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).
Typically Shit
Laura Marling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My oldest friend, and I blew her away
Just a few kind words, and all I could say
Was 'I've known you, what, 10 years and it feels like a day"
Torn apart at the hands of a child
You cannot use arrogance as something to depend
Condemned all religion to a pitiless end
And a politician's resonance ran through my mind
Patriotic in one sense, in the other just blind
And I watched them cry
Torn apart at the hands of a child
I'll keep on going, I've got nothing to lose
I gave up morals when I took up booze
And it's boring to hear of another young you
What a typically shit thing to do
And I was so shallow to the one man who stuck around
Sunk so low that I nearly drowned
And I screamed of his heart when he wasn't around
Consoled him recklessly, I knew he was done
Oh, he all but died
Torn apart at the hands of a child
And I'll keep on going, I've got nothing to lose
I gave up morals when I took up booze
And it's boring to hear of another young you
What a typically shit thing to do
And I have felt heartbreak too and I know what it feels like
And I have felt heartbreak now and I know that it hurts, right
I have felt loneliness and I know what it feels like
The ground is to swallow you up and you know what it hurts, right
And I'll keep on going, I've got nothing to lose
I gave up morals when I took up booze
And it's boring to hear of another young you
What a typically shit thing to do
In Laura Marling's song Typically Shit, the lyrics capture the raw and emotionally charged thoughts of a person reflecting on their mistakes and shortcomings. The song begins with the singer questioning whether they are willing to let jealousy take control of them, with the lines "Can I let jealousy blind me today? My oldest friend, and I blew her away". The singer goes on to lament about not being able to find the right words to console their friend, and how the situation unfolded in a way that caused their friend to cry.
The lyrics then shift focus to discuss the singer's views on religion and patriotism, highlighting the ways in which these concepts can often be conflicting and detrimental. However, despite these heavy themes, the singer continues to reflect on their own shortcomings and their struggles with addiction. They question their own moral compass and describe feeling bored at the thought of yet another young person making the same mistakes they have. The song ends with a powerful reflection on heartbreak and loneliness, with the singer acknowledging that they have experienced these emotions and the pain that comes with them.
Overall, Typically Shit is a song filled with introspection and self-reflection. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who has made mistakes and struggled with addiction, but who is also willing to confront their flaws and take responsibility for their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I let jealousy blind me today?
Is it okay for me to allow jealousy to impair my judgment?
My oldest friend, and I blew her away
I had a falling out with my closest friend and we are no longer close.
Just a few kind words, and all I could say, Was 'I've known you, what, 10 years and it feels like a day'
When my friend was upset with me, all I could say were some meaningless clichés.
And I watched her cry, Torn apart at the hands of a child
My friend was devastated by something insignificant that I said or did.
You cannot use arrogance as something to depend, Condemned all religion to a pitiless end
Being arrogant is not a reliable way to approach life; I am also critical of religion.
And a politician's resonance ran through my mind, Patriotic in one sense, in the other just blind
I was thinking about the rhetoric of politicians and how their patriotism can be blinding.
And I watched them cry, Torn apart at the hands of a child
I witnessed someone being hurt by the actions or words of someone immature.
I'll keep on going, I've got nothing to lose, I gave up morals when I took up booze
I have nothing to lose, so I continue to engage in immoral behavior due to my excessive drinking.
And it's boring to hear of another young you, What a typically shit thing to do
It's annoying to hear about someone else's youthful mistakes, but I have done the same things myself.
And I was so shallow to the one man who stuck around, Sunk so low that I nearly drowned
I was ungrateful to the man who stood by me; I fell to a low point in my life.
And I screamed of his heart when he wasn't around, Consoled him recklessly, I knew he was done, Oh, he all but died
I took out my frustrations on my partner and was reckless with his emotions, causing him great pain.
And I have felt heartbreak too and I know what it feels like, And I have felt heartbreak now and I know that it hurts, right, I have felt loneliness and I know what it feels like, The ground is to swallow you up and you know what it hurts, right
I understand what it's like to experience heartbreak and loneliness, and it can be incredibly painful.
And I'll keep on going, I've got nothing to lose, I gave up morals when I took up booze, And it's boring to hear of another young you, What a typically shit thing to do
I continue to lead a reckless lifestyle and don't care about morals or consequences. It's hypocritical of me to judge others' mistakes when I have made similar ones.
Contributed by Josiah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Positive Life Place
I love this song by Laura and your voice is lovely, wish I'd been there. :) the sound quality of your recorder could be better, but it's a good start.
mia4513
this is such an amazing cover! do you think you could message me the chords?id love to be able to play it as well as you :)
Xinyuan Yu
love this song, could u please send me the chords to this song XX
lauraponto
This is such a beautiful cover. Could you please send me the chords? I'd love to play this song! :)
Lauren McClean
Hey, beautiful cover! Could u please send me the chords to this song? Thank u x
seeyouinheaven
Wow! You did a pretty good job! Where did you find the music, because I've been looking for it for a very long time! Could you please send me the sheet music? It would be very nice of you! :) Thank you so much!
OliviaSnellMusic
thank you all!! i'm sorry it's taken so long, but i'll be sending the chords out via inbox messages!
milliefrances3
do you think you think you could mail me the chords/sheet music? i've been looking for them and i cant find them anywhere.. this is really good by the way!
Дарья Волынская
wow, this is really beautiful!! good work! and I will love you forever if you maybe send me chords? i was searching for them for a really long time! or maybe you know where i could find them?
lea maria
do you have sheet music for this song? or did you figure it out on your own? i really like your piano playing and would love to know how to play this song too.