On the title track of her debut release, the Don't Fall Asleep EP, an eerie treated voice was juxtaposed against corrupted funk. Her debut album was recorded in her bedroom and issued on Rephlex Records in 1998. Drawing on techno, funk, soul, electronica, hip-hop and classical, Like Weather was created in the same arbitrary way that most people buy and listen to music - that is, with little sense of genre boundaries. At one point, the album was actually rumoured to be a lost Prince recording. The album Like Weather is a widely respected milestone and defines a period of London urban music.
A single, 'Feeling', suggested a dysfunctional All Saints. Other tracks drew on the grandeur of Andrea Parker, the shiftiness of Tricky, the sonic perversity of the Aphex Twin and the anal, painstaking attention to sound of hip-hop. 'All the tracks are quite intense, really,' admits Leila of her recordings, 'I take what I do seriously. I try to make moving music.' Luca Santucci, Donna Paul and Leila's sister Roya supplied vocals on the album.
As if to accentuate her sonic perversity, Leila issued (to friends and journalists) a cover of 'Heaven On Their Minds' from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar backed by a corrupted version of 'Won't You Be My Baby' - ... a track from Like Weather that had been mooted as a potential hit single. The track was not, however, given a full release because of potential copyright problems.
At the beginning of 1999, Leila relocated to XL Records. On 'Sodastream', her inaugural single for the label, she confirmed her reputation as 'part sonic terrorist, part harmonic evangelist' by disrupting a pop song with dysfunctional noise and distortion. Her debut album for the label, Courtesy Of Choice, was another highly eclectic collection that further established Leila as one of the most inventive artists on the contemporary music scene.
Her third album, “Blood Looms and Blooms”, was released on July 7, and was preceded by two EPs, “Deflect” featuring Martina Topley-Bird, and “Mettle”, featuring Luca Santucci. The full album features collaborations with both Martina and Luca, as well as Terry Hall, sister Roya Arab, and various others. The album is heralded to be 'one of 2008's best leftfield albums'.
Something
Leila Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to lose my mind
But won't you please be careful
There's things I don't wanna find
Let me dwell
In my darkest place
With your help
Break me off a little piece of something
There's things i wanna find
With some help
I won't get left behind
Leila's song "Something" depicts a narrator willing to indulge in a dangerous activity, while also cognizant that the consequences of said activity could have severe consequences. The lyrics "Break me off a little piece of something, I want to lose my mind, But won't you please be careful" showcase this duality. The singer is engaging in an activity that could lead them to lose their minds, but also pleads with whoever they are addressing to be careful. The following line "There's things I don't wanna find" conveys a sense of trepidation, and that the singer is aware that there may be things about themselves or the world that they might uncover that they don't want to face.
The second verse "Let me dwell, In my darkest place, With your help, There's things I might erase" adds an interesting narrative element to the song. Here, the singer seems to be looking for someone to accompany them into their "darkest place" and help them confront certain issues. These lines showcase a sense of vulnerability and a desire for growth. While "Something" doesn't explicitly reveal what this activity may be, the ambiguity of the lyrics allows for interpretation, and allows for the listener to impose their own experiences and interpretations onto the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Break me off a little piece of something
Give me a taste of something new and exciting
I want to lose my mind
I want to let go of my inhibitions and experience pure ecstasy
But won't you please be careful
I need you to proceed with caution and respect my boundaries
There's things I don't wanna find
There is a fear of the unknown and what I might discover
Let me dwell
Allow me to exist in
In my darkest place
The deepest, most vulnerable part of my inner self
With your help
Assistance is needed to navigate through the dark place and overcome challenges
There's things I might erase
I may need to confront and eliminate negative aspects of my personality or past experiences
There's things i wanna find
I am curious and eager to explore new experiences and opportunities
With some help
I need someone to guide and support me
I won't get left behind
I am determined to keep up with the pace of life and not miss out on what it has to offer
Contributed by Madelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.