I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN

Laura Marling

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Marling revisited the recording process for her second studio album, of which this is the title track, for Uncut Magazine. "We started at Eastcote," she said, "but Ethan [Johns] didn’t like the sound of the room, so we moved to Real World. I took my band with me, and we all stayed there at probably horrendous expense. We got driven in our splitter van from Glastonbury to Real World, we stayed there for two weeks and it was really magical. I’d read The Odyssey, and I obviously thought I was quite clever because of that, so a lot of it was based around Penelope and Odysseus, and Hera – there’s a lot of Greek mythology and Classics, I was really into it then. I had discovered tunings after the first album too, and a lot of I Speak Because I Can was in major and minor open-D tunings."

LYRICS

My husband left me last night
Left me a poor and lonely wife
I cooked the meals and he got the life
Now I'm just old for the rest of my time
For he. o he. o my.

I speak because i can
to anyone i trust enough to listen
And you speak because you can
to anyone who'll hear what you say
I swear it was not my choice
I used to be so kind

Never rode my bike down to the sea
Never finished that letter I was writing
Never stood up and said anyting
Worthy. for he. for my.

O graceful sleeper you midnight dreamer
I'm floored by your sound
I'm floored by your sound
And I swear it was not my choice
To reach out to someone wise
I used to be so kind
I used to be so kind

In the breaking of the morning
you'll be dancing on my soft lawn
when you're shaking out the anger
that stops you from taking my call
+ When you're running up the highway
singing "I'm the king the king of you all"
When you look back to where it started
I'll be there waving you on

Never rode my bike down to the sea
Never quite figured out what i believe
Never got up and said anything
Worthy. for he. for my.