They released their debut album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down - which contains the UK Top 10 hit 5 Years Time - in August of 2008.
A year later, following the end of a relationship between Charlie Fink and Laura Marling, the band released The First Days Of Spring, a concept album written about Laura. It came with a film to accompany the album, written and directed by Charlie.
The band's third album Last Night on Earth was released in March 2011. This album produced a hit single with L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N., which sold over 242,000 copies in the UK that year.
In 2013 their fourth album, Heart of Nowhere, was released. This release was also accompanied by a short film of the same name.
The band announced their split on 1 April 2015, stating that the band members would pursue solo musical projects.
2 Atoms In A Molecule
Noah and the Whale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were inseparably entwined
Like a piece of rope made out of two pieces of vine
Held together, holding each other
With no one else in mind
Like two atoms in a molecule
Inseparably combined
To realize I was alone
A tragic event, I must admit
But let's not be overblown
I'm gonna try to ride a love song
Just a sad, pathetic moan
And maybe I just need change
Maybe I just need a new cologne
But now I look at love
Like being stabbed in the heart
You torture each other from day to day
And then one day you part
Most of the time it's misery
But there's some joy at the start
And for that, I'd say it's worth it
Just as you play the shortest sharp on me
And if love is just a game
Then how come it's no fun?
If love is just a game
How come I've never won?
I guess maybe it's possible I might be playing it wrong
And that's why every time I roll the dice
I always come undone
The lyrics of Noah and the Whale's song "2 Atoms In A Molecule" describe the whimsical and tumultuous nature of love. The first stanza speaks of a dream where the singer and their partner are inseparably entwined, like two atoms in a molecule. The comparison of the couple to atoms in a molecule is a metaphor for two beings that have formed a bond that is almost impossible to break. It reflects how the couple is entwined like the vine and its rope and how secure they feel with one another, holding each other and having no one else in mind. The singer then wakes up alone, and it dawns on them that it was just a dream. The rest of the song speaks about how love is not always fun and games, but rather a constant oscillation between joy and misery. The singer describes how being in love can lead to torturing each other every day, but at the same time, it's worth it for the joy that it brings.
The lyrics also touch upon the game-like nature of love, where everyone is trying to win, but no one ever does. The singer remarks on how it's not a fun game, and every time they roll the dice, they come undone. Despite that, the song ends on a hopeful note, where the singer admits that maybe they are playing the game wrong and they can still learn to love properly. The song's core message is that love is complicated, sometimes rewarding, and sometimes painful. It is both a beautiful and a tragic thing, and something that the singer is still figuring out.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night, I had a dream
The singer describes a dream he had
We were inseparably entwined
In the dream, the singer and another person were intertwined and interconnected
Like a piece of rope made out of two pieces of vine
The singer compares the connection between him and the other person to a rope made of two intertwined vines
Held together, holding each other
Both people are holding and supporting each other in the dream
With no one else in mind
The connection between them is exclusive and intimate
Like two atoms in a molecule
The singer compares the pair's connection to the unbreakable bond between two atoms in a molecule
Inseparably combined
The bond between them is unbreakable and strong
But then I woke from the dream
The artist woke up from the dream
To realize I was alone
The artist realizes that there is no one else with him
A tragic event, I must admit
The artist describes his realization as tragic
But let's not be overblown
The singer suggests not exaggerating the situation
I'm gonna try to ride a love song
The artist will attempt to write a song about love
Just a sad, pathetic moan
The singer's love song will be a sad and pathetic expression
And maybe I just need change
The singer thinks he needs a change in his life
Maybe I just need a new cologne
The singer suggests that even his scent needs to be refreshed
But now I look at love
The artist describes his current perspective on love
Like being stabbed in the heart
The artist compares love to a painful, violent injury
You torture each other from day to day
The singer suggests that love involves two people inflicting pain on each other
And then one day you part
Eventually, the two people will separate from each other
Most of the time it's misery
The majority of the time, being in love is miserable
But there's some joy at the start
At the beginning of a relationship, there is some happiness and excitement
And for that, I'd say it's worth it
Despite the pain, the happiness at the beginning of a relationship makes it worth it
Just as you play the shortest sharp on me
The singer likens love to playing a sharp note, highlighting its fleeting nature
And if love is just a game
The artist wonders if love is just a game
Then how come it's no fun?
The singer is questioning why the game of love is not enjoyable
How come I've never won?
The singer is frustrated that he has never succeeded in love
I guess maybe it's possible I might be playing it wrong
The singer thinks that maybe he is doing something wrong in his approach to love
And that's why every time I roll the dice
The artist compares his love life to rolling dice, suggesting that it is based on chance
I always come undone
The artist always ends up failing in love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES FINK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Katherine
2018 and I still find myself coming back to this album. Beautiful.
Anna
same!
six eyes
Same
Armada De Soñadores
2021
Paul Walton
Last night I actually had a dream about a girl only to wake up alone, and I came immediately to this song. Exactly what I'm going through right now. This music will always be relevant
slimebo
you'll get a big hug, dude!
TekranoXx
are you kidding me? noah and the whale are one of the most prolific folk and indie bands, some could say they really bolstered indie and hipsters being "mainstream" as they so often say. honestly their music is used on every tv show and played all the time on the radio. least in the uk
anon yabiz
The lead singer of Noah and the whale has amazing songwriting skills. Listen to the lyrics of all his songs and you will see that he is always talking deep shit. I love this band!!
Fuckin78
+Omar Ommizle Right?
WeezyBox
i love the instruments they use in their band.