Beginnings
Originally from the small town of Saltwood,[4] just north of Hythe, Kent, the Godfrey brothers—DJ/producer Paul Godfrey and multi-instrumentalist Ross Godfrey—moved to London when they were in their late teens.[5][6][7][8] Sometime in the mid 1990s, at a party in Greenwich, the brothers met Skye Edwards, who was singing backup in a funk band, and also played guitar; before too long the three began recording songs together, and formed the trio Morcheeba.[4][9] At first they produced tracks at their home studio,[4] together with engineer Pete Norris.[8][10]
They were eventually signed to China Records[4] by Angus Blair (A&R) and the band released their debut Trigger Hippie EP,[11] in October 1995. At the same time, Paul Ablett came on board as manager.[10] The band's debut album, Who Can You Trust?, was released in April 1996 and fitted into the trip hop genre through a combination of Paul Godfrey's hip hop roots, Ross Godfrey's psychedelic rock influences and Edwards' soul-styled vocals. A second single, "Tape Loop", appeared in July 1996. The band began to play live around Europe and North America,[12] with a live band that included five additional members.[13] At this point, the band had outgrown the home recording set-up and the brothers purchased their own studio.[14] In 1997, they contributed to the David Byrne album Feelings, participating in the recording and production of the release.[8][15][16]
Mainstream success
With a more professional recording set-up, the brothers began developing their ideas for a second album. Much of the material had already been written, and, with Norris involved again, the band moved towards a more mainstream sound.[14] At the same time, Edwards appeared on the BBC charity single "Perfect Day". The follow-up, 1998's Big Calm, moved away from trip hop towards a more pop-oriented, song-based sound. This was exemplified by the band's reworking of "Moog Island" (from their debut) into the pop-song "The Music That We Hear".[17] One of the album's singles, "The Sea", became a radio favourite. The album proved to be a big seller and ensured Morcheeba's success as a breakthrough act.[18] In 1998, Morcheeba collaborated with Hubert Laws to record the classic song "Summer Time" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.
In 2000, Morcheeba released their third album, Fragments of Freedom. This repeated the sales success of Big Calm but received a less positive critical response. The band's fourth album, Charango, was released in 2002 and saw a diminished role for Edwards. The singles "Otherwise" and "Way Beyond" followed. The lyrics for "Undress Me Now" were written with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, while other collaborators on the album were with rappers Pace Won and Slick Rick. In January 2003, the band undertook their first significant tour of the US since 1998.[19] In 2001, the Godfrey brothers contributed three songs to the Jim White album No Such Place.[20]
Split
By the end of 2003, the Godfrey brothers split with Edwards, citing creative and personal differences.[21] Edwards received "a phone call from our manager saying that it was over. It was a relief to think we didn't have to continue".[22] She was under the impression that the band had ceased to operate. A greatest hits compilation, Parts of the Process, helped to retain interest in the band and featured two new tracks: "What's Your Name" (featuring a rhyming cameo from Big Daddy Kane) and "Can't Stand It". At around the same time, they released the live DVD Morcheeba: From Brixton to Beijing. A decade later, Ross Godfrey reflected on this period, saying: "We just felt like we couldn't breathe, I'd been in the band and on the road since I was 18, so to have any kind of break from that was just amazing".[23]
The two brothers reunited the year after, leaving Paul to explain that "Ross and I realised that Morcheeba was kind of our family company, and that we wanted very much to keep it going, hence the change".[24] In 2005, Morcheeba released their fifth studio (and first post-Edwards) album, The Antidote. Daisy Martey (formerly of the band Noonday Underground) was recruited to replace Edwards as the album vocalist. However, Martey's period with the band was brief and she was sacked in the middle of the promotional tour, to be replaced by Jody Sternberg. Martey subsequently sued the band for breach of contract and defamation.[25] Sternberg's own tenure with the band was similarly brief, and she only appeared to have been part of the band to fulfil tour dates. According to Ross, the entire episode "was difficult to say the least. It left us in near-ruin".[26]
After a break of several years, Morcheeba released their sixth studio album, Dive Deep, in February 2008. On this album, the Godfrey brothers fell back into their role as producers, selecting five vocalists to perform their songs. The folk-rock singer Judie Tzuke, Norwegian born Thomas Dybdahl and blues singer/guitarist Bradley Burgess appeared as lead vocalists together with the Korean-American rapper Cool Calm Pete and French singer Manda (Amanda Zamolo).[27] Both Manda and Burgess toured with Morcheeba as lead singers on their 2008 tour.
Reunion
As a solo artist, Edwards remained with the same management company as Morcheeba—Chris Morrison the CM of CMO Management represented both artists—which led to a chance meeting in their London offices sometime in 2009. Edwards and the Godfrey brothers met again to discuss her possible involvement in a new project. Initially the singer was hesitant and pointed out that she "really enjoyed doing my solo stuff and writing my own lyrics".[28] Eventually, Edwards rejoined the band and the trio began work on a new album,[21] with Edwards still on tour promoting her solo album, Ross Godfrey living in California and Paul Godfrey in France.[29] On 12 February 2010, NME revealed that Edwards was once again back with the band, which was confirmed by Paul Godfrey the day after on the band's Myspace blog. Edwards made her live return with the band at the Caprices Festival, Switzerland on 9 April 2010.[30] Edwards' role in the band changed, as she had "become more confident" in her "ability as a singer and a songwriter", and found that during the recording process they were "more honest with each other", and thus they produced "a more honest record".[22]
Morcheeba released their seventh album, Blood Like Lemonade, on PIAS in June 2010, preceded by the single "Even Though". It was produced by Paul Godfrey, who described the album as "a warm, fuzzy blanket of psychedelia", while Edwards described the lyrics as "having dark themes".[22] She also remarked on how the brothers had made her part of the creative process again.[28] An eighteen-month tour followed that saw the band play around the Americas and Europe.[31]
Their eighth album, Head Up High, was released on 14 October 2013, again on PIAS.[32] In 2014, the band toured Australia,[33] with a line-up consisting of Skye Edwards (vocals), Ross Godfrey (guitars), Steve Gordon (bass), Richard Milner (keyboards), Martin Carling (drums) and James Anthony (decks).
Departure of Paul Godfrey
In 2014, Paul Godfrey left the band.[34][35] Ross Godfrey later explained that: "Paul and I had not been getting on musically, or personally for a long time, and after the Head Up High album in 2013, Paul told us he was leaving the band, and he wanted Skye and I to buy him out of his share of the name. We disagreed on how much it was worth so no deal was struck. Skye and I thought it best to just release the record we had made under our own names. There will be no more Morcheeba albums".[2] Paul Godfrey has since established a recording studio, Sacrosync Sound, in Hastings and recorded a new album "Cool Your Soul" with Rachel Cuming under the moniker Morcheeba Productions.[36][37]
Ross Godfrey and Skye Edwards announced a new project in 2016 named Skye & Ross.[38] They have toured, and released an eponymous album on 2 September 2016.[39] The band started as an acoustic duo but soon included Edward's son Jaega (drums), her husband Steve Gordon (bass) and Godfrey’s wife Amanda Zamolo (backing vocals).[40][41] Edwards took responsibility for the lyrics while Ross Godfrey noted that the recording process was "a very organic experience".[42]
Fear and Love
Morcheeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or at least I think we do
We can always use our voice
I thought this to be true
We can live in fear
Extend our selves to love
We can fall below
Or lift our selves above
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
But it's not always that clear
I always try so hard
To share my self around
But now I'm closing up again
Drilling through the ground
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
But it's not always that clear
I'd love to give my self away
But I find it hard to trust
I've got no map to find my way
Amongst these clouds of dust
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
But it's not always that clear
But it's not always that clear
But it's not always that clear
But it's not always that clear
The song "Fear and Love" by Morcheeba explores the interplay between fear and love in human relationships. The opening lines suggest that we always have a choice, but the singer is unsure if this is really true. The idea of choice is explored further in the third line where the singer suggests that we can use our voice. This is a metaphor for speaking out and being open in relationships. The singer believes that we can choose to live in fear or extend ourselves to love. This is a key theme in the song- the idea that fear and love are two opposite forces that we can choose to embrace or reject.
The chorus reinforces this theme. Fear can stop us loving and love can stop our fear. These two emotions are intertwined and can either hold us back or help us to connect with others. The lyrics suggest that it's not always clear which one is in control. The singer talks about trying to share themselves around, but ends up closing up again. This is a metaphor for the difficulties we face in being vulnerable and opening ourselves up to love. The idea of a map to find our way is another metaphor - the struggle to navigate the uncertainties of human relationships.
The final chorus repeats the same lines but adds an extra layer of complexity. Fear can stop you loving, love can stop your fear, but it's not always that clear. This line suggests that sometimes fear can be a useful warning sign to protect us from getting hurt, and sometimes love can be misguided and get us into trouble. The song ends on this ambiguous note, leaving us to contemplate the complex interplay between fear and love.
Line by Line Meaning
We always have a choice
We have the freedom to choose
Or at least I think we do
Or at least that's what I believe
We can always use our voice
We can always express ourselves
I thought this to be true
I believed this to be true
We can live in fear
We can choose to live in a state of anxiety
Extend our selves to love
We can choose to be loving and compassionate towards others
We can fall below
We can choose to be at a lower level of existence
Or lift our selves above
Or we can choose to transcend our current state
Fear can stop you loving
Fear has the power to prevent us from being loving
Love can stop your fear
Love has the power to overcome fear
But it's not always that clear
But it's not always easy to distinguish between fear and love
I always try so hard
I always put forth a lot of effort
To share myself around
To connect with others and share my experiences
But now I'm closing up again
But now I'm becoming more closed off and reserved
Drilling through the ground
Seeking deeper understanding and greater security
I'd love to give myself away
I'd love to be more open and vulnerable with others
But I find it hard to trust
But I find it difficult to trust others
I've got no map to find my way
I don't have clear guidance to navigate through life
Amongst these clouds of dust
Amidst the chaos and confusion of life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL GODFREY, ROSS GODFREY, SKYE EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CarpEmii
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
But it's not always that clear
I always try so hard
To share my self around
But now I'm closing up again
Drilling through the ground
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
But it's not always that clear
I'd love to give my self away
But I find it hard to trust
I've got no map to find my way
Amongst these clouds of dust
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
@HeidiHi77
We always have a choice
Or at least I think we do
We can always use our voice
I thought this to be true
We can live in fear
Extend our selves to love
We can fall below
Or lift our selves above
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
But it's not always that clear
I always try so hard
To share my self around
But now I'm closing up again
Drilling through the ground
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
But it's not always that clear
I'd love to give my self away
But I find it hard to trust
I've got no map to find my way
Amongst these clouds of dust
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
Love can stop your fear
Fear can stop you loving
But it's not always that clear
But it's not always that clear
But it's not always that clear
But it's not always that clear
@raphaeld2261
Pour les francophones, voici la traduction des paroles :
On a toujours le choix
Du moins, c'est ce que je crois
On peut toujours se parler
C'est ce que je croyais
On peut vivre dans la peur
Ou s'épanouir dans l'amour
On peut tomber si bas
Ou s'élever si haut
La peur peut nous empêcher d'aimer
L'amour peut nous empêcher d'avoir peur
La peur peut nous empêcher d'aimer
Mais ce n'est pas toujours aussi clair
J'essaye toujours au maximum
De partager ce que je ressens
Mais maintenant je me referme à nouveau
Creusant dans le sol
La peur peut nous empêcher d'aimer
L'amour peut nous empêcher d'avoir peur
La peur peut nous empêcher d'aimer
Mais ce n'est pas toujours aussi clair
J'aimerais pouvoir me livrer sans réserve
Mais j'ai du mal à y croire
Je n'ai pas de carte pour trouver mon chemin
Perdue dans ces nuages de poussière
La peur peut nous empêcher d'aimer
L'amour peut nous empêcher d'avoir peur
La peur peut nous empêcher d'aimer
L'amour peut nous empêcher d'avoir peur
La peur peut nous empêcher d'aimer
L'amour peut nous empêcher d'avoir peur
La peur peut nous empêcher d'aimer
Mais ce n'est pas toujours aussi clair X4
@TheodoreDorado
My God. Speechless. Without this song I would be so lost. It reminds me everyday to choose love over fear,
@mathieufredette3157
Unfortunately for me, I chose fear over love ...
@deeday4361
Lovely only two vibrations that’s Fear & Love 💕
@aliasalias9411
💓💓💓💓💓
@harveylinksTV
This band is absolutely gold
@louisespencer7243
Anyone still loving this song?
@loup6940
I just got waken up by an atrocious nightmare about losing the love of my life and him being totally indifferent to me and the situation. I was in tears when I opened my eyes next to him, he growled and hold me in his arms before falling asleep again. And right after that, I decided to get a glass of water and listen to music to keep the nightmare away.... And fell on this song. So powerful, so accurate, that sometimes I wonder if randomness actually exists... Woah.
Thank you Morcheeba.
@territin1
Such a prophetic work of art ❤
@allseeingeye1
This one hits you somewhere really deep down in both your gut and psyche simultaneously. A Wonderful and Powerful track.
@jow6845
I gave a copy of this to a guy I was mad about years ago and he turned out to be beyond not worth it and I don’t want this beautiful song to be tainted - I’m claiming it back for me…