PJ Harvey » Tracks » When Under Ether

PJ Harvey – When Under Ether (2:22)

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About This Track

“When Under Ether” is a song written by PJ Harvey for her album White Chalk (2007). It was released as the album’s first single in September 2007. This song was #32 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.[1]

Instrumentation and lyrics

Like the majority of songs that appear on White Chalk, “When Under Ether” was written and performed on the piano, which is a departure from prior PJ Harvey albums. It is also similar to the other tracks in that it is short in length and sung in a higher register than expected.

Musically, the song is quite sparse, centering around Harvey’s vocals — which have an airy, almost otherworldly quality to them — and a subtle, repetitive piano melody. According to critic Joshua Klein “the simple repetitive pattern that gently drives ‘When Under Ether’ drips with menace.”[3] Drums, autoharp, and organ accompany the main components of the song and are quite low in the mix.

While the lyrics may indicate something as innocent as a dream dissolving into the clouds under diethyl ether intoxication, but while one critic takes the song as an account of a “harrowing” birth under archaic medical conditions[4], some critics[5][6] such as Heather Phares[7] hint that they “quite possibly” refer to “abortion, since unwanted children are some of the many broken family ties that haunt the album”. However, when asked directly during an interview in the The Guardian, Harvey replied, “That’s obviously what you hear, but for me it’s not actually tied to anything specific, like an abortion.
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  • RbrtsWax88

    The dress, the piano, the tour.....Awesome.

    February 2012

  • davidbowiegirl

    Good song

    February 2012

  • shakermaker29

    She is so amazing.

    February 2012

  • OldAcquaintance

    great song

    January 2012

  • jpeiper

    PJ is just the very best. I love everything she creates.

    April 2011

  • BlackBuckley

    Good song from an amazing album.

    March 2011

  • lesliedahlink

    Can I press the heart button a million times? Thanks.

    January 2011

  • dewfish

    cool song.

    January 2011

  • feyyaz

    .

    October 2010

  • krischanski

    hübsch

    October 2010

  • rebecka_

    beautiful.

    August 2010

  • Deformografy

    delicious

    August 2010

  • amanicangel

    lmao @ ♫ lyrics.. she's done some damn good drugs

    July 2010

  • pepganzo

    pezzo migliore del disco.

    May 2010

  • Nospherith

    PHOENIX flatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutards

    May 2010

  • tkernan6

    I love this song. I love the whole album. Look at some T.S. Eliot poetry if you enjoy the lyrics they are super influenced by him.

    April 2010

  • SoapMagic

    The piano part is so catchy.

    March 2010

  • yellymack

    this song is amazing.

    January 2010

  • mechanical-eel

    She sounds like a little girl and it's so creepy and fantastic.

    January 2010

  • phoenixdbp

    This whole cd is growing on me

    January 2010
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