She began playing the guitar at the age of five, first being taught the blues by her father in front of the family fire, and has been enthralled by the songs and lyrics of the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, James Taylor and John Mayall ever since. It’s not just the “golden-oldies” that Laura admires; she also harbours a rather deep love for alt.country’s favourite son, Ryan Adams. “He’s brilliant, there’s nothing that even comes close, he can paint the most amazing pictures in your mind.” Ryan Adams in turn had her album 'I Speak Because I Can' given to him by a producer friend. Ryan had written a lot of the material for his forthcoming album 'Ashes and Fire' but upon listening to her album he said; "I actually threw out the record I was writing and re-wrote my record based on that album because I thought to myself somebody's actually taking this very seriously ... It was amazing, a great motivation ... And it felt good to ask: 'What am I really capable of? I felt competitive again to write great songs."
Jamie T personally invited her on tour with him after being impressed by her modern folk-pop when he caught her playing just her second ever gig. Marling is part of the extended Way Out West family, having played five eminent shows at the label’s Brentford FC night before the club was finally moved on, and was also a member of Noah and the Whale until May 2008, contributing vocals and instruments throughout, and seen in the "Five Years Time" video playing recorder.
Following her London Town EP, Marling's debut album Alas I Cannot Swim was released by Virgin on 4th February 2008. Originally released in a large Song Box containing mementos and trinkets personal to the songs, as well as a concert ticket., the album was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Music Prize.
Marling released her second album, I Speak Because I Can, on March 22nd 2010.
The first track from her third album, A Creature I Don't Know, to receive radio airplay was "Sophia." The song is an ode to a mythical deity. (Sophia Songfacts).
Failure
Laura Marling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He would write the songs and I'd tremble at his hand but oh la la
He lost my word to get the girl
And his songs were pathetic
And hes a failure now
He used to be the life and soul of everyone around
You'd never catch him looking up I'd never see him down
He couldn't raise a smile
No not for a while
And he's a failure now.
Don't cry child
You've got so much more to live for
Don't cry child
You've got something I would die for
And if it comes to the rain
Just be glad you'll smile again
Because so many don't and so many go unnamed
People push right pass me shouting their disclaims
A preacher pushes me a side and asks to wash my sins I said no la la
If he made me in his image then he's a failure too.
I used to need a couple people keep my head down
Now I need a whole lot more to keep me on the ground.
But oh la la
I gave up something and I gave it up for nothing and I'm a failure now.
Don't cry child
You've got so much more to live for
Don't cry child
You've got something I would die for
And if it comes to the rain just be glad you'll smile again
Because so many don't and so many go un named
Laura Marling's song "Failure" explores the theme of disappointment and the struggle to overcome it. The lyrics suggest that the singer is reflecting on the life of someone close to her who has been a disappointment, perhaps a lover or friend. The first two verses describe the person in question as someone who used to be successful and admired, but has now lost their way. The lines "He used to be a singer in a rock and roll band/ He would write the songs and I'd tremble at his hand but oh la la" suggest that the person was once talented and passionate, but something went wrong along the way. The lyrics "He lost my word to get the girl/ And his songs were pathetic/ And he's a failure now" highlight the disappointment and disillusionment the singer feels towards this person, who has failed to achieve their dreams and is now seen as a failure.
The chorus of the song offers some encouragement to the singer, suggesting that there is still hope and happiness to be found. The lines "Don't cry child/ You've got so much more to live for/ Don't cry child/You've got something I would die for/And if it comes to the rain/ Just be glad you'll smile again/ Because so many don't and so many go unnamed" suggests that even in difficult times, there is always a reason to keep going and find joy in life.
The final verse of the song takes on a more political tone, with the singer reflecting on issues of social injustice and inequality. The lines "People push right pass me shouting their disclaims/ A preacher pushes me aside and asks to wash my sins I said no la la/ If he made me in his image then he's a failure too" suggests a rejection of traditional beliefs and the idea of being judged by others. The singer seems to be saying that despite the challenges and obstacles that she faces, she will not be deterred or defined by the opinions of others.
Line by Line Meaning
He used to be a singer in a rock and roll band
He once had a successful career as a rockstar
He would write the songs and I'd tremble at his hand but oh la la
His music used to be awe-inspiring and made me feel vulnerable
He lost my word to get the girl
He failed to win me over or impress me
And his songs were pathetic
His music became unbearable and unoriginal
And hes a failure now
He's no longer successful and has become a disappointment
He used to be the life and soul of everyone around
He used to be the center of attention, the one who made everyone happy
You'd never catch him looking up I'd never see him down
He was always happy and positive, never showing any signs of weakness
But oh la la
Despite that, something has changed
He couldn't raise a smile
He couldn't force himself to be happy anymore
No not for a while
This has been going on for some time
And he's a failure now.
He's no longer successful and has become a disappointment
Don't cry child
Don't be sad
You've got so much more to live for
There's so much more to life than what's causing you pain right now
You've got something I would die for
You have something valuable that others would give anything to have
And if it comes to the rain
If life gets tough
Just be glad you'll smile again
Be optimistic that things will get better and you'll be happy again
Because so many don't and so many go unnamed
Many people suffer in silence without anyone noticing and their pain goes unrecognized
People push right pass me shouting their disclaims
People ignore me, dismissing my thoughts and opinions
A preacher pushes me a side and asks to wash my sins I said no la la
Even a religious figure doesn't understand me or offer me solace
If he made me in his image then he's a failure too.
If God is supposed to be perfect, then why am I such a disappointment? Why is he a disappointment?
I used to need a couple people keep my head down
I used to just need a few people to help me stay grounded
Now I need a whole lot more to keep me on the ground.
Now, I need a lot more to keep me from losing myself
But oh la la
Despite that, something has changed
I gave up something and I gave it up for nothing and I'm a failure now.
I sacrificed something important to me and didn't get anything in return, making me a disappointment
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Laura Beatrice Marling
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind