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).
Made by Maid
Laura Marling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I was born in the fog of that day
Can they hear a babe over all the faith,
Or have they forgot what it was that they made
Crawled out of the fog, found a river,
Found a log and floated away
Didn't think I'd be coming back this way
Found their root and brought me back to its place
And on the hill where I was born,
There is no rose but just a thorn;
They cut it off each year and give it away
But can they hear a babe after all these days,
Or have they forgot what it was that they made
So left to wander blind, I find myself in cautious times,
And they say, Love's labor is never lost; labor on to this very day.
So I walk into the fog, found a babe atop a log and all alone
Took him under, took him on,
Taught him everything about the world I'd come to know
And he blames me for every wrong ever he made
I am blamed for every wrong ever he made
Forgive me I am only a maid
Forgive me I am only a maid
But I can see a babe under all that blame
And I am forgot from the day I am laid
In the first verse of Laura Marling's song "Made by Maid," the singer speaks of dancers who hope the sun will come out again. They seem to have forgotten all else, even a newborn baby, who must be voiceless in their midst. This baby, who is the singer herself, was born in a day's fog, surrounded by people whose joy in life, embodied in the dance, leaves no space for children. The fog obscures this truth, and even the people themselves may have forgotten what they created with their own bodies. The verses suggest that the people in the dance are, like sirens, luring and enticing, and the fog leaves the singer feeling alone.
In the second verse, the singer has reached a new place after crawling out of the fog. She found a river and let herself float away on a log, not thinking that she would ever return. But her feet somehow knew the way back and brought her back to her birthplace. On the hill where she was born, there is only a thorn, which the people cut off each year and give away. The thorn is a symbol of the singer's own life, which is only a minor, prickly thing in the midst of the dancers' joy. Yet, there remains a question of whether they can hear a babe after all these days, or have they forgotten what it was that they made.
The last verse speaks of the singer's taking a baby under her wing and teaching him about the world. However, the baby blames her for every wrong he makes. The singer seems to internalize this blame, as she asks for forgiveness, saying she is only a maid. She has been forgotten, and the baby remains the sole focus. The last line of the song suggests that she will always be forgotten, just as she was forgotten on the day she was laid down.
Line by Line Meaning
They dance like sirens, hoping the sun would come out again
They move seductively, like the mythical creature Siren, wishing for a better tomorrow
And I was born in the fog of that day
I was born on a day when everything was unclear and uncertain
Can they hear a babe over all the faith,
Is it possible for them to hear a newborn's cry amid all their religious beliefs?
Or have they forgot what it was that they made
Or have they forgotten the human that they have brought into this world?
Crawled out of the fog, found a river,
Emerging from the unclear and uncertain environment, discovering a path
Found a log and floated away
Came across a floating object and drifted away
Didn't think I'd be coming back this way
I had no intention of returning this way
But my feet are resolute; Found their root and brought me back to its place
However, I was determined and ultimately returned to where I belong
And on the hill where I was born, There is no rose but just a thorn;
On the hill where I was born, there is no beauty but only pain
They cut it off each year and give it away
Every year they remove the only good thing that grows there and give it away
So left to wander blind, I find myself in cautious times,
Thus, I feel lost, confused and cautious in an uncertain time
And they say, Love's labor is never lost; labor on to this very day.
People encourage me to continue working hard for love and not to give up
So I walk into the fog, found a babe atop a log and all alone
I venture into the unknown, where I discover an abandoned child on a floating object
Took him under, took him on, Taught him everything about the world I'd come to know
I took him in and taught him all that I had learned about the world
And he blames me for every wrong ever he made
Despite my efforts, he holds me responsible for any wrongs he has committed or any hardships he has faced
I am blamed for every wrong ever he made
I am unfairly blamed for his mistakes and misfortunes
Forgive me I am only a maid
Please forgive me, as I am only a servant
But I can see a babe under all that blame
Despite the blame and guilt, I still see the innocent child that I once rescued
And I am forgot from the day I am laid
Despite my dedication and sacrifices, I am quickly forgotten and unappreciated
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LAURA BEATRICE MARLING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind