Florence And The Machine One of the Greats Meaning and Review

Florence + The Machine return with "One of the Greats", the second single from their upcoming sixth studio album Everybody Scream, and it is a bold, cathartic statement that marries vulnerability with defiance. The track begins with a slow, almost unsettling soundscape, as scraping guitar chords accompany Florence Welch’s breathy vocals, creating a sense of unease that mirrors the song’s themes of mortality and artistic pressure. From the first verse, it is clear that this is a deeply personal piece, reflecting Welch’s near-death experience during her 2023 tour and the ongoing struggle to meet both personal and external expectations. The song’s initial mood feels eerie and introspective, setting the stage for a dramatic buildup that pays off in a grand, emotive release.

Lyrical Themes

Lyrically, Welch dives into the cost of greatness, exploring the tension between artistic ambition and the harsh scrutiny of critics and naysayers. Lines like "I crawled up from under the earth / Broken nails and coughing dirt" illustrate a resurrection motif, portraying her return from near death as both literal and symbolic. In the second verse, she tackles the darker consequences of fame, with metaphoric imagery of "killed everyone I’d ever kissed / Hung them on the wall like trophies," conveying both personal loss and the emotional toll of relentless perfectionism. Welch’s lyrics strike a balance between candidness and theatricality, blending humor with anger, grief, and triumph.

Addressing Industry Inequality

The song also addresses systemic sexism in the music industry. Welch does not shy away from criticizing the double standards faced by women in music, contrasting her relentless effort and scrutiny with the effortless acclaim often given to male peers. In the bridge, she sings, "It must be nice to be a man and make boring music just because you can," directly confronting these inequities with a mix of sarcasm and righteous indignation. This feminist undertone adds a compelling layer to the song, making it not just a personal reckoning but also a broader commentary on the pressures and biases of creative success.

Musicality and Production

Musically, "One of the Greats" thrives on its dynamic contrasts. The slow, brooding verses give way to cathartic choruses where Welch’s voice soars above grungy guitars and swelling instrumentation, culminating in a sense of liberation and empowerment. Co-producer Aaron Dessner’s polished production ensures the track maintains emotional clarity while expanding its sonic depth, and co-writer Mark Bowen’s influence adds grit and intensity that perfectly complements Welch’s theatricality. The song’s structure, shifting from quiet introspection to anthemic release, mirrors the lyrical journey from struggle to self-affirmation, making the listening experience immersive and emotionally resonant.

Florence + The Machine One of the Greats Review 

"One of the Greats" is a powerful testament to Florence + The Machine’s ability to transform personal trauma into grandiose, emotionally complex music. It is a song that celebrates survival, artistic persistence, and self-assertion while critiquing the systemic obstacles that come with both fame and gender. From the haunting opening notes to the triumphant final choruses, Welch proves once again why she is deserving of the title suggested by the song itself. Everybody Scream promises to be an album that continues this exploration of mortality, ambition, and empowerment, with "One of the Greats" standing as a striking, unforgettable highlight.

Listen To Florence + The Machine One of the Greats

Florence + The Machine One of the Greats Lyrics Meaning Explained 

The meaning of One of the Greats by Florence + The Machine is a meditation on survival, artistic ambition, and the complex cost of greatness. Drawing from Florence Welch’s near-death experience in 2023, the song explores the physical, emotional, and societal challenges she has faced throughout her career. It reflects on the pressures of fame, the scrutiny of critics, and the gendered biases within the music industry, while also celebrating resilience, creative triumph, and the act of reclaiming one’s narrative. Through vivid imagery, biblical references, and moments of dark humor, Welch constructs a narrative that intertwines personal mortality with the pursuit of artistic immortality, ultimately questioning what it truly means to be “one of the greats.”

Verse 1

The opening verse of "One of the Greats" immediately sets a tone of resurrection and survival. In the lines "I crawled up from under the earth / Broken nails and coughing dirt / Spitting out my songs so you could sing along, oh / And with each bedraggled breath, I knew I came back from the dead / To show you how it's done, to show you what it takes / To conquer and to crucify", Florence references her near-death experience during her 2023 tour when she underwent life-saving surgery. The imagery of crawling from the earth mirrors her return from the brink of death, while "bedraggled breath" emphasizes both vulnerability and exhaustion. The phrases "conquer and crucify" suggest the simultaneous triumph and self-sacrifice inherent in her role as a performer. The line "To become one of the greats / One of the greats" satirically acknowledges her status in music while questioning the meaning of greatness. It reflects on her accomplishments, mortality, and legacy, and is likely a nod to a 2024 New York Times feature naming her one of The Greats in music and fashion.

Verse 2

In the second verse, Florence explores the personal cost of creativity and fame. The lyrics "I kept a scream inside my chest, killed everyone I'd ever kissed / Hung them on the wall like trophies, each name, a stain upon my lips / I told the truth but could never see it through / You see yourself hung on the wall but that song is not about you" reflect on past relationships that inspired her songs. These heartbreaks are transformed into trophies, immortalized through her work, while the "stain" signifies the lasting emotional impact. Florence asserts ownership of her narratives, emphasizing that the songs reflect her perspective rather than that of her former partners. She continues with "I wrote down all my fumbling visions transmitted by a television / Got everything I thought I wanted and cried hungover in a hotel closet", revealing the isolation and dissatisfaction that can accompany success, highlighting the cost of pursuing greatness despite outward achievements.

Pre-Chorus

The pre-chorus, "Did I get it right? Do I win the prize? / Do you regret bringing me back to life?", expresses self-doubt and existential questioning following her near-death experience. Florence examines whether survival justifies her return to the stage and her artistic legacy. This also reflects the idea of musicians being immortalized through their work, contrasting with her unique experience of living through such trauma and then confronting her identity as an artist.

Chorus

The chorus, "Arms outstretched, back from the dead / Streetlights bursting overhead", employs religious imagery of crucifixion and resurrection. It symbolizes the cycle of creation, self-sacrifice, and rebirth inherent in Florence’s artistry. She parallels her artistic process with resurrection, transforming herself and her work with each record and performance, echoing themes from earlier songs like "Choreomania".

Verse 3

Verse three delves into the pressures and gendered expectations Florence faces as a woman in music. Lines such as "I did my best, tried to impress, my childhood dream made flesh / And my dresses and my flowering sadness, so like a woman to profit from her madness / I was only beautiful under the lights, only powerful there / Burned down at thirty-six / Why did you dig me up for this?" critique how women’s emotions are often commodified while men face fewer consequences. The imagery of burning evokes historical witch trials, framing the judgment and scrutiny of women’s artistic power as a form of social punishment.

Bridge

In the bridge, Florence continues this critique with "You'll bury me again, you'll say it's all pretend / That I could never be great being held up against such male tastes / Because who really gets to be one of the greats, one of the greats?", questioning the arbitrary standards of greatness and the systemic bias favoring male artists. She asserts her artistic achievements with "But I've really done it this time (Ah-ah), this one is all mine / I'll be up there with the man and the ten other women (Ah-ah) / And the hundred greatest records of all time (Ah-ah)". She celebrates her work while acknowledging the limited recognition historically afforded to women in music, referencing her debut album Lungs and how others often define her greatness by that early success. The following line, "It must be nice to be a man and make boring music just because you can (Ah-ah)", critiques the gendered double standard in the music industry, contrasting men’s ability to achieve acclaim effortlessly with women’s need to prove themselves. The bridge also includes playful and feminist commentary with "Now don't get me wrong, I'm a fan (Ah-ah) / You're my second favourite front-man (Ah-ah) / And you could have me if you weren't so afraid of me / It's funny how men don't find power very sexy / So this one's for the ladies / Do I drive you crazy? / Did I get it right?", blending humor, assertiveness, and empowerment.

Outro

The outro brings resolution with "Too feminine to function / A pile of bodies and a trail of destruction / I will let the light in, I will let some love in / I will be happy, it will be perfect". Here, Florence acknowledges the sacrifices and costs of her career while embracing hope and self-acceptance. The repeated chorus lines, "Arms outstretched / Streetlights bursting overhead", reinforce the themes of resurrection, artistic perseverance, and empowerment. The song as a whole functions as an anthem of survival, the cost and triumph of greatness, and the reconciliation of mortality with legacy.

Florence + The Machine One of the Greats Lyrics 

[Verse 1]

I crawled up from under the earth

Broken nails and coughing dirt

Spitting out my songs so you could sing along, oh

And with each bedraggled breath, I knew I came back from the dead

To show you how it's done, to show you what it takes

To conquer and to crucify, to become one of the greats

One of the greats

[Verse 2]

I kept a scream inside my chest, killed everyone I'd ever kissed

Hung them on the wall like trophies, each name, a stain upon my lips

I told the truth but could never see it through

You see yourself hung on the wall but that song is not about you

I wrote down all my fumbling visions transmitted by a television

Got everything I thought I wanted and cried hungover in a hotel closet

[Pre-Chorus]

Did I get it right? Do I win the prize?

Do you regret bringing me back to life?

[Chorus]

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

[Verse 3]

I did my best, tried to impress, my childhood dream made flesh

And my dresses and my flowering sadness, so like a woman to profit from her madness

I was only beautiful under the lights, only powerful there

Burned down at thirty-six

Why did you dig me up for this?

[Chorus]

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

[Bridge]

You'll bury me again, you'll say it's all pretend

That I could never be great being held up against such male tastes

Because who really gets to be one of the greats, one of the greats?

But I've really done it this time (Ah-ah), this one is all mine

I'll be up there with the man and the ten other women (Ah-ah)

And the hundred greatest records of all time (Ah-ah)

It must be nice to be a man and make boring music just because you can (Ah-ah)

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a fan (Ah-ah)

You're my second favourite front-man (Ah-ah)

And you could have me if you weren't so afraid of me

It's funny how men don't find power very sexy

So this one's for the ladies

Do I drive you crazy?

Did I get it right?

[Pre-Chorus]

Did I get it right? Do I win the prize?

Do you regret bringing me back to life?

Did I get it right? Do I win the prize?

Do you regret bringing me back to life?

[Chorus]

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

[Outro]

Too feminine to function

A pile of bodies and a trail of destruction

I will let the light in, I will let some love in

I will be happy, it will be perfect

I will let the light in, I will let some love in

I will be happy, it will be perfect

I will let the light in (Arms outstretched, back from the dead)

Streetlights bursting overhead

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

Arms outstretched, back from the dead

Streetlights bursting overhead

Arms outstretched

Arms outstretched

Streetlights bursting

Overhead

Overhead

Streetlights bursting

Overhead