A Sydney-based indie-folk band, Little May creates sprawling yet intricate heart-warming harmonies. Formed from the story-telling talents of Hannah Field, Liz Drummond and Annie Hamilton; Little May is the tale of three friends making a name for themselves and winning hearts both locally and abroad.
Playing at Secret Garden Festival 2013 and the Australia Music Prize PRE-AMP function, the girls have received a reputation for capturing audiences with their guitar driven melodies and skilful songwriting. Sharing stages with the likes of Triple J heart throb, Dustin Tebbutt, as well as selling out their own headline show in Sydney, Little May show no sign of slowing down.
Heavily inspired by the likes of folk-loving friends, Fleetwood Mac, Mumford & Sons and Local Natives, the outfit make a notable nod to the likes of fem-folk trailblazers such as Julia Stone and Holly Throsby.
The second single 'Hide' was plucked from their debut EP released in late 2013. Testament to Little May's diversity, 'Hide' is a darker, more intricate offering and follows on from the flowing reviews received from their debut single,
'Boardwalks'. Recorded and produced by Sam Thomlinson and Michael McGlynn, and mixed by Michael McGlynn at Vienna People Studios, the single was mastered by William Bowden at King Willy Sound, mastering engineer and joint winner with Gotye of Record of the Year at the 55th Grammy Awards, 2013.
Dust
Little May Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We walked into the sun
When we were young
I watched you come undone
You lost your mind
You lost your soul
You held the tide
And I'm not ready to ignite this time
Deep in dust
Deep in dust
And it's time to fly
And the fire ignite
Let it burn for you
Let it burn for you
When we were young
I lost you to the sun
When we were young
You watched me come undone
I watched you shake
I watched you break
I watched this place take away
Oh, hey
I'm sinking into something
That I wish I hadn't found
Way deep in the dust
Way deep in the dust
Take me back to summer
When the nights were getting warmer
And I miss you, I miss you
Take me back to summer
When the nights were getting warmer
And I miss you, I still miss you
The song "Dust" by Little May tells a story of two people who knew each other when they were young. The singer watches as the person that they knew unravels and loses their mind and soul. The person they once knew held the tide, but the singer ultimately had to agree to let them go. The lyrics suggest that the singer is currently going through something, hence the line “And I’m not ready to ignite this time, deep in dust”. The dust, in this case, being a metaphor for old memories and feelings that have been buried, but are now resurfacing.
The chorus suggests that it’s time for the singer to move on and let the fire ignite. They must let go of whatever is causing them to feel so “deep in dust”. The chorus also implies that the fire will burn for the person that the singer lost, as if they’ve learned to accept their absence, but still remember them. The second verse suggests that the singer also suffered a loss, as they watched themselves come undone. They watched the other person shake and break and the place they were together take everything. The repetition of “way deep in the dust” tells us that the singer is still stuck in the past, and longs for something, possibly a time when things were better.
Overall, the song is about letting go of the past and moving on. It’s about nostalgia, grief, and accepting change. The person the singer lost is unlikely to come back, and the singer must allow themselves to find peace in that absence.
Line by Line Meaning
When we were young
Reminiscing about the past when they were young
We walked into the sun
They faced the future confidently
When we were young
This line is repeated to emphasize their nostalgia
I watched you come undone
She observed him losing control
You lost your mind
He lost his sanity/mental stability
You lost your soul
He lost his spirit/essence
You held the tide
He attempted to maintain control
Agreed to let you go
She recognized the need to end the relationship
And I'm not ready to ignite this time
She is not ready to start anew
Deep in dust
She is stuck in the past
And it's time to fly
It's time to move on
And the fire ignite
Start fresh and rekindle her passion
Let it burn for you
She wants to make this change for him
I lost you to the sun
He left her when he embraced the future/moving forward
You watched me come undone
He saw her lose control
I watched you shake
She saw him become unstable
I watched you break
She watched him fall apart
I watched this place take away
She observed how their environment affected them
I'm sinking into something
She is descending deeper into her emotions
That I wish I hadn't found
She regrets discovering these feelings
Way deep in the dust
She is entrenched in the past
Take me back to summer
She wishes to relive better times
When the nights were getting warmer
She longs for the comfort of warmth and familiarity
And I miss you, I miss you
She longs for him
And I still miss you
She is still not over him
Contributed by John J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fattygingercat7052
Midnight, my birthday, and here I am listening to Little May. It definitely can't get any better than that.
@kodiejc4202
This song was so uplifting and lovely....This video clip broke my heart </3
@pambeasley9420
Why isn't Little May more famous??
@diorgirl8523
Remember listening to this back in 2014 when I was 12 and back again in 2020 at 18 :)
@jacquelinehowatt8467
I've listened to this all day and cried. SO GOOD!!!!!!
@hollandemerson7489
This made me cry:( I was not expecting that
@penelopeplimsoul3617
Just now discovering this beautiful song.
@MsTruthseeker999
Amazing song...made me cry. Love your songs, amazing voices, music and harmonies. Kudos to you and all the best for your music careers...you deserve it! :)
@madelynhyland9629
So IN LOVE with your music. We want and need more!!!!!
@rachelr7608
My favorite band. Beautiful music. Deep. Beautiful. I listen to them everyday throughout the day. I don't understand why they aren't more famous.