In 1998, following a falling-out of her professional and personal relationship with Tricky, Topley-Bird began pursuing a solo career; however, it was not until 2003 that she released her debut solo album, Quixotic, on Independiente Records. (Tricky appears on one track, Ragga, as producer and guest vocalist.) Upon its release, Quixotic received rave reviews from critics, and was a finalist for the 2003 Mercury Music Prize. Need One, Anything, I Still Feel and Soul Food were released as singles in the UK. In Brazil, the song Lullaby was used in the campaign for the juice powder Clight. The song Sandpaper Kisses is featured on the soundtrack of the video game Fahrenheit (known as Indigo Prophecy in the United States).
The album finally saw a release, of sorts, in the United States in July 2004 when the Palme Pictures label released a "re-designed and re-sequenced" version with a new title (Anything), a trimmed-down tracklisting and all-new cover art.
In 2004, Martina appeared on Into the Sun, a track from Diplo's album Florida. A year later, she made a guest appearance (alongside Roots Manuva) on the Gorillaz track All Alone, on the album Demon Days.
Martina released her second studio album, The Blue God, in May 2008, followed by a collaborative project with Massive Attack, the album "Heligoland" which was released in 2010. She also appeared on the Splitting the Atom EP featured on the track Psyche (Flash Treatment) (released October 2009).
In 2010, she released her third album, Some Place Simple, followed by a collaboration with Mark Lanegan and Warpaint in 2013.
April Grove
Martina Topley-Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Robber Fly
I contemplate his victims
As they die
No one sheds a tear
No one interferes
Life will come and go this year
Under the moldy leaves some
Springtails stay
They hardly ever see the
Light of day
Till you scratch away
At their roof of clay
Then they always jump away
In April Grove
April Grove
I'm an alien
In clothing in your realm
I'm alone
I'm invading
But you're holding me here
And I'm overwhelmed getting stoned
Watching meanderings of
Swallowtails
Following thistle blossom
Pollen trails
Sipping flower juice
In the sun profuse
Between shadows seeping through
To April Grove
April Grove
I'm an alien
In clothing in your realm
I'm alone
I'm invading
But you're holding me here
And I'm overwhelmed getting stoned
Watching meanderings of
Swallowtails
Following thistle blossom
Pollen trails
No one interferes
No one ever hears
Life will come and go this year
In April Grove
The lyrics of Martina Topley-Bird's song "April Grove" describe the singer observing the cycle of life and death in nature. The opening lines detail her observation of a Robber Fly, a predatory insect that preys on other insects. The singer contemplates the fate of the fly's victims and notes that no one seems to care about their deaths. This highlights the viciousness of nature and how the law of the jungle trumps any concern for individual life.
Line by Line Meaning
Watching the silent wings of Robber Fly
Observing the still wings of the Robber Fly without movement
I contemplate his victims As they die
I'm considering the victims of the Robber Fly as they pass away
No one sheds a tear
There is no crying visible
No one interferes
No one disrupts the natural progression
Life will come and go this year
Life will begin and end for various individuals in the upcoming year
In April Grove
This is occurring in the location called April Grove
Under the moldy leaves some Springtails stay
Springtails remain concealed under decaying foliage
They hardly ever see the Light of day
They don't usually emerge into the sunlight
Till you scratch away At their roof of clay
They will stay hidden away in dirt until you remove their barrier
Then they always jump away In April Grove
Once you remove the clay, they will always hop away, still in April Grove
April Grove I'm an alien In clothing in your realm I'm alone I'm invading But you're holding me here And I'm overwhelmed getting stoned
I feel like an intruder in April Grove, alone and surrounded by unfamiliarity, yet at the same time high and dazed
Watching meanderings of Swallowtails Following thistle blossom Pollen trails
Observing the aimless fluttering of Swallowtails as they pursue Thistle blossoms and their pollen
Sipping flower juice In the sun profuse Between shadows seeping through To April Grove
Half-hidden in the sun, savoring the nectar of flowers with shadows making their way in between, still in April Grove
No one interferes No one ever hears Life will come and go this year In April Grove
There's nobody to intervene or take notice, and life will continue to follow its course in April Grove for the rest of the year
Contributed by Emma N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.