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).
Only the Strong
Laura Marling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only the strong survive
Only the wrong, they live their lives
We've been here a thousand times
Wish I could go back and find
Letters I wrote you in my mind
Perhaps I could unknot us from this awful bind
Love is a sickness killed by time
Love is a sickness killed by time
Bruises all, end up benign
Love is a sickness killed by time
I hope that you can change my mind
Had to leave this crying all behind
I hope you don't think that I'm unkind
Just somebody told me
Only and only
Only the strong will survive
Only the strong survive
And I won't write a woman
With a man on my mind
Hope that didn't sound too unkind
Just struggling to figure out how
Only, only, only, only
Only the strong can survive
I hope that you can change my mind
I had to leave this crying all behind
I hope you don't think that I'm unkind
Just somebody told me
Only and only
Only the strong can survive
Laura Marling's song Only the Strong is a haunting track that explores the resilience of the human spirit, particularly when it comes to matters of love. The refrain "Only the strong survive" acts as a chorus and serves as a reminder that only those who are able to endure the hardships of life will emerge victorious. The song is a sobering tribute to the power of the human psyche and the indomitable nature of the human spirit.
Marling uses metaphorical language throughout the song, such as "Love is a sickness killed by time," to convey the idea that love is a fragile emotion that can be easily destroyed by the passage of time. She also expresses regret over lost opportunities, noting that she wishes she could "go back and find letters I wrote you in my mind," suggesting that she has let important moments slip through her fingers. However, she also acknowledges that she has "over-refined" her memories, and that most of them have been forgotten.
Overall, the message of Only the Strong is one of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. While the song deals with heavy subject matter, Marling's ethereal voice and poetic lyricism make it a beautiful and powerful meditation on the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Only the strong survive
Those who are strong enough to endure the hardships of life are the ones who will make it through
Only the wrong, they live their lives
Those who make the wrong decisions in life are the ones who continue to live their lives the way they want
We've been here a thousand times
We have been in this situation over and over again, but only the strong have managed to survive
Wish I could go back and find
I wish I could go back in time and retrieve
Letters I wrote you in my mind
The letters that I composed in my head for you, but never wrote down
Perhaps I could unknot us from this awful bind
Maybe I could have fixed our broken relationship if I had sent those letters to you
Most I have forgot, or over refined
I have either forgotten or over-analyzed those letters to the point where they seem meaningless now
Love is a sickness killed by time
Love is a powerful feeling that fades away with time
Bruises all, end up benign
All the damage that love causes eventually fades away or becomes less severe
I hope that you can change my mind
I am open to the possibility of changing my perspective on things
Had to leave this crying all behind
I needed to move on from the emotional pain and suffering that I experienced
I hope you don't think that I'm unkind
I hope you don't perceive me as being unfeeling or unsympathetic towards you
Just somebody told me
I was informed by someone else
Only and only
Exclusively
Only the strong will survive
Only those who are strong enough to weather the storm will come out on the other side
And I won't write a woman
I am not going to compose a letter to a woman
With a man on my mind
With another man occupying my thoughts
Hope that didn't sound too unkind
I hope my refusal to write a letter to someone else did not come across as unfeeling or rude
Just struggling to figure out how
I am having difficulty trying to figure out how to proceed or how to handle a situation
Only, only, only, only
Exclusively, exclusively, exclusively, exclusively
Only the strong can survive
Only those who have the strength to endure will make it through the challenges they face
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Laura Marling
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chipiturk90strend
Oh god, i started crying screaming inside LAURA MARLING IS IN A MOVIE SOUNDTRACK!!!!!
I am so proud her music was choose to appear in the credits.
I didn't like the movie so much.
Big fan of Laura's music since always, it was so great to hear her music.
❤️
@laismtp
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Only the wrong relive their lives
We've been here a thousand times
Wish I could go back and find
Letters I wrote you in my mind
Perhaps I could unknot us from this awful bind
Most I have forgot or overrefined
Love is a sickness cured by time
Love is a sickness cured by time
Bruises all end up benign
Love is a sickness cured by time
I hope that you can change my mind
Had to leave this crying all behind
I hope that you don't think that I'm unkind
So somebody told me, only and only
Only the strong will survive
Only the strong survive
And I won't write a woman with a man on my mind
Hope that didn't sound too unkind
Just struggling to figure out how only, only, only, only
Only the strong can survive
Hope that you can change my mind
I had to leave this crying all behind
I hope that you don't think that I'm unkind
It's just somebody told me, only and only
Only the strong can survive
@joshualichner7297
Great in movie soundtrack about girl with schizophrenia at end.. Brought me here
@michaelschories1794
"Fear of rain"...
@ryleebaczynski219
Same
@littlebignuts02
Same as that ;) some of the most beautiful tracks that have graced my lug holes (ears) are from random adverts and films, thanks Shazam !
@marielenawhitehouse34
Fear of rain❤️
@Big420Tex
@@littlebignuts02 Same, but I’ll also add Video Games to that list. ❤️🩹
@frezurmind
I found this gem 💎 thru " Fear of Rain " 🌧 great song 🎵 good movie 🎥
@anilchamba007
Exactly the same for me too.. song makes me sad tho because we lost our family dog 15 days ago due to his ill health
@chrishinshaw1216
Fear of Rain brought me here. Such a sad and heart wrenching look into mental health. Thought I made it thru without tears then this songs start playing. 😭😢😥
@alvinchipmunk7279
I've watched it now and I have more empathy to her father, he is real hero of the movie, her behavior wasn't appropriate according to the situation