Her solo work is raga-inspired, psychedelic music, using guitar strings as basic sound material and sound effects as an instrument. Home-made one string bass stick used to produce low bell-like sounds out of an horror movie. Most tracks have vocals, usually strangely deformed through effect pedals. Track editing and cueing is kept to a minimum in the DIY, abrupt tradition, giving freshness to the music.
Weyes Blood has existed since at least 2006, starting as a conventional folk singer in an unamplified universe, then transforming into a more a crouched/hieroglyphic electronic chasm style, culminating in a European tour with Axolotl. After two seasons of hibernation and a relocation to Baltimore, she materialized her evolution and began writing/playing the darkly haunted narcotic drifter ballads that make up "The Outside Room", her first official full-length. The entire album was recorded, mixed and produced by Mering herself, then mastered by good friend Graham Lambkin. The record has shadows of "The Shadow Ring" in the oddly creaking ambient sounds and stark, nuanced production, which lend the eerily beautiful folk laments à la Nico. There’s still echoes of her old drone / tape-ghost-clouds moods on tracks like "In the Isle of Agnitio" and the long, bells-laden outro to "Romneydale", but the bulk of the LP is swooning and sweeping, with Natalie’s gorgeous, quasi-Teutonic vox leading the way.
Seven Words
Weyes Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I say to you
one by one
I love you
and you have to know
if I could change
how I'm insane
learn to leave
my troubles behind
it's starting to hurt
and I know you've moved on
tellin everyone
how I done you so wrong
cat scratch a beast
my words that
made you bleed
now I face tomorrow
now I face tomorrow
In time we'll both
be free
from this ball and chain
hangin on to things
I want you mostly
in the morning
when my soul
is weak
from dreaming
when the dust has cleared
and you forget that I'm here
hangin on
I've been hangin
who had the last word
I'm tellin you first
who had the last word
I'm tellin you first
these seven words
are no longer mine
who am I
but a stranger
who took you down
it's starting to burn
and I wanna go home
only home I've known
lost in the storm
it had to be
seven words to set us free
now I face tomorrow
now I face tomorrow
now I face tomorrow
The song “Seven Words” by Weyes Blood delves into the complexities of love and the realities of loss. The seven words that are repeated throughout the song are “I love you, and you have to know”. These words seem to be the only words left for the singer to say as she struggles to move on after a breakup. She reflects on her own behavior in the relationship, acknowledging her own mental instability and the damage she caused. The line “cat scratch a beast, my words that made you bleed” is particularly evocative, with the image of a cat scratching symbolizing the pain and hurt that the singer caused her lover.
The song also touches on the idea of letting go and finding freedom from the emotional ball and chain of a broken relationship. The singer is haunted by memories of her lost love, particularly in the morning when her soul is weak from dreaming. However, she realizes that it’s time to move on and let go, as painful as it may be. The final line of the song, “it had to be seven words to set us free, now I face tomorrow”, represents the acceptance and realization that by speaking these words, they are both finally able to move on and find a new beginning.
Overall, “Seven Words” is a poignant and introspective look at the aftermath of love lost. The repetition of the seven words throughout the song adds to the emotional impact of the lyrics, emphasizing the power and weight of those simple words.
Line by Line Meaning
These seven words
The following seven phrases are crucial to communicating how I feel.
I say to you
I am speaking directly to you.
one by one
I will say each phrase slowly and deliberately, as they are very important.
I love you
The first phrase is a declaration of my love for you.
and you have to know
It is essential that you understand what I am about to say.
if I could change
I wish that I could alter certain aspects of myself.
how I'm insane
I acknowledge that I have a mental condition that may affect our relationship.
if I could
I am expressing a desire to change my flaws.
learn to leave
My troubles often weigh me down, and I want to learn how to let them go.
my troubles behind
I am speaking of my personal problems and issues.
it's starting to hurt
The current situation is beginning to cause me pain.
and I know you've moved on
I understand that you have gotten over our relationship.
tellin everyone
Others know about our struggles and tumultuous history.
how I done you so wrong
They believe that I have wronged you in some significant way.
cat scratch a beast
My words may be sharp and painful, like the scratch of a ferocious cat.
my words that
I am apologizing for the harsh words that I've said.
made you bleed
My words have caused you harm and pain.
now I face tomorrow
I must confront the future and move on from the past.
In time we'll both
Eventually, we will both be able to move on and let go.
be free
We can be free from the pain and the stigma of our past relationship.
from this ball and chain
Our past relationship is the thing that is weighing us down.
hangin on to things
We have been unable to move on and let go of the past.
I want you mostly
I still have feelings for you, especially in the morning when I am at my most vulnerable state.
in the morning
I am most emotionally vulnerable at this time.
when my soul
During this time, I am in a state of deep contemplation and introspection.
is weak
I am emotionally fragile and exposed.
from dreaming
My subconscious thoughts and feelings have made this time particularly challenging for me.
when the dust has cleared
Once we are both able to move on and release the pain of our past, we can start anew.
and you forget that I'm here
It will take time, but eventually, we will both be able to forget our past and move on with our individual lives.
hangin on
Even when it's painful, we find ourselves unable to let go of our past.
I've been hangin
I have been clinging to our past relationship for longer than I should have.
who had the last word
An argument that we had in the past still lingers in my mind.
I'm tellin you first
I want to discuss and resolve our past conflicts before they continue to cause us emotional pain and suffering.
are no longer mine
These seven phrases no longer belong to me as I release them into the air.
Who am I
I am questioning the role that I have played in our past relationship.
but a stranger
I am no longer the same person that you used to know.
who took you down
I am aware that my past actions have caused you harm and pain.
it's starting to burn
The painful memories of our past relationship are beginning to arise once again.
and I wanna go home
I want to escape from the pain and find solace in the familiarity of the past.
only home I've known
Our past relationship is the only home that I have ever known emotionally.
lost in the storm
I am lost in the storm of my emotions and am having a difficult time navigating my way out of it.
it had to be
These seven phrases were the only ones necessary to express my feelings.
seven words to set us free
These seven phrases have the power to free us from the pain and the hurt of our past relationship.
now I face tomorrow
I must move forward and face the future bravely, knowing that I have released the pain of our past relationship.
Writer(s): Natalie Mering
Contributed by Benjamin M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Thomas Flannigan
These lyrics, carried by her voice, effect me deeply:
"these seven words
are no longer mine
who am I
but a stranger
who took you down
it's starting to burn
and I wanna go home
only home I've known
lost in the storm"
I love how honest she is in this song, no excuses. She admits her part and her pain and tries to move on. I am full of gratitude that i was able to find this.
Na Oko
These seven words I say to you, one by one
I love you and you have to know
If I could change how I'm insane
If I could learn to leave my troubles behind
It's starting to hurt and I know you moved on
Telling everyone how I done you so wrong
Cat scratch a beast
My words that made you bleed
Now I face tomorrow
Now I face tomorrow
In time we'll both be free from this ball and chain
Hanging on to things
I want you mostly in the morning
When my soul is weak from dreaming
When the dust has cleared
And you forget that I'm here
Hanging on
I've been hanging
Who had the last word
I'm telling you first
Who had the last word
I'm telling you first
These seven words are no longer mine
Who am I but a stranger who took you down
It's starting to burn and I wanna go home
Only home I've known
Lost in the storm
It had to be seven words to set us free
now I face tomorrow
Neil
LYRICS - (My Interpretation)
These seven words I say to you
One by one I love you and you have to know
If I could change how I'm insane
If I could learn to leave my troubles behind
It's starting to hurt and I know you moved on
Telling everyone how I done you so wrong
Cat scratch a beast
My words that made you bleed
Now I face tomorrow
Now I face tomorrow
In time we'll both be free from this ball and chain hanging on the things
I want you mostly in the morning when my soul is weak from dreaming
When the dust has cleared and you forget that I'm here
Hanging on...
I didn't hang this... (Not sure) 2:43
Path the last word (Not sure)
I'm telling you first
Path the last word (Not sure)
I'm telling you it hurt
These seven words are no longer mine
Who am I but a stranger who took you down?
It's starting to burn and I wanna go home
Only all I've known lost in the storm
It had to be seven words to set us free
Now I face tomorrow
Now I face tomorrow
Now I face tomorrow
Jengirl92
She's a gem, and this song is exceptionally good.
MB
Yes she is, very well put. A superb song.
secret owl
She's GEMini too n.n
WP SN
That passage of music from 2:50 through 3:33 is about as beautiful as anything I've ever heard.
Robin Ashford
WP SN It’s like peak Kate Bush. ‘Who had the last word? I’m telling you first.’ Stunning.
אלון רום
So true! Amazing passage!
britishpaul
I quite agree. The whole song is beautiful but this part is heaven.
The Acoustic Rabbit Hole
@Robin Ashford Weyes Blood should totally collaborate with Beach House!
Thomas Flannigan
These lyrics, carried by her voice, effect me deeply:
"these seven words
are no longer mine
who am I
but a stranger
who took you down
it's starting to burn
and I wanna go home
only home I've known
lost in the storm"
I love how honest she is in this song, no excuses. She admits her part and her pain and tries to move on. I am full of gratitude that i was able to find this.
Jason Wright
Never NEVER get tired of this song