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).
Your Only Doll
Laura Marling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clamber to my feet and into the night again
Back to my home, back to my owner
Who screams at my tardiness
Put his hands to the sky
And says, what can I do with a girl
If she refuses to be mine?
In his bed I am queen, unobtainable me
Sexual being, human with feelings
The two are not me
The two will not be mine
And what can you do with a girl
If she refuses to be mine?
Put his hand on my shirt
Hand on my face
Head to the wall
When you've broken your only doll
And what will you do with a girl
If she refuses to be alive?
And you've broken your only doll
And what will you do with a girl
If she's refusing to be alive?
there's a house across the river
But alas I cannot swim
And a garden of such beauty
That the flower seem to grin
there's a house across the river
But alas I cannot swim
I live my life regretting
That I never jumped in
there's a boy across the river
With short black curly hair
He wants to be my lover
And I want to be his peer
there's a boy across the river
But alas I cannot swim
Now I never will get to put
My arms around him
There's a life across the river
That was meant for me
Instead I live my life in constant misery
There's a life across the river
But I do not see
Why I should please those
Who will never be pleased
There is gold across the river
But I don't want none
There is gold across the river
But I don't want none
Gold is fleeting, gold is fickle
Gold is fun
Gold is fleeting, gold is fickle
Gold is fun
There is gold across the river
But I don't want none
I would rather be tried
Than held up by a golden gun
Saying work more, earn more
Live more, have more fun
Saying work more, earn more
Live more, have more fun
Saying work more, earn more
Live more, have more fun
The opening lines of "Your Only Doll" by Laura Marling suggests a woman who feels trapped in her own existence. She feels poisoned and is climbing back into the night, heading for her owner who is angry at her tardiness. The owner considers the woman to be his, yet she doesn't see herself this way. As she becomes a sexual creature for him, she can feel the separation between her two selves, the sexual being, and the human with feelings. This internal battle becomes much clearer as the lyrics move to its climax, with the owner pressing his hands against her shirt and her face, and her head against the wall after breaking his only doll. The owner sees her as his possession, an object of his desire, and when she doesn't cooperate, he breaks her even more.
The subsequent section shifts, and Marling sings about a girl who lives by a river, feeling regret for not living the life enjoyed by those on the other side. There is a boy on the other side of the river, yearning for her love, but she cannot swim across to be with him. She then moves onto the notion of gold across the river, acknowledging that it exists but wanting nothing to do with it. She'd rather live her life by her own standards, refusing to be held captive by gold's power. In essence, Marling loses her fear of the other side and takes her life by her measures.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell into the street, poison in my veins
I stumbled onto the pavement, drunk and high
Clamber to my feet and into the night again
I pick myself up and continue my wild night
Back to my home, back to my owner
I return to the person who controls me
Who screams at my tardiness
Who yells at me for being late
Put his hands to the sky
Raises his arms in frustration
And says, what can I do with a girl
Asks what he can do with me
If she refuses to be mine?
If I don't want to be with him
In his bed I am queen, unobtainable me
With him, I feel untouchable and in control
Sexual being, human with feelings
I am a sexual being who also has emotions
The two are not me
My sexuality and emotions are separate parts of myself
The two will not be mine
Neither my sexuality nor my emotions belong to him
Put his hand on my shirt
Grabs my shirt aggressively
Hand on my face
Places his hand on my face in a threatening manner
Head to the wall
Pushes my head against the wall
When you've broken your only doll
When you've destroyed the only thing you own
And what will you do with a girl
And what can you do with me
If she refuses to be alive?
If I choose not to exist anymore
there's a house across the river
There's a nearby house
But alas I cannot swim
Unfortunately, I cannot swim
And a garden of such beauty
And there is a beautiful garden nearby
That the flower seem to grin
Where the flowers appear to smile
I live my life regretting
I have many regrets in life
That I never jumped in
That I never took a chance
there's a boy across the river
There's a boy on the other side
With short black curly hair
Who has black curly hair
He wants to be my lover
Who wants to be in a romantic relationship with me
And I want to be his peer
And I want to be his equal
Now I never will get to put
But now it's too late
My arms around him
To embrace him
There's a life across the river
There's another life I could have lived
That was meant for me
That was a potential destiny for me
Instead I live my life in constant misery
Instead, I live in constant sadness
But I do not see
But I don't understand
Why I should please those
Why I should make others happy
Who will never be pleased
When they cannot be satisfied
Gold is fleeting, gold is fickle
Money is temporary and unreliable
Gold is fun
Money is enjoyable
I would rather be tried
I would rather face challenges
Than held up by a golden gun
Than be a slave to wealth
Saying work more, earn more
Encouraging me to work harder and make more money
Live more, have more fun
To have more experiences and enjoy life more
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LAURA BEATRICE MARLING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scott B
Bit geeky, but can the channel add the date of the initial recording into the description please? (if you're reading)
For artists like this it would be interesting to know!
David Vazquez
Laura is love
Vasya Petrov
Nice voice )
Ashley Calvin
Made a comment a bit geeky well whatever I am asnwell I mean I can imagine how young she is which is even more amazing that she's so in tune with her feelings and what's going on I think it's amazing and I'm cuz I mean I'm there and I've been there and she's describing it the best way that she can I think it's beautiful I give you I think she's awesome for real unless you've been there you don't really know you know as usual everybody has a story to tell
David Barkan
Intense!
TheRoundandround
how many times have you seen this, listened to this...kind of "artist"? do you know what i mean...? myself, thousands and thousands...over time...
James Ward
You mean a singer with an acoustic guitar? That must be what you mean because her song-writing is very unique.
CIOCCOLATO !
if you feel a special emotion from someone that doesnt change anything, i feel extreme honesty and beauty across this song, so I love it. Your point still is true, but I feel im able to get over that when I conncet so much with it