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.
Valentine
Martina Topley-Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This heart of mine, you're gonna own
They fade away and now you're here
I didn't know there's only you
Valentine
Go out in the light
All living, all our sin the same
All the faithful heal, they're all praying
They refer to
Valentine
Oh, return
They release you then you turn to see
Make it feel alright
The only thing is that I didn't
I tried to climb my felon home
I feel overwhelmed and still your here
Your coming home but before you do
Valentine
Go out in the light
Out in the moonlit sky
I saw you there in blue
The lyrics to Martina Topley-Bird’s song “Valentine” convey a sense of someone who has gone through a difficult period in life, only to find comfort and healing in the presence of someone she deeply loves. The opening lines suggest that the singer has been wishing for something for a long time, perhaps for love or for healing, and now that person has arrived in her life. The phrase “This heart of mine, you're gonna own” suggests that she has surrendered to this person completely and is willing to let them in.
The chorus, with its repeated phrase “Valentine, go out in the light,” suggests that this person is the beacon of light in her life, the one that she wants to be with and who brings her happiness. The lines “Why suffer back in the game, all living, all our sin the same, all the faithful heal, they're all praying, they refer to” suggest that the singer has been hurt before and that this person is a source of healing and renewal for her.
The second verse follows the same theme of someone who has found healing in the presence of a loved one. The lines “They release you then you turn to see, make it feel alright” suggest that the singer has been freed from a difficult situation or relationship and that being with this person makes her feel better. The final lines, “Your coming home but before you do, Valentine, go out in the light, out in the moonlit sky, I saw you there in blue,” seem to imply that the singer has seen this person in a dream or vision and that she longs to be with them.
Line by Line Meaning
It's, oh, so late to start wishing
It feels like it's too late to hope for something good to happen now.
This heart of mine, you're gonna own
You are going to possess my heart.
They fade away and now you're here
All my previous feelings are gone and now you're here with me.
I didn't know there's only you
I didn't know that only you could make me feel this way.
Valentine
The person that I care for deeply.
Go out in the light
Step out into the light and show yourself clearly.
Why suffer back in the game
Why go back to a situation that caused me pain before?
All living, all our sin the same
All humans are alive and have the capacity to make mistakes.
All the faithful heal, they're all praying
Everyone who believes in something greater than themselves can heal and pray for guidance.
They refer to
They are talking about.
Oh, return
Come back to me.
They release you then you turn to see
They let you go but you look back at me.
Make it feel alright
Make everything feel better and okay.
The only thing is that I didn't
The only thing that I regret is that I didn't do something.
I tried to climb my felon home
I tried to crawl back to a place that I knew was bad for me.
I feel overwhelmed and still your here
I feel like I have so much going on, but you're still here with me.
Your coming home but before you do
You're returning soon, but before you do, there's something I need to say.
Out in the moonlit sky
Under the light of the moon in the sky.
I saw you there in blue
I remember seeing you wearing all blue in that moment.
Contributed by Eli L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.