Various Storms & Saints
Producer
And the air was full
Of various storms and saints
Parading in the streets
As the banks began to break
And I'm in the throes of it
Somewhere in the belly of the beast
But you took your toll on me
So I gave myself over willingly
You got a hold on me
I don't know how I don't just stand outside and scream
I am teaching myself how to be free
[Verse 2]
The monument of the memory
You tear it down in your head
Don't make the mountain your enemy
Get out, get up there instead
You saw the stars out in front of you
Too tempting not to touch
But even though it shocked you
Something's electric in your blood
[Pre-Chorus]
Can people just untie themselves
Uncurling like flowers
If you could just forgive yourself
But still you stumble, your feet give way
Outside the world seems a violent place
But you had to have him, and so you did
Some things you let go in order to live
While all around you, the buildings sway
Sing it out loud, "who made us this way?"
I know you're bleeding, but you'll be okay
Hold on to your heart, you'll keep it safe
Hold on to your heart, don't give it away
[Verse 3]
Now find a rooftop to sing from
Now find a hallway to dance
You don't need no edge to cling from
Your heart is there, it's in your hands
I know it seems like forever
I know it seems like an age
But one day this will be over
I swear it's not so far away
[Pre-Chorus]
Can people just untie themselves
Uncurling like flowers
If you could just forgive yourself
But still you stumble, your feet give way
Outside the world seems a violent place
But you had to have him, and so you did
Some things you let go in order to live
While all around you, the buildings sway
Sing it out loud, "who made us this way?"
I know you're bleeding, but you'll be okay
Hold on to your heart, you'll keep it safe
Hold on to your heart
About
“Various Storms & Saints” occupies the middle of Florence + the Machine’s How Big How Blue How Beautiful, as Florence hits a brooding low.
Using a storm as a metaphor for her tumultuous relationship, she sings to herself about her despair. “St. Jude” serves as the spiritual sequel of this track.
In a live performance, Florence said that she didn’t want to put this song and cut it from the album because she thought it was too sad. However after that she felt that she was so close to what the song was about and persuaded to put it on the record at the end.
Florence posted this to her Twitter after a storm during their set at Lollapalooza 2015.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Florence said that she wrote this song walking through London, kind of wanting to escape what she called an ‘'inescapable feeling’. She said it was:
A new thing for me to do; to just try to be as better as possible. I found it really difficult. I found the closeness and the intimacy of the song really hard to deal with, actually, and I wanted to take that song off the record up until last minute […] ‘cause it was a moment where I was really sad, and I feel much better now, do I have to tell people that? (laughs)
- 5.Various Storms & Saints
- 6.Delilah
- 7.Long & Lost
- 8.Caught
- 9.Third Eye
- 10.St. Jude
- 11.Mother
- 12.Hiding
- 15.Third Eye (Demo)
