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.
Lullaby
Martina Topley-Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No apologies, so much to say
And there is no time
There's a fairytale
You never learned to read or write
Oyster shell
You never learned to look inside
He and I were winter bees
I fell easily
For visions I'd never see
Stardust falling from my halo
See there's this fairytale
You never learned to read or write
Oyster Pearl
You never cared to look inside
I keep it clean
Your fingers press my cheek
You're not like me
My duty speaks and it moves my feet
You don't understand
Just like the rock in my hand
You don't understand
Just like the rock in my hand
There's a fairytale
You never learned to read or write
Oyster shell
You never cared to look inside
There's a fairytale
You never learned to read or write
Oyster shell
You never learned to look inside
Never cared to look inside
Never cared, you never cared
Never cared to look inside
Never cared, you never cared
Never cared to look inside
Never cared, you never cared
The lyrics to Martina Topley-Bird's song Lullaby speak to the idea that there is a fairytale that one of the people in the relationship never learned to read or write. This could refer to the idea that they never learned how to see the world as full of possibility and wonder, or that they were never able to express themselves fully. The use of the oyster shell imagery could mean that there is a barrier preventing them from doing so. However, the singer keeps it clean and tries to maintain a connection with their partner by allowing them to touch them, even though they are not alike. There is a sense of duty that moves the singer's feet, which could refer to a responsibility to keep the relationship going even in hard times.
The lyrics suggest that there is a disconnect between the two people in the relationship, and that they have different ways of experiencing the world. The idea of stardust falling from the singer's halo could signify that they have a different way of thinking, or a different kind of imagination, compared to their partner. The repeated refrain of "you never cared to look inside" suggests that there is a sense of missed opportunity or lost potential, that if the other person had been more open, things could have been different.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of longing and missed connections, with the fairytale imagery hinting at a sense of unreality or potential that was never fully realized.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's take our wine closer to the fireside
Let's get comfortable and talk intimately
No apologies, so much to say
We have a lot to talk about and no need to apologize for anything we say
And there is no time
We might not have much time to talk, so we should make the most of it
There's a fairytale
There's a story that needs to be told
You never learned to read or write
You never learned how to understand or express yourself
Oyster shell
You're closed off and don't want to reveal your inner thoughts and feelings
You never learned to look inside
You never learned to understand your own thoughts and feelings
Take it from me
Believe me when I say
He and I were winter bees
We were lost and searching for something important
I fell easily
I was vulnerable and quickly drawn in
For visions I'd never see
For things I had never even imagined
Stardust falling from my halo
I may seem perfect, but I have flaws and weaknesses too
See there's this fairytale
There's a story that needs to be told
You never learned to read or write
You never learned how to understand or express yourself
Oyster Pearl
You're closed off and don't want to reveal your inner thoughts and feelings
You never cared to look inside
You never tried to understand your own thoughts and feelings
I keep it clean
I try to stay honest and true
Your fingers press my cheek
You try to connect with me physically, but not emotionally
You're not like me
You don't share my desire for emotional connection
My duty speaks and it moves my feet
I have responsibilities that I can't ignore, and they guide my actions
You don't understand
You can't comprehend my perspective
Just like the rock in my hand
Like an object that can't understand human emotions
There's a fairytale
There's a story that needs to be told
You never learned to read or write
You never learned how to understand or express yourself
Oyster shell
You're closed off and don't want to reveal your inner thoughts and feelings
You never cared to look inside
You never tried to understand your own thoughts and feelings
There's a fairytale
There's a story that needs to be told
You never learned to read or write
You never learned how to understand or express yourself
Oyster shell
You're closed off and don't want to reveal your inner thoughts and feelings
You never learned to look inside
You never learned to understand your own thoughts and feelings
Never cared to look inside
You never tried to understand your own thoughts and feelings
Never cared, you never cared
You never showed an interest in our emotional connection
Never cared to look inside
You never tried to understand your own thoughts and feelings
Never cared, you never cared
You never showed an interest in our emotional connection
Never cared to look inside
You never tried to understand your own thoughts and feelings
Never cared, you never cared
You never showed an interest in our emotional connection
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alex Mcgowan, Martina Topley Bird, Nick Bird, Steve Crittal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind