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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.
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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Play PJ Harvey RadioWith: John Parish and Polly Jean Harvey, Tori Amos, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Kate Bush and more…
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Albums featuring this track
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White Chalk
PJ Harvey
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Shouts
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shakermaker29 wrote:
She is so amazing.
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OldAcquaintance wrote:
great song
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davidbowiegirl wrote:
Great song
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jpeiper wrote:
PJ is just the very best. I love everything she creates.
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BlackBuckley wrote:
Good song from an amazing album.
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lesliedahlink wrote:
Can I press the heart button a million times? Thanks.
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dewfish wrote:
cool song.
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feyyaz wrote:
.
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krischanski wrote:
hübsch
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rebecka_ wrote:
beautiful.
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Deformografy wrote:
delicious
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amanicangel wrote:
lmao @ ♫ lyrics.. she's done some damn good drugs
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pepganzo wrote:
pezzo migliore del disco.
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Nospherith wrote:
PHOENIX flatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutardsflatutards
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tkernan6 wrote:
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.
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SoapMagic wrote:
The piano part is so catchy.
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yellymack wrote:
this song is amazing.
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mechanical-eel wrote:
She sounds like a little girl and it's so creepy and fantastic.
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phoenixdbp wrote:
This whole cd is growing on me
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Snoooowcake wrote:
♥
Track Stats
650,504 Scrobbles
152,385 Listeners
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Recent Activity
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Klimczakus added When Under Ether to his Loved Tracks. yesterday afternoon
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haelaenka added When Under Ether to the playlist Short, but unique. yesterday afternoon
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Geew-bu-raah, mypianoisbroken, Mozier and 21 other people loved PJ Harvey – When Under Ether. yesterday morning
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stephsize added When Under Ether to stephsize’s library. last month
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stephsize added When Under Ether to the playlist. last month
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OldAcquaintance, pawawa, PulledToBits and 4 other people loved PJ Harvey – When Under Ether. last month
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fluevogboston shared When Under Ether with olivianimm. last month
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smk_deluxe, Rockstafar, ithinkiknow and 10 other people loved PJ Harvey – When Under Ether. last month
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zorettissima added When Under Ether to zorettissima’s library. last month
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zorettissima added When Under Ether to the playlist open - unfinished. last month
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