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.
Into The Red
James Blake Lyrics
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Grows longer as I move everything around
Behind all the furniture
Pointed towards her
To keep her in my sights
To keep her in my life
By all means, she can get ahead of herself
I'll already be there to meet her
She's no traitor
I've got no chaser
For a leg up
I've got no chaser
She's no traitor
For a joint account
She gave me everything that she had left
(She doesn't love)
Anything for herself
But for me she goes way in, way in
Way into the red
She saw every hand in my pocket
She saw the gold rush
She watched me lose face everyday
Rather than lose me
She was the gold rush
She was the gold rush
She was the gold rush
She saw every hand in her pocket
And she sawed off every hand
(She doesn't love)
Anything for herself
But for me she goes way in, way in
Way into the red
She saw every hand in my pocket
She saw the gold rush
She watched me lose face everyday
Rather than lose me
She was the gold rush
She was the gold rush
She was the gold rush
She was the gold rush
She was the gold rush
She was the gold rush
What I have will believe you until now
Even doing nothing, I am making the most of somehow
And the credit goes to her
It's the bad day speaking red
Gotta keep her in my sights
Gotta keep her in my life
By all means, she can get ahead of herself
I'll already be there
I'll already be there to meet her
In "Into The Red," James Blake sings about the sacrifices his partner has made for him and how he has rearranged his life to keep her close. The lyrics suggest that the singer has grown increasingly dependent on his partner, so much so that he has rearranged his furniture just to keep her in his sights. The singer recognizes his partner's unwavering support, which has helped him through his struggles, and he will always be there for her.
The song goes into detail about the sacrifices the partner has made for him. They have given everything they have left, including a joint account. The singer notes that his partner does not love anything for herself, but for him, she goes way in, way into the red. This phrase is used metaphorically to suggest that the partner has gone beyond, giving all her resources to support the singer.
The song is an acknowledgment of the love and sacrifice that the partner has shown to the singer. It is also a reminder to the singer to be appreciative of her steadfast loyalty and to continue supporting her in return. Ultimately, the song suggests that the love and support between partners is what makes life worth living.
Line by Line Meaning
The list of things I could live without
As I rearrange everything in my life, I come to realize there are things I can do without.
Grows longer as I move everything around
The more I organize my life, the more I see things I could live without.
Behind all the furniture
I place everything behind the furniture to keep everything organized.
Pointed towards her
I make sure everything is pointed towards her to keep her in my focus.
To keep her in my sights
All my actions are geared towards keeping her in my life.
To keep her in my life
I make sure to do everything in my power to have her in my life.
By all means, she can get ahead of herself
I will always support her in anything she does.
I'll already be there
I will always be there to support her, no matter what.
She's no traitor
She's a loyal partner and friend.
I've got no chaser
I don't need any other support than her.
For a leg up
I don't need any favors from anyone else.
She's no traitor
She's always been faithful to me.
For a joint account
She gave me everything she had left to help me.
She doesn't love, anything for herself
She doesn't prioritize her own well-being over mine.
But for me she goes way in, way in
But for me, she is willing to go to the extreme.
Way into the red
She's willing to sacrifice everything for me.
She saw every hand in my pocket
She saw every financial hardship I faced.
She saw the gold rush
She was there for me during the good times too.
She watched me lose face everyday
She saw me struggle and lose confidence every day.
Rather than lose me
She would do anything to keep me in her life.
She was the gold rush
She was my saving grace during the good times and the bad.
What I have will believe you until now
Everything I have now is a result of her unwavering support.
Even doing nothing, I am making the most of somehow
Even when I'm doing nothing, I'm still grateful for her and the life she's given me.
And the credit goes to her
She deserves all the credit for everything good in my life.
It's the bad day speaking red
Even on my worst days, she's the one that gives me hope.
Gotta keep her in my sights
I need to make sure she's always a priority in my life.
Gotta keep her in my life
She's the one person I can't imagine living without.
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dominic Maker, James Blake Litherland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind