Album: High as Hope (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is Florence Welch's homage to the American singer-songwriter Patti Smith.

    Oh Patricia, you've always been my North Star, oh

    Polaris, commonly the North Star or Pole Star, is a yellow-white supergiant in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It is the brightest variable star in the night sky and has been used for navigation purposes since the medieval period. Welch is likening Smith to the stellar object saying both have guided her on her way, and have been a constant presence in her life. She told the BBC:

    "I've always loved her and it was actually through her writing that I feel I really got to know her. She writes about life in such a beautiful way that it seems to endow even the smallest things with a sense of spirituality or reverence. Whether it's going to the coffee shop or what you eat for breakfast in the morning. She kind of elevates everything and it was like a little north star to follow as like how to have a creative life as a whole."
  • Welch talked about this song and Smith's influence in a Rolling Stone interview. "I was thinking about how to live creatively without chaos," she said. "Her writing was like a blueprint. She seems to bring such reverence to the act of living that I find so inspiring."
  • KT Tunstall's 2005 hit single "Suddenly I See" was also inspired by Patti Smith, in that instance by Robert Mapplethorpe's photograph of the punk icon on the cover of her 1975 album Horses.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Kristian Bush of Sugarland

Kristian Bush of SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Gary Numan

Gary NumanSongwriter Interviews

An Electronic music pioneer with Asperger's Syndrome. This could be interesting.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.