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

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.