Elbow - Starlings

Elbow are playing the Oxford Academy tomorrow and my God do I wish I could be there but it's sold out and even if I wanted to go I'm so totally unable to stand up for a couple of hours without experiencing rather continuous pain. Here's the brilliant opening track from their most recent album, The Seldom Seen Kid, "Starlings". It's classic Elbow, similar in it's quiet quirkiness to the opening tracks of Cast of Thousands and Leaders of the Free World, with quietly rippling organ punctuated by blasting brass and the lyrics are just fantastic. They alternate between being an earnest declaration of love with beautiful metaphors and a knowing analysis of the lover.

Elbow - Starlings

How dare the Premier ignore my invitations? He'll have to go:
So, too, the bunch he luncheons with, it's second on my list of things to do
At the top I'm stopping by your place of work and acting like
I haven't dreamed of you and I and marriage in an orange grove
You are the only thing in any room you're ever in
I'm stubborn, selfish and too old.

I sat you down and told you how the truest love that's ever found is for oneself
You pulled apart my theory with a weary and disinterested sigh
So yes I guess I'm asking you to back a horse that's good for glue and nothing else
But find a man that's truer than, find a man that needs you more than I

Sit with me a while
And let me listen to you talk about
your dreams and your obsessions
I'll be quiet and confessional
The violets explode inside me
when I meet your eyes
Then I'm spinning and I'm diving
Like a cloud of starlings

Darling is this love?

P.S. There's a really rather wonderful bit of enthusing about this track over on Said The Gramaphone - take a look.

Now playing: Drew Danburry - Lynette I Love You