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. Itโs not just the โgolden-oldiesโ that Laura admires; she also harbours a rather deep love for alt.countryโs favourite son, Ryan Adams. โHeโs brilliant, thereโs nothing that even comes close, he can paint the most amazing pictures in your mind.โ 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 labelโs 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).
New Romantic
Laura Marling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the first to admit that I'm still pretty young
And I never meant to hurt you when I wrote you ten love songs
That guy that I could never get, oh his girlfriend was pretty fit
And everyone who knew her loves her so
And I made you leave her for me and now I'm feeling pretty mean
But my mind has fucked me over more times than any man could ever know
Maybe I should give up, give in
Give up trying to be thin
Give up and turn into my mother
God knows I love her
And I'm sorry to whichever man should meet my sorry state
Watch my sturdy, lonesome gait and beware
I will never love a man 'cause love and pain go hand-in-hand
And I can't do it
Again
So we stayed up late one night to try and get our problems right
But I couldn't get into his head just what was going through my mind
Think he knew where I was going, he put Ryan Adams on
I think he thinks it makes me weak, but it only ever makes me strong
I've got this friend who sounds just like him
And he's the man I'd leave you for, the man that I just adore, like you
The same man, he turns to me, he said "I've got to tell you how I feel
If God could make a perfect girl, for me it would be you
And my God told me not to tell about how much do you love your fella?"
I don't know more everyday
Not in this new romantic way
I'll always be your first love
You'll always be my first love
But I'm sorry to whichever man should meet my sorry state
Watch my sturdy, lonesome gait and beware
I will never love a man 'cause love and pain go hand-in-hand
And I can't do it
Again
I will never love a man 'cause I could never hurt a man
Not in this new romantic way
In "New Romantic," Laura Marling sings about the complexities of love and the fear of repeating past mistakes. The song opens with Marling acknowledging that she might have been wrong when she said, "I love you," recognizing that she is still young and has a lot to learn. She reflects on a past relationship where she made her partner leave his girlfriend for her, causing her to feel guilty.
The chorus sees Marling contemplating giving up on trying to fit into society's beauty standards, "Maybe I should give up, give in, give up trying to be thin, give up and turn into my mother." She goes on to sing about her fear of falling in love again and causing pain, "And I will never love a man 'cause love and pain go hand-in-hand, and I can't do it again."
Towards the end of the song, Marling recounts a conversation she had with a friend about a man who sounds just like her ex-partner. She admits to being in love with this friend who has told her that if God made a perfect girl for him, it would be her. However, the man tells her that he can't tell her how much he loves her because he knows she is in a relationship.
Marling's lyrics in "New Romantic" illustrate the emotional turmoil that comes with love and the fear of causing pain. The song showcases her vulnerability and her willingness to take responsibility for her actions while addressing complex themes such as self-acceptance and the difficulties of navigating relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I know I said I love you but I'm thinking I was wrong
I am admitting that I was mistaken when I said that I loved you.
I'm the first to admit that I'm still pretty young
I confess that I am still quite youthful and inexperienced.
And I never meant to hurt you when I wrote you ten love songs
I did not intend to cause you emotional pain when I wrote ten songs about my affection for you.
That guy that I could never get, oh his girlfriend was pretty fit
I desired a man who was unattainable because he had a beautiful girlfriend.
And everyone who knew her loves her so
Many people admired and adored the man's girlfriend.
And I made you leave her for me and now I'm feeling pretty mean
I influenced you to break up with your girlfriend and now I am experiencing guilt and remorse.
But my mind has fucked me over more times than any man could ever know
My thoughts and feelings have deceived me frequently and more than anyone can comprehend.
Maybe I should give up, give in
I am considering surrendering and giving up.
Give up trying to be thin
I should stop striving to be slender.
Give up and turn into my mother
Perhaps I should give up and become more like my mother.
God knows I love her
I have great affection for my mother.
And I'm sorry to whichever man should meet my sorry state
I express remorse for any man who encounters me in my current despondent condition.
Watch my sturdy, lonesome gait and beware
Observe my sad and resolute manner and take caution.
I will never love a man 'cause love and pain go hand-in-hand
I will never fall in love with a man because it inevitably involves suffering and heartache.
And I can't do it again
I am unable to endure that kind of emotional distress again.
So we stayed up late one night to try and get our problems right
We attempted to resolve our relationship issues by staying up late one night.
But I couldn't get into his head just what was going through my mind
I was unable to communicate effectively with him and express my thoughts and feelings.
Think he knew where I was going, he put Ryan Adams on
He likely understood my intentions and played Ryan Adams' music.
I think he thinks it makes me weak, but it only ever makes me strong
He perhaps believes that listening to Ryan Adams' music makes me vulnerable, but it actually strengthens me.
I've got this friend who sounds just like him
I have a friend who resembles him in many ways.
And he's the man I'd leave you for, the man that I just adore, like you
I have feelings for this man and I would be with him instead of you, just like I was once infatuated with you.
The same man, he turns to me, he said "I've got to tell you how I feel
This man expressed to me his desire to confess his feelings for me.
If God could make a perfect girl, for me it would be you
He stated that I am a perfect match for him, as if I were made for him by a divine creator.
And my God told me not to tell about how much do you love your fella?"
He suggests that his faith is warning him against speaking about our shared romantic interests.
I don't know more everyday
Every day, I become more uncertain and confused.
Not in this new romantic way
But I am not seeking a romance like what has happened between us again.
I'll always be your first love
I will always have affection for you as my first love.
You'll always be my first love
You will always hold a special place in my heart as my first love.
But I'm sorry to whichever man should meet my sorry state
Again, I feel remorseful for any man who encounters me in my current despondent state.
Watch my sturdy, lonesome gait and beware
Observe my sad and resolute manner and be cautious.
I will never love a man 'cause love and pain go hand-in-hand
Once more, I reiterate that romantic love involves inevitable suffering and heartache for me.
And I can't do it again
I am simply unable to handle that kind of emotional pain once more.
I will never love a man 'cause I could never hurt a man
I am incapable of causing harm or pain to a man and therefore will never fall in love with someone again.
Not in this new romantic way
Especially not in a romantic capacity similar to what I experienced with my first love.
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management
Written by: Laura Beatrice Marling
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charlottepazos7213
I know I said I love you but I'm thinking I was wrong
I'm the first to admit that I'm still pretty young
And I never meant to hurt you when I wrote you ten love songs
That guy that I could never get, oh his girlfriend was pretty fit
And everyone who knew her loved her so
And I made you leave her for me and now I'm feeling pretty mean
But my mind has fucked me over more times than any man could ever know
Maybe I should give up, give in
Give up trying to be thin
Give up and turn into my mother
God knows I love her
And I'm sorry to whichever man should meet my sorry state
Watch my sturdy, lonesome gait and beware
I will never love a man 'cause love and pain go hand-in-hand
And I can't do it, again
So we stayed up late one night to try and get our problems right
But I couldn't get into his head just what was going through my mind
Think he knew where I was going, he put Ryan Adams on
I think he thinks it makes me weak, but it only ever makes me strong
I've got this friend who sounds just like him
And he's the man I'd leave you for, the man that I just adore, like you
The same man, he turns to me, he said "I've got to tell you how I feel"
"If God could make a perfect girl, for me it would be you"
"And my God told me not to tell about how much do you love your fella?"
I don't know more every day
Not in this new romantic way
I'll always be your first love
You'll always be my first love
But I'm sorry to whichever man should meet my sorry state
Watch my sturdy, lonesome gait and beware
I will never love a man cause love and pain go hand-in-hand
And I can't do it, again
I will never love a man 'cause I could never hurt a man
Not in this new romantic way
@juniorpereira200
what a privilege following Laura's career through all this years. a fucking incredible artist.
@erwinalatif1356
same here...
@7elas241
I knew about her in 2019
@daniellezimmerman573
I saw her live three times (in Toronto) unreal performer and artist-- old soul, ahead of her time. Hoped to hear this song at her shows but never did, she mentioned it was too painful to sing now. Much respect.
@Lewismarty1
What makes it so painful?
@luannaaaaa
Laura is one of my favorite artists, so talented!
@lxx5045
Her performance is so moving at such a young age, even now shes still brings out the pain from this song. Perfect
@MrACOUSTICPETE
I love the honest sincerity .It reaches into you brain . Terrific and very memorable performance . Thank you !
@hannahtaybooks
This song takes me back to my teens.
@ggthewhale
such a wonderful songwriter