easily identifiable, walking carelessly on a high
Hunting by the rivers, through the streets, every corner
Searching rigorously in every place imaginable
Abandoned too soon, set down with due care
Left too early, carefully placed
Don't walk away in silence
Don't depart without speaking
Don't turn away in silence
Don't turn away without speaking
Don't walk away
Stay and confront the issue
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ian Kevin Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Paul David Morris, Bernard Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind