Various Storms & Saints

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

Songfacts®:

  • Many of the tracks on How Big How Blue How Beautiful are about Florence Welch being in a relationship with someone who is driving her away. This song finds the songstress trying to cut ties with the man who's bringing her down, but she just can't shake him from her life.

    The lyrics include a line from a poem by Marty McConnell called Frida Kahlo to Marty McConnell, which Welch has pinned to the wall behind her bed:

    You had to have him, so you did.

    "I was writing a pep talk to myself, almost," she told The Evening Standard. "I like to hide behind reverb and a lot of backing vocals but Markus (Dravs, producer) pushed my vocals forward and was quite adamant about it. It's another layer of taking down your defenses and I was scared."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?