Ship To Wreck

Album: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015)
Charted: 27
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Florence Welch said of the inspiration for this song: "I was thinking about my own self destructive side, and how you can make something only to tear it down, enjoy/destroy, create/devastate etc. When you're in that whirlwind, you often end up breaking the thing you love the most."
  • Welch penned the song with Kid Harpoon during a month-long creative furlough in Los Angeles that also yielded How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful's lead single "What Kind Of Man." Welch previously collaborated with the London-based songwriter/producer on her gospelly hit tune "Shake It Out."
  • When Florence + the Machine played Coachella in April 2015, Florence Welch explained this song is about "some time off I had in London where I had some drunken parties and trashed my house and said a drunken 'I love you' too soon."

    "Even though all that disastrous stuff happened, I got this song out of it," she added. "It all works out, and even if it doesn't, write a song about it."
  • The song's music video was directed by Vincent Haycock (Madonna, OneRepublic) and was filmed inside Florence Welch's home. The clip, which finds the songstress struggling with a tumultuous relationship with both a love interest and herself, was choreographed by Ryan Heffington, who also did Sia's "Chandelier" and Lykke Li's "Gunshot" visuals.
  • Florence + the Machine performed this song on the May 9, 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live. Florence Welch had a broken foot, so she sat on a stool while she sang.
  • Florence Welch said to the New York Times regarding the self-destructive side of her personality: "I'm fun up to a point, and then it gets destructive. That's how I wrote 'Ship to Wreck.' It was: 'What have I done? Oh my God! Why do I keep doing this?' It's that feeling that you love something so much, and it's always the first thing to break."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Kip Winger

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.