“Mariana Trench” by Gabrielle Aplin
The Mariana Trench, as found in the Pacific, is known to be the deepest part of the entire ocean. One day, during the COVID-19 pandemic and all that it entailed, Gabrielle Aplin – who lives in England, one of the parts of the world most affected – was watching an episode of Blue Planet (likely the second in the miniseries), a BBC documentary about nature.
The deep ocean, as you probably already know, is a dark and frightening place, and Gabrielle notes as much in the second verse. But yet and still, as she still via Blue Planet, life thrives down there nonetheless.
So is the sentimental premise behind this song, i.e. life in the Mariana Trench serving “as a metaphor for human resilience”, amidst the “darkness” of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Lyrics
That said, these lyrics do not reference or even seemingly allude to the pandemic really. Instead the simplest way of interpreting them is as the vocalist being in a troubled relationship with the addressee, who may be her significant other.
The first verse does imply that they’ve been separated for some time, with the lockdowns associated with COVID-19 having in fact separated some loved ones for a spell. But as the song progresses, it reads more like an estrangement rather than government intervention or a pandemic that this caused this situation.
Moreover, the vocalist seems to more or less take the blame for this less-than-favorable reality, coming off as if she made certain mistakes or possesses personality flaws that she’s now trying – unsuccessfully it would seem – to rectify.
So ultimately, all lyrics considered, this song is a bit confusing. On one hand, it is once again meant to be a metaphor of resiliency, and Gabrielle proceeds to celebrate the featured relationship remaining intact despite associated challenges. But on the other hand, she notes that she and the addressee “haven’t talked in years”.
So obviously, what she is speaking to is her love for this individual – and presumably vice versa – enduring despite the fact that they are not physically together.
“Ooh-ooh-ooh-ah
I don’t know how we get through the s–t that we do
Hmm-ahh-ohh
I don’t know how we get through the s–t that we do, but we get through”
Release of “Mariana Trench”
“Mariana Trench” is the tenth song on Gabrielle Aplin’s fourth studio offering, “Phosphorescent”. It officially landed on January 6 of 2023.
The “Phosphorescent” project, which dropped in January 2023, is a follow-up to the British singer’s third full-length album “Dear Happy”.
Credits
This tune was written by Aplin herself. It was produced by Mike Spencer, an English record producer who is behind the singer’s first studio album, “English Rain”. To note, said album was released in 2013.
