Her voice is comparable to Ms Newsom and Björk; but she is better compared with Anohni, (formerly Anthony Heggarty).
And You Survived
Kathryn Joseph Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Daggers in your side
Holdin' back your blood
Could not kill your love
Could not kill
And I was born
Cord around my neck
Now I'm addicted to the holding
To the holding
To the holding
To the holding
To the holding
(Ooh-yeah,ooh)
(Ooh-yeah,ooh)
And you survived
Kathryn Joseph's song "And You Survived" speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. The opening lines "Daggers in your side, holding back your blood, could not kill your love" suggests that despite being wounded, the love within oneself is much stronger and cannot be defeated by external forces. Additionally, the repetition of the phrase "To the holding" echoes the idea that one must hold onto what they cherish in life and that it is crucial to their survival. The parallel between the singer and the person in the first verse is that both have faced adversity, but both have overcome it. The singer speaks to herself when she says she was born with a cord around her neck, but she has overcome that and has become addicted to "the holding," presumably love or the comfort of human connection.
The song's message is one of strength and courage despite hardship. Joseph highlights that life is not always easy, and there will be moments of pain and difficulty, but the human spirit is resilient and can overcome anything with determination and willpower.
Line by Line Meaning
And you survived
Despite the daggers in your side and the challenge of holding back your blood, you persevered and survived. Your love remained unbroken and could not be defeated.
Daggers in your side
Experiencing immense pain and suffering, represented by daggers piercing your side.
Holdin' back your blood
Struggling to keep yourself alive and fighting, even in the face of mortal danger represented by the need to hold back your own blood flow.
Could not kill your love
Despite the intense challenges and hardships you faced, your love for life and hope remained unbroken and indestructible.
And I was born
Referring to the artist's own birth, indicating an acknowledgement of the privilege of life and its preciousness.
Cord around my neck
A difficult start to life, with the danger of being strangled by the cord around her neck during childbirth.
I got over it
Acknowledging the triumphs and challenges of overcoming the difficult beginning to her life.
Now I'm addicted to the holding
Finding comfort in holding onto the preciousness of life, possibly to a point of addiction, after the initial struggle of survival.
To the holding
Reinforcing the idea of clinging onto life and its joys, even after having overcome great obstacles.
(Ooh-yeah,ooh)
A vocal expression of the artist's emotions, in this case emphasizing the strength and resilience of those who overcome adversity.
Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.