Jane Weaver (born 1972 in Liverpool) is an English singer, songwriter and g… Read Full Bio ↴Jane Weaver (born 1972 in Liverpool) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. Currently residing in Marple, Stockport (a part of Manchester), she is married to DJ and co-founder of Twisted Nerve Records Andy Votel. She has worked alongside Elbow, Doves, Andy Votel and Badly Drawn Boy.

In 1989 Weaver started out fronting Indie rock band Kill Laura who signed to Polydor Records and released two EPs until the departure of their a&r Man. Rob Gretton (New Order's manager and founder of the Hacienda club in Manchester) decided to sign them to his new label Manchester Records after seeing them support indie darlings Marion at the Band On The Wall club in Manchester. After the release of three singles Kill Laura split. Weaver began to release singles under her own name and feature on compilations such as Grand Central Record's 'Central Heating Volume 2' and collaborate with label mates Doves and Andy Votel for Manchester Records until Gretton's untimely death in 1999.

Weaver released her first solo album ' Like An Aspen Leaf' on her own imprint Bird Records through PIAS in 2002. Contributors included Rick Tomlinson (Voice Of The Seven Woods), Sam Yates, Naomi Hart as well as Craig Potter and Richard Jupp from Elbow. The album was given enthusiastic reviews by the press such as The Guardian describing her songs as music for "..heartbroken lovers that twist and turn into fragile but sparkling lullabies".

Around this time Weaver formed art-pop side project Misty Dixon with friends David Tyack (DOT), Anna Greenwood and Sam Yates. They sign to Twisted Nerve Records and released three EP's and the album 'Iced To Mode'. Before recording was finished, however, David Tyack disappeared whilst on a walking holiday in Corsica. The album was eventually released in 2003 and received critical acclaim by Peter Paphides in Mojo Magazine as "exquisite sepia future pop". David Tyack is tragically discovered dead nearly two years after disappearing in Corsica.

Weaver returned to solo work and released the album 'Seven Day Smile' in 2006 (an album of hand-picked demo recordings from the previous 10 years). The title track features the band Doves and was previously heard on a rare 7" EP called 'Everyone Knows Everyone Else'. Weaver gigged with artists such as Gruff Rhys, Badly Drawn Boy, Josephine Foster and Voice of The Seven Woods.

In 2007 Weaver released an album of new songs, 'Cherlokalate', dedicated to 'absent friends' and is described as "a bittersweet collection of memories". Alongside Andy Votel she curated a 'femme freak folk' compilation album called 'Bearded Ladies' featuring both contemporary and vintage female singers such as Brigitte Fontaine, Susan Christie and Emma Tricca. The album was brought to life after an invitation from Jarvis Cocker to play at his 2007 Meltdown Festival at The South Bank Centre. 'Lost Ladies of Folk' included sets from Bonnie Dobson, Susan Christie and Wendy and Bonnie with Sean O'Hagan and The High Llamas providing the instrumentation. Jane sang with Wendy Flower in replacement of the absent Bonnie.

Under the name Jane Weaver Septième Soeur she released the album The Fallen By Watchbird in 2010, followed by the remix album The Watchbird Alluminate with contributions from the likes of Demdike Stare and The Focus Group.

In 2014 she released the album The Silver Globe, in which elements of space rock and krautrock were combined with her folk style.

Don't Take My Soul
Jane Weaver Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A man, a man, a man don't take my soul
A man, a man, a man don't take my soul

I could see you won't admit
That this romance disappointing too
I could see you won't admit
There's no mess, maybe it's just you

When I think I'm falling to pieces
Yes, I know what to do
And with a single itch and part of me says yes
I know what to do

A man, a man, a man don't take my soul
A man, a man, a man don't take my soul

I could see you wanted to be something else
It's from what you should do
When I think I'm falling to pieces
Yes, should've had enough to do

And with a single itch and part of me says yes
I know what to do
And with a single itch and part of me says yes
It's just haunting you

A man, a man, a man don't take my soul
A man, a man, a man don't take my soul

I could feel the war in it
Of this romance turning into a fued
Consumation's falling to pieces
And creep into the rules
Is it the same position? The heart of me says yes
I know what to do
Come to think, she won't admit and yet
Maybe it's just you

A man, a man, a man don't take my soul
A man, a man, a man don't take my soul

A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man

A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man

A man, a man, a man, a man
A man, a man, a man, a man

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jane Weaver's "Don't Take My Soul" suggest a disintegration of a relationship that is beyond repair. The repeated phrase "A man, a man, a man don't take my soul" illustrates the singer's desperation to hold onto herself, and not lose her identity to the man she previously loved. The lines "I could see you wanted to be something else, it's from what you should do" suggest that the man in question may have been unhappy in the relationship and was trying to find his true self. However, the singer feels stuck and falling apart from the relationship, and when she thinks she is "falling to pieces", she knows what to do - which is likely to try and save her sense of self.

The phrase "consummation's falling to pieces" hints towards a physical aspect of the relationship that has gone awry as well. The line "is it the same position? The heart of me says yes" could imply that they are stuck in a rut and unable to change or improve the situation. The lyrics convey a sense of sadness, and perhaps a lack of communication between the two parties. Overall, the song paints a picture of a relationship that might have been started with love and hope, but has slowly deteriorated into something unhealthy.

Line by Line Meaning

A man, a man, a man don't take my soul
The singer implores a man not to take their soul.

I could see you won't admit That this romance disappointing too
The singer can see that the object of their affections won't acknowledge that the relationship has been a letdown

I could see you won't admit There's no mess, maybe it's just you
The singer suggests that the other person may be the problem, not the relationship itself

When I think I'm falling to pieces Yes, I know what to do And with a single itch and part of me says yes I know what to do
When the artist feels overwhelmed and uncertain, they remind themselves that they have an inner voice to guide them.

I could see you wanted to be something else It's from what you should do When I think I'm falling to pieces Yes, should've had enough to do
The artist feels that the other person is confused about what they want, but that the artist should have enough self-respect to not cling to the relationship.

And with a single itch and part of me says yes I know what to do And with a single itch and part of me says yes It's just haunting you
The singer trusts their own instincts to make the right decision, even if the other person's feelings are causing them distress.

I could feel the war in it Of this romance turning into a fued Consumation's falling to pieces And creep into the rules Is it the same position? The heart of me says yes I know what to do Come to think, she won't admit and yet Maybe it's just you
The singer senses that their relationship has become strained and combative, and that they are no longer on the same page with their partner. Despite this, the singer remains confident in their ability to make the right decision, and challenges the other person to take responsibility for their role in the conflict.

A man, a man, a man, a man A man, a man, a man, a man A man, a man, a man, a man A man, a man, a man, a man A man, a man, a man, a man A man, a man, a man, a man A man, a man, a man, a man A man, a man, a man, a man
This repeated refrain emphasizes the artist's plea for a man to not take their soul, and perhaps represents a kind of incantation or mantra to keep themselves centered.

Writer(s): JANE LOUISE WEAVER

Contributed by Gavin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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