The band is named after a line in the BBC TV mini-series 'The Singing Detective', in which a character says that the word "elbow" is the most sensuous word in the English language (not due to its definition per se but due to how it feels to say it). Though the group came about in 1990, intially going by names such as 'Soft' and 'Mr. Soft', it wasn't until 'The Noisebox EP' came out on 1 January 1998 that they had a real release. Elbow started out specializing in "chilled funk", but the guys changed the direction of their music after unanimously deciding that they were "shit."
Their new songs picked up notice from both Island Records, but the band got dropped due to business shenanigans before anything actually came out post-singing. Elbow then released two critically acclaimed EP's on the independent Ugly Man Record label, starting with the aformentioned 'Noisebox EP'. Luckily, their work caught the attention of V2 Records.
V2 released Elbow's debut album: "Asleep In The Back." The album was a surprisingly moderate success, gaining substantial critical acclaim and, ultimately, a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize in 2001. The single "Newborn" received attention after being banned by Radio 1 for the lyric, "I'll be the corpse in your bathtub."
Word of mouth then began to work in Elbow's favor. Its 2003 album, "Cast Of Thousands," entered the UK Charts at #7 to critical acclaim. The lead single, "Fallen Angel," charted at #19.
In 2004, Elbow became the first British band to ever play a concert in Havana during an unofficial Cuban tour. The tour was made into a short film by British documentary maker Irshad Ashraf.
Elbow released its third album in 2005: "Leaders Of The Free World." Despite a continued lack of commercial notice, "Leaders Of The Free World" charted at #12, with its lead single, "Forget Myself" achieving #22 in the charts. That autumn, Elbow headlined the first of two sell-out tours.
March 17, 2008, saw the release of Elbow's fourth album, entitled "The Seldom Seen Kid." Released through Fiction, it entered the UK album chart at #5, and went on to win the 2008 Mercury Music Award. "The Fix," features guest vocals and lead guitar by Richard Hawley. April 2009 saw the release of The Seldom Seen Kid Live At Abbey Road, recorded with The BBC Concert Orchestra and Chantage. This album, recorded in Studio One of the world famous Abbey Road Studios on Saturday, January 17, 2008, is a complete run-through of the Mercury winning album. It features the band, a 52-piece orchestra, and a 20-member choir.
"Grounds for Divorce" was featured in VALVe Software game Left 4 Dead in 2008.
The band's fifth album Build A Rocket Boys! was released in the UK on March 14, 2011.
The First Steps Songfacts reports that Elbow was commissioned by the BBC to write a song for their coverage of the 2012 Olympics. The resulting tune is "First Steps". The full song lasts six and a half minutes, but it was written in such a way so that it could be divided into different minute or two long elements for use over both winning and losing footages.
In July 2015, Elbow released the Lost Worker Bee EP, which was soon followed by Guy Garvey's first solo album 'Courting the Squall' (Oct 2015).
Their seventh studio album, 'Little Fictions' was released on 3 February 2017, with Elbow's eighth studio album, 'Giants of All Sizes', released 2 years later on 11 October 2019.
Website: http://elbow.co.uk/
My Finger
Elbow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all things collide when the blacks of her eyes hit my soul
The blackbird he cries to the ghosts of the night to be faithful
And we all stand in line 'cos we think it's polite to be bored
And you say that it's not what you say and it's always the same like the memory slain on the day.
My finger is light on the pulse of my bride in the morning
My arms open wide from the things I denied to avoid
And we all lose our pride cos it beats killing time in the past
And you say that it's not what you say and it's always the same like the memory slain on the day.
My Finger shows the way to the stars
My Finger, will it tear us apart?
And you say that it's not what you say and it's always the same like the memory slain on the day.
My Finger.
Elbow's song "My Finger" describes the sensation of love and passion. The imagery used is very creative and unique. The "dark desert skies on the counties" reflect the emptiness and longing for something more. When the "blacks of her eyes hit my soul," it signifies intimate connection and a deeper level of comprehension. Even the blackbird cries out to the spirits to be loyal and devoted. The singer is unsatisfied with just existing "in line 'cos we think it's polite to be bored," and is searching for a more meaningful existence. The chorus is particularly striking, where the singer’s finger is light on the pulse of his bride in the morning, representing the awakening of passion. Despite their denial of emotions and their pride, they give in to the love that has been kindled between them.
The lyrics reveal a powerful and moving exploration of a relationship that is so much more than superficial attraction. The singer's finger leads the way to the stars, perhaps suggesting that this relationship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that they cannot help but pursue. However, there is also an underlying fear that this passion may lead to a breakdown between the two lovers. The line "My Finger, will it tear us apart?" begs the question of whether this powerful love will be their salvation or their downfall.
Overall, Elbow's "My Finger" speaks to the complex and emotional journey of falling in love and the risks that come with giving in to emotions. The lyrics paint a vivid and heartfelt picture of the intense forces at play when two people come together in love.
Line by Line Meaning
My senses arise like the dark desert skies on the counties
I become more aware of my surroundings, like the way the dark sky rises above the barren land.
And all things collide when the blacks of her eyes hit my soul
Everything else fades away when I look into her soulful eyes.
The blackbird he cries to the ghosts of the night to be faithful
The blackbird's despairing cries echo the loneliness of the night, pleading with the ghosts to hold on to hope.
And we all stand in line 'cos we think it's polite to be bored
We follow along with the mundane, boring aspects of life because it's considered socially acceptable and polite.
And you say that it's not what you say and it's always the same like the memory slain on the day.
You try to convince me that your words don't matter, but they seem to echo the same disappointment and pain from the past.
My finger is light on the pulse of my bride in the morning
I gently place my finger on my wife's pulse in the morning, feeling the life within her.
My arms open wide from the things I denied to avoid
I open myself up to embrace the things I previously avoided in order to grow and change.
She spins me a line that she heard from the guy on the TV
She tells me a story from something she heard on TV, trying to connect with me and share something interesting.
And we all lose our pride cos it beats killing time in the past
We let go of our egos because it's better to move forward and live in the present than to stay stuck in the past.
My Finger shows the way to the stars
My finger points to the stars, guiding us to a higher purpose and greater meaning in life.
My Finger, will it tear us apart?
Does my desire for something greater and my higher purpose threaten to tear our relationship apart?
And you say that it's not what you say and it's always the same like the memory slain on the day.
Once again, you claim that your words don't matter, but to me they have the same hurtful impact as they did before.
My Finger.
My finger still points the way, despite any doubts or struggles we may face.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on Any Day Now
Any Day Now - Lisa Dilan - Lyrics
Any day now
I will hear you say goodbye, my love
And you'll be on your way then my wild, beautiful bird
You will have flown
Any day now, I'll be all alone,
I'll be all alone
Any day now, when your restless eyes meet someone new
Oh, to my sad surprise
Then the blue shadows will fall all over town
Any day now, now; love will let me down
I know I shouldn't want to keep you
If you don't want to stay
Till you have gone forever
I'll keep holding on for dear life
Holding you this way; begging you to stay
Any day now when the clock strikes go
You'll call it off
And then my tears will flow
Then the blue shadows will fall
All over town
Any day now love will let me down
Love will let me down
Musical Interlude
I know I shouldn't want to keep you
If you don't want to stay
Till you have gone forever
I'll keep holding on for dear life
Holding you this way; begging you to stay
Any day now when the clock strikes go
You'll call it off
And then my tears will flow
Then the blue shadows will fall
All over town
Any day now love will let me down
Love will let me down
Love will let me down
Love will let me down
Love will let me down oh
Love will let me down…….