“Free” by Ellur – A Song Feature

 

     Ellur explains that the lyrics of “Free” were inspired by a dream that eventually played a pivotal role in shaping her future. The lyrics, which are included in this post, allude to a dream visitor labeled as an "imposter," but who appears to be sincerely interested in having a positive impact on the dreamer's life. The visitor asks:

Are you free?

Are you really free?

Could you take it or leave it?

Could you take it or leave it?

 
       While taking about the single, Ellur said:
   “‘Free’ is about a character who visited me in a dream and caused me to question my sense of free will and my entire life situation. At the time, I’d been working part time as a bartender and the song became a metaphor for working for people who don’t respect you and how that has put me in some of the worst mental states of my life. It actually inspired me to take the leap into full time music and quit my day-job.”
 
     At one point in the lyrics, the visitor screams “Occupy your mind.” Ellur identifies her single as a song about feeling like an observer of your life, rather than actually living it. Interestingly, the final lines of the song are different for the official video, as compared to the Soundcloud and Spotify streams. In the video, the final verse/chorus is still questioning – “Am I free? // Am I really free?” In comparison, the non-video streams begin with declarations – “I am free // I am really free.” Both are appealing, because the song finished with the dreamer speaking in the first person while referring to whether she is free. But we prefer the resolution of the non-video streams.
 

     The video is a live session in the garden of Ellur’s grandparents. Ellur is the performance name of Ella McNamara, who was born in Halifax, UK. The other members shown in the video are Lucy Howson (guitar), Nicole Hope Smith (keys), and Emma Liu (drums). The band is based in Leeds.

          “Free” is the follow-up Ellur’s acclaimed single ‘Anywhere’ (co-written with Circa Waves’ Kieran Shudall). “Free” is rightly described as a showcase of an entirely different layer of Ellur’s sound, with grunge-fueled tendencies drawing inspiration from the likes of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive, whilst further amplifying her growing collection of deeply personal guitar anthems.
 
     “Free” by Ellur

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Lyrics of “Free” by Ellur
An imposter
In my seat
She wears my lipstick
Fueled by grief
 
She seems erratic
Spilling belief
And through the static
She’s talking to me
We were driving slow
But she’s picking up speed
Turns the engine off and throws away the key
 
She said:
“Are you free?
Are you really free?
Could you take it or leave it?
Could you take it or leave it?”
 
She said to me:
“Are you really free?
Could you take it or leave it?
Could you take it or leave it?”
She said leaving me
 
Now I’m pulling pints
Like pulling teeth
She reverberates my head
A phosphene
 
And through the static
I hear her scream
She’s saying
“Occupy your mind”
 
But
Are you free?
Are you really free?
Could you take it or leave it?
Could you take it or leave it?
She said to me:
“Do you wanna come and see?
I can take you or leave you
I can take you or leave you
Do you wanna come with me?”
 
If I leave you in this mess
Can you find your way to break out of it?
If you keep breathing in their smoke, you’ll see
You live your life through an internal TV screen
 
I am free
I am really free
Can I take it or leave it?
Can I take it or leave it?
Now I can't breathe
Am I really free?
Am I really free?

Am I really free?