“The first time we drove into New York we were all crammed in a tiny rental car. We came out of the Lincoln Tunnel and 'You Will Leave a Mark' was playing on the radio,” A Silent Film vocalist/pianist Robert Stevenson says, recalling hearing his group’s career-opening single scoring a powerful moment of its inaugural 2010 U.S. tour. The Oxford quartet had just released its debut of epic and ambiently anthemic indie rock, The City That Sleeps, on Bieler Bros. Records, a Florida-based indie with an incongruously niche heavy rock profile. Despite the curious association, A Silent Film had an impressive American welcome. The group became the longest charting band on Sirius XM’s Alt 18 Countdown, shifted 200K downloads as iTunes’ Discovery Download, and sold 75K digital singles.
“Never in my dreams could I imagine the songs I wrote in my bedroom as someone else's soundtrack to the skyline of New York City. It was only three and a half minutes but it opened my eyes to the greater possibilities of sharing our music,” Robert says. The American tour was a transformative experience for A Silent Film and the group decided to relocate to Arizona and record their sophomore album in the rustic environs of the West. The band’s latest, Sand & Snow, released June 5th, 2012 is a snapshot of the fevered creativity inspired by an impulsive tryst with Americana. “Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan are massive inspirations to me. I felt like I always had a kinship with America; as soon as I could experience it, and I didn’t have to read it in a book anymore, I needed it for writing,” Robert says of the creative necessity of the move. “Previously I had written everything in Oxford, but as soon as I saw America, it changed my process; I wanted to live and breathe it.”
In addition to Robert Stevenson, A Silent Film is rounded out by Karl Bareham (guitar), Ali Hussain (bass) and Spencer Walker (drums). A Silent Film formed in 2005 and has garnered favorable comparisons to Coldplay, The Killers, and Snow Patrol. Its new offering is aligned with its formative poetic and expansive pop-rock aesthetic but there is a freshly confident depth and distinction evident in the writing. Sand & Snow is searchingly hopeful with emotive hooks and romantically purposeful lyrics.
Julie June
A Silent Film Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not the man I used to be
Julie June I really miss you so
Tell me Julie June where did you go?
I washed the dishes and I cleaned the sink
I'm not as bad as your girlfriends think
I left my rifle with an old wishbone
Julie June I taste the tip of your tongue
I sing you songs that have never been sung
I am around you like a light on low
And I am with you everywhere you go
I am the creature that crawls into your bed
I am the nightmare that fucks with your head
I am the cold and the creaky floor
I am the knife in your kitchen drawer
Maybe I know what you want; maybe I know what you need
Maybe we've gone too far this time, to taste the air we breathe?
Maybe I know what I want; maybe I know what I need
Come on back to my open arms; give me the air that I need to breathe
Julie June I know you've got my back
But I don't really want to see you like that
Still got the keys to my white mustang?
That silver chrome will bring you home
Come home
The lyrics to A Silent Film's Julie June are filled with emotion and yearning for a lost love. The singer is imploring Julie June to come back to him, noting that he is not the man he used to be and that he misses her terribly. The following lines reveal that the singer has attempted to prove himself to Julie June in some way, washing the dishes and cleaning the sink to show that he is not as terrible as her girlfriends may have painted him to be. Despite his efforts, Julie June has still left him and the singer seems to be struggling with accepting her absence.
The lyrics take a somewhat dark turn as the singer portrays himself in a more ominous light, describing himself as a creature that crawls into Julie June's bed and a nightmare that haunts her. He remains fixated on her, claiming that he tastes the tip of her tongue and sings her songs that have never been sung. The singer seems to be struggling with his own emotions and the possibility that he may have pushed Julie June away. The chorus takes a more positive turn, with the singer declaring that he knows what he wants and needs, and that Julie June's return would give him the air he needs to breathe. Despite the darker undertones of the song, there is still a sense of hope and longing for reconciliation.
Line by Line Meaning
Julie June come back to me
Asking for someone beloved to return
I'm not the man I used to be
Changed from past experiences
Julie June I really miss you so
Expressing strong emotions towards someone
Tell me Julie June where did you go?
Curiosity about someone’s location
I washed the dishes and I cleaned the sink
Doing household chores to show ability
I'm not as bad as your girlfriends think
Opposing criticism by other people
I left my rifle with an old wishbone
Leaving behind dangerous things
I sit in corners when I'm on my own
Preferring to be alone in a certain way
Julie June I taste the tip of your tongue
Memories about someone’s physicality
I sing you songs that have never been sung
Creating new things for someone special
I am around you like a light on low
Constant presence even in moments of silence
And I am with you everywhere you go
Traveling alongside someone
I am the creature that crawls into your bed
Nightmares or troubles that won’t leave
I am the nightmare that fucks with your head
Feeling tormented by thoughts
I am the cold and the creaky floor
Sensing the eerie feeling of being alone
I am the knife in your kitchen drawer
Being aware of danger or potential harm
Maybe I know what you want; maybe I know what you need
Knowing other people’s desires
Maybe we've gone too far this time, to taste the air we breathe?
Wondering about distance in a relationship
Maybe I know what I want; maybe I know what I need
Knowing personal desires
Come on back to my open arms; give me the air that I need to breathe
Asking for someone to return
Julie June I know you've got my back
Feeling supported by someone
But I don't really want to see you like that
Desiring someone to not see negative aspects
Still got the keys to my white mustang?
Reminder of a nostalgic item or memory
That silver chrome will bring you home
Sentimental attachment to an object
Come home
Invitation to return
Contributed by Elliot L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Leandro Ramiro
Belíssima música!!
Alguém no Brasil curtindo??
Jenifer Dias
Amoooooo <3
Josué Daniel
Que buena canción. =)
SandyTheMaster
Favourite song of the album. Nice nod to Metropolis (one of my favourite movie)
Kennedy Rezende
sensacional
Jordan Jackson
i friggin love them !
chroniccandy69
I may have just found my new favorite band
M
I have yet to find a song of theirs that I didnt love.
Brooke Michael
Same and you like TØP. Sick!
Marilyn samaniego
Why isn’t this cd on iTunes? I randomly picked this CD out from at Barnes and Noble back in the day when you could Listen to something before you buy it. It turns out it was one my favorite CDs but I can’t find it on iTunes.