Throughout her 20s, Paulusma flirted with a number of occupations, from scholar (she embarked on a PhD after graduation from Cambridge University) to novelist (she was talented enough to bag a literary agent). But raised on a diet of Joni Mitchell and Carole King, music was always Paulusma’s first love. She wrote her first song aged ten, but it took 18 years of denial before she finally listened to her heart and recorded her debut album.
“Music had always been part of my life,” she says. “I’d been in bands, writing songs all along, but I’d just been doing it for the hell of it. It never crossed my mind to try and do it properly.”
It wasn’t until she recorded backing vocals for friends Ben & Jason’s last album that the penny finally dropped. “I had one of these earth shattering moments when I suddenly realised that everything I was doing was wrong and that I should be doing this instead,” she says. “It was like I got hit with an electric current – maybe I did – it was a pretty lo-fi studio so there was always that possibility! I just started crying. I thought, oh buggery fuck, here we go again.”
I Was Made to Love You
Polly Paulusma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've got names in their pockets
Of lovers lost and found
If I send you my angel
Would you send yours to me?
If our angels collide in the sky
You'll say it was meant to be...
And nights outline air like static on the phone
And you say that you feel them
But the words you picked so carefully
Keep coming out all wrong
So I'll write them in light
And I'll carve them in stone;
I was made for loving you
I was put on this sweet earth to
I was made to love you
in the air I hear gunfire
Going off in the hills
Clocks are ticking
The battle is nearing
I'm fending them off with these pills
If you're stuck on the front line
Would you charm your way out?
You might like the idea of the kill
But you don't know what dying's about...
...and days blank like they bleached them
And nights outline air like static on the phone
And you say that you feel them
But the words you picked so carefully
Keep coming out all wrong
So I'll write them in light
And I'll carve them in stone;
I was made for loving you
I was put on this sweet earth to
I was made to love you
in the sky I see angels flying all over town
They've got drugs in their pockets
To keep us on the ground
I won't send you my angel;
Angels only deceive
Spit the pills out
Feed fuel to your fear
And fly away with me
...and days blank like they bleached them
And nights outline air like static on the phone
And you say that you feel them
But the words you picked so carefully
Keep coming out all wrong
So I'll write them in light
And I'll carve them in stone;
I was made for loving you
I was put on this sweet earth to
I was made to love you
The lyrics of Polly Paulusma's "I Was Made to Love You" are poetic and contemplative, weaving together themes of love, war, and the supernatural. The singer describes seeing angels flying in the sky, carrying with them the names of lost and found lovers. She poses a question to the listener: if she sends her angel, would they send theirs in return? The implication is that the angels might somehow bring the two people together if they collide in the sky.
The song then shifts to a more despairing tone with lines about blank days and staticky nights. The singer acknowledges that her words aren't coming out right in her attempts to express her love. She resolves to write her love "in light" and "carve them in stone," implying a deep and lasting commitment. The next section of the song takes a darker turn, as the singer hears gunfire and imagines a battle scene. She takes pills to fend off the battle and asks if the listener would charm their way out of a similar situation. The song concludes with a contextually ambiguous final verse; the angels have drugs to keep us on the ground, but our human fears might be more powerful. The singer ultimately urges the listener to "fly away" with her.
Overall, "I Was Made to Love You" is a complex and beautiful meditation on human relationships and the supernatural. It highlights the contradictions and struggles of love, human connection, and the role that fate or divine intervention might play in bringing people together.
Line by Line Meaning
In the sky I see angels flying all over town
The world is full of opportunities to love and be loved.
They've got names in their pockets
Of lovers lost and found
Previous relationships are a part of every person's journey to love.
If I send you my angel
Would you send yours to me?
If our angels collide in the sky
You'll say it was meant to be...
Let's take chances together and see if fate will bring us together.
...and days blank like they bleached them
And nights outline air like static on the phone
And you say that you feel them
But the words you picked so carefully
Keep coming out all wrong
So I'll write them in light
And I'll carve them in stone;
I was made for loving you
I was put on this sweet earth to
I was made to love you
Communication is difficult, but I am committed to expressing my love for you, no matter what it takes. My purpose is to love you.
in the air I hear gunfire
Going off in the hills
Clocks are ticking
The battle is nearing
I'm fending them off with these pills
If you're stuck on the front line
Would you charm your way out?
You might like the idea of the kill
But you don't know what dying's about...
Love is challenging, but it's better than fighting wars we don't fully understand. If we find ourselves in difficult circumstances in our relationship, will we fight for it or run away?
...and days blank like they bleached them
And nights outline air like static on the phone
And you say that you feel them
But the words you picked so carefully
Keep coming out all wrong
So I'll write them in light
And I'll carve them in stone;
I was made for loving you
I was put on this sweet earth to
I was made to love you
Communication is difficult, but I am committed to expressing my love for you, no matter what it takes. My purpose is to love you.
in the sky I see angels flying all over town
They've got drugs in their pockets
To keep us on the ground
I won't send you my angel;
Angels only deceive
Spit the pills out
Feed fuel to your fear
And fly away with me
Love is not about giving up control, but about taking risks together. We don't need to rely on a higher power to find love; we can find that within ourselves.
...and days blank like they bleached them
And nights outline air like static on the phone
And you say that you feel them
But the words you picked so carefully
Keep coming out all wrong
So I'll write them in light
And I'll carve them in stone;
I was made for loving you
I was put on this sweet earth to
I was made to love you
Communication is difficult, but I am committed to expressing my love for you, no matter what it takes. My purpose is to love you.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@qwer8907
I just came across your album in a bargain bin its a treasure for sure your music and singing is wonderful Polly . My first time listening thanks.
@fairygiuly89
my boyfriend sent this song to me one year ago, i found it so sweet...now it has become OUR song...i love it...and i love him =)
@ellyem1885
She's one of those artists who actually has meaning, and isn't just in it for money or fame or whatever else. And she's brought me so much comfort over time.
@TallinnTadgh
What i love about this time of year is discovering artists new to me as i head for Glasgow and it's magnificent Celtic Connections festival. Such research brought me to Polly today so maybe i'll see her later this week which would be wonderful on this evidence.
@pixelguru
Your joy is contagious, and I'm glad it's catching. You're a gift. Thank you...
@joldendoves2795
Absolutely beautiful
@pamidondo
Really a great song Polly!! Fantastic
@WhitbyStuff
The first song of Polly's I heard. I'd been googling artists that had a sound like Nick Drake, and this was recommended. As good today as when I first heard it well over a decade ago.
@joldendoves2795
Yes that's exactly what happened to me a month ago.
@simonjung136
Hello Polly, I love your songs.. thanks a lot!