--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've had a wordless phase, and that's…" description: "\"I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely over: what I sing is not always literally meant that way, and you can hear that in the way it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/beth-gibbons-30676_getting-over-you_i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-sti_99331.jpg" --- # I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely… ![“I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely over: what I sing is not always literally meant that way, and you can hear that in the way it is sung.” quote by Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/beth-gibbons-30676_getting-over-you_i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-sti_99331.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/beth-gibbons-30676_getting-over-you_i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-sti_99331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/beth-gibbons-30676_getting-over-you_i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-sti_99331.jpg) > “I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely over: what I sing is not always literally meant that way, and you can hear that in the way it is sung.” [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even when words are absent, the singer’s delivery carries meaning that may diverge from literal interpretation, revealing emotional nuance. **In simple terms:** Music conveys meaning beyond literal lyrics. Key Takeaway Expression can be non‑verbal. Themes music interpretation emotion language Mood melancholic introspective Type artistic musical When to use this quote - songwriting - live performance Key Concepts semantic ambiguity Practical Applications - emotive vocal coaching - interpretive analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does a singer’s tone shape listener perception? - What role does silence play in music? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Getting over you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-over-you/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Wordless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wordless/) ## Related quotes > [ Every word that I say, every song that I sing, and literally every move that I make \[ in Chicaho musical\] has much purpose. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-george/every-word-that-i-say-every-song-that-i-sing-and-literally-every-move/) [Eddie George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-george/) > [It struck me at some point that the things I wanted to say had to be wordless. I had to renounce words in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arca/it-struck-me-at-some-point-that-the-things-i-wanted-to-say-had-to-be/) [Arca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arca/) > [If there is a doctrine, a message behind Live, it's just that wordless intensity that doesn't necessarily have to mean anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kowalczyk/if-there-is-a-doctrine-a-message-behind-live-it-s-just-that-wordless/) [Ed Kowalczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kowalczyk/) > [this is thy hour o soul, thy free flight into the wordless, away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/this-is-thy-hour-o-soul-thy-free-flight-into-the-wordless-away-from/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [“No one needed to say it, but the room overflowed with that sort of blessing. The combination of loss and abundance. The abundance that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/no-one-needed-to-say-it-but-the-room-overflowed-with-that-sort-of/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [Jazz vision is a wordless conversation between musical notes and visual expressions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-januszkiewicz/jazz-vision-is-a-wordless-conversation-between-musical-notes-and/) [Barbara Januszkiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-januszkiewicz/) > [“Love is a wordless unspoken poem”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarif-naaz/love-is-a-wordless-unspoken-poem/) [Tarif Naaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarif-naaz/) > [There are books in rivulets and sermons in stones. You can gather lessons from everything. If a man does nothing whatsoever he recedes into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirpal-singh/there-are-books-in-rivulets-and-sermons-in-stones-you-can-gather/) [Kirpal Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirpal-singh/) > [“Sometimes the things that are felt the most are expressed between two souls over the distance and over time...where no words abide. And others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/sometimes-the-things-that-are-felt-the-most-are-expressed-between-two/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [My major aim was to shape a book which would make its own comment, a wordless statement: to talk through the way it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/my-major-aim-was-to-shape-a-book-which-would-make-its-own-comment-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [It's easier to write about pain than about joy. Joy is wordless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-s-easier-to-write-about-pain-than-about-joy-joy-is-wordless/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“He went wordless, and wordless he sat beside her. He knew the size of her sorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/he-went-wordless-and-wordless-he-sat-beside-her-he-knew-the-size-of/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) > [How has anyone ever understood anyone, except through love, which is wordless?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/how-has-anyone-ever-understood-anyone-except-through-love-which-is/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Dirk was, for one of the few times in a life of exuberantly prolific loquacity, wordless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/dirk-was-for-one-of-the-few-times-in-a-life-of-exuberantly-prolific/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Violence is essentially wordless. and it can begin only where thought and rational communication have broken down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/violence-is-essentially-wordless-and-it-can-begin-only-where-thought/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## More by Beth Gibbons > [I still don't like doing interviews. I hardly do any... I hope this will be the last one for a long while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-still-don-t-like-doing-interviews-i-hardly-do-any-i-hope-this-will/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [I think that after a year of Portishead I've become a little more sober.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-think-that-after-a-year-of-portishead-i-ve-become-a-little-more/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [A lot of people question my image and why I do what I do, and the answer is because this is how I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/a-lot-of-people-question-my-image-and-why-i-do-what-i-do-and-the/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [You feel the music needs something but you don't know what. So you start searching, fitting, measuring, trying. Every time you try another angle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/you-feel-the-music-needs-something-but-you-don-t-know-what-so-you/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [There's not only emotion in the way you sing but also in what you sing. That way I can compensate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/there-s-not-only-emotion-in-the-way-you-sing-but-also-in-what-you/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [I try to imagine how we would live if we didn't know we were going to die. Would we live our lives differently? Less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-try-to-imagine-how-we-would-live-if-we-didn-t-know-we-were-going-to/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [I thought I had a clear picture of death, but now I know it's a mystery and it will always be a mystery, although…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-thought-i-had-a-clear-picture-of-death-but-now-i-know-it-s-a/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [The music comes first. When Geoff has made something the inspiration comes automatically. His music is very expressive. But still is is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/the-music-comes-first-when-geoff-has-made-something-the-inspiration/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [Let's get one thing straight: there's no such thing as the Bristol sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/let-s-get-one-thing-straight-there-s-no-such-thing-as-the-bristol/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [The blackness of darkness, forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/the-blackness-of-darkness-forever/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [I am a very sensitive person, very impulsive and emotional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-am-a-very-sensitive-person-very-impulsive-and-emotional/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [Suffering for your art is most definitely overrated but I do get a certain, I don't know, satisfaction from being able to deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/suffering-for-your-art-is-most-definitely-overrated-but-i-do-get-a/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [My voice adapts itself to the music. I can do a lot more than you hear in Portishead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/my-voice-adapts-itself-to-the-music-i-can-do-a-lot-more-than-you-hear/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [We're thinking about printing the lyrics with the next record so that people can find their own meaning in them. But then they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/we-re-thinking-about-printing-the-lyrics-with-the-next-record-so-that/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [Most of the lyrics are over a year old, and it doesn't feel like it's about me. Time created a distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/most-of-the-lyrics-are-over-a-year-old-and-it-doesn-t-feel-like-it-s/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) [Explore all 17 Beth Gibbons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) ## More Getting over you quotes > [Remember, sex is like a Chinese dinner. It ain't over 'til you both get your cookie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/remember-sex-is-like-a-chinese-dinner-it-ain-t-over-til-you-both-get/) [Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/) > [Every time I think I'm finally over you, something reminds me of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-newland/every-time-i-think-i-m-finally-over-you-something-reminds-me-of-you/) [Channing Newland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-newland/) > [I have died a thousand and one deaths, and you're that much lifetime away, but why am I still thinking of you this way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanum/i-have-died-a-thousand-and-one-deaths-and-you-re-that-much-lifetime/) Vanum > [Here, you can walk into a bookstore and pick up a Bible or Christian literature and learn. Over there, they are lucky if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/here-you-can-walk-into-a-bookstore-and-pick-up-a-bible-or-christian/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [Everyday I tell myself I need to get over you, But every night I find myself thinking about how much I want you back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyday-i-tell-myself-i-need-to-get-over-you-but-every-night-i-find/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If Im going down Im going down with style. You wont hear me surrender, you wont hear me confess, because youve left me with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-im-going-down-im-going-down-with-style-you-wont-hear-me-surrender/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Someone asked me if I was over you I said no... the way I see it is if loving you makes me happy, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/someone-asked-me-if-i-was-over-you-i-said-no-the-way-i-see-it-is-if/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [I loved you, I cant deny, I still love you but I cant do it this time, I have to let go, I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-martin/i-loved-you-i-cant-deny-i-still-love-you-but-i-cant-do-it-this-time-i/) [Travis Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-martin/) > [All of us girls say we can't go without someone but when that person isn't in our lives anymore it's surprising how better off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-of-us-girls-say-we-can-t-go-without-someone-but-when-that-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [SHE SAID - Truth is I'm not over you yet. Hell, I still miss you... Not enough to want you back but enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poetic-style/she-said-truth-is-i-m-not-over-you-yet-hell-i-still-miss-you-not/) Poetic Style > [Im about to see a million things I thought Id never see before and Im about to do all of the things I dreamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-about-to-see-a-million-things-i-thought-id-never-see-before-and-im/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The day you come back to me might be the day I'm gone and finally moved on. I dont think I could be with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-day-you-come-back-to-me-might-be-the-day-i-m-gone-and-finally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I just need to forget about the boy who forgot about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-just-need-to-forget-about-the-boy-who-forgot-about-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-i-ve-seen-the-promised-land-i-may-not-get-there-with-you-but-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone thinks that if we just talk again, everything would be okay. They say things would go back to the way they once were...But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-thinks-that-if-we-just-talk-again-everything-would-be-okay/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 191 Getting over you quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-over-you/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely over: what I sing is not always literally meant that way, and you can hear that in the way it is sung.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Beth Gibbons" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-still-not-entirely-over-what-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Getting over you" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-still-not-entirely-over-what-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/beth-gibbons-30676_getting-over-you_i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-sti_99331.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/beth-gibbons-30676_getting-over-you_i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-sti_99331.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/beth-gibbons-30676_getting-over-you_i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-sti_99331.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely over: what I sing is not always literally meant…” — Beth Gibbons", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Beth Gibbons", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've had a wordless phase, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-still-not-entirely-over-what-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-still-not-entirely-over-what-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```