Van Laere began his career as quite a reasonable tennis player. The story goes that he was standing in front of the mirror one day and turned his racket around into a guitar. Van Laere withdrew into the oeuvre of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Hank Williams and taught himself to play the guitar and the piano. As a musician, he took the name of Admiral Freebee, from On the Road, the novel by Jack Kerouac.
Belgium got its first extensive taste of Admiral Freebee during Humo’s Rock Rally 2000, the most important rock competition in the Low Countries. Backed by a bass player and a drummer, The Admiral won the silver medal and the price awarded by the public. When performing live, Admiral Freebee is versatility itself. Whether he performs solo and acoustically or with a well-oiled rock machine, the audience can only do one thing - according to fans: listen, see and be silent, only to shout out in admiration in the end.
In 2003 his debut album Admiral Freebee appeared, a record that met the high expectations. In the 12 songs Van Laere shows that he can just as easily come up with a moving country/pop ballad (see for instance the phenomenal single Rags 'n' Run) as a stadium rocker (Ever Present), and that he can just as effortlessly melt the two together into one song (There's a Road (Noorderlaan)) without turning it into a gimmick.
March 2005 Admiral Freebee’s second album was released. It was called Songs and it included 13 of them. Two of them were released as a single: Oh Darkness and Carry On – more to follow. The album was recorded live over the course of five days at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles. John Hanlon (famous for his work with Neil Young & Crazy Horse) sat at the mixing board. The sparing overdubs – backings and solos – took place in the Shangri-La Studio a bit further down the road. The Admiral was called 'The Talent'; whenever he was ready to record, the band recorded.
Studio lineup :
* Guitar/vocals/’Songs’: Tom Van Laere
* Guitar: Jesse Tobias (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Morrissey, Alanis Morissette, The Twilight Singers)
* Bass: Ric Markmann (Chris Cornell)
* Drums and backing vocals: Dean Butterworth (Morrissey, Ben Harper)
* Backing vocals: Tommy Funderburk (Toto)
* Production and technique: John Hanlon (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)
His latest album, Wild Dreams of New Beginnings, has been released to positive critical acclaim in November 2006.
Faithful to the Night
Admiral Freebee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On my soul
Whenever I
Think of you
I'm faithful to the fight
Between the boy and the girl
I'm faithful to the night
So come on, come on, come on
Follow me down
So come on, come on, come on
Follow me down
It's hard to tell
Who's gonna love you the most
It's hard to discover
That they treat you like a ghost
So your faithful to the fight
Between the boy and the girl
You're faithful to the night
To make you feel alright
So come on, come on, come on
Follow me down
So come on, come on, come on
Follow me down
Oh, won't you follow me down
So rock me
And shock me
Reach me
And teach me
Baby, what's it gonna be
What's it gonna be?
So break me
And shake me
So find me
Reming me
Baby, what's it gonna be
What's it gonna be?
Come on, come on, come on
Follow me down
So come on, come on, come on
Follow me down
So come on, come on, come on
Follow me down
So come on, come on, come on
Follow me down
The lyrics of Admiral Freebee's song "Faithful to the Night" are about the struggle between love and heartbreak, and being faithful to the night, which represents a time of solace and comfort for the singer. The opening lines of the song refer to the positive effect that thinking about the person he loves has on his soul. Throughout the song, there is a recurring theme of being faithful to the fight between the boy and girl, which refers to the struggle of love between two people, each fighting to be the one loved the most.
The chorus of the song expresses a desire to be followed, perhaps indicating a need for the singer to feel validated, or that he is seeking guidance from someone. The repeated phrase "follow me down" may suggest a willingness to take risks, and an eagerness to be led by someone else. The verses ponder the difficulties of finding love, and the pain of not being loved enough. The final verses express a desire to be broken and shaken, indicating that the singer is open to the possibility of change, and is willing to let go of the old and embrace the new.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the complexities of love and relationships, and the need for solace and comfort when things go wrong. The repeated refrain of "follow me down" suggests a desire for companionship and guidance, and the lyrics offer an authentic expression of the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Sun shines brightly
The singer finds warmth and happiness in the thought of the person being addressed.
On my soul
The person being addressed brings light to the singer's innermost being.
Whenever I
Every time the singer thinks about the person being addressed...
Think of you
...warm feelings of joy and contentment come to mind.
I'm faithful to the fight
The artist is committed to working through the ups and downs that come with love.
Between the boy and the girl
This phrase serves as a metaphor for the struggle between the masculine and feminine aspects of human nature.
I'm faithful to the night
The singer finds solace and comfort in the darkness of night.
To make me feel alright
The night provides a source of emotional healing for the artist.
So come on, come on, come on
The artist invites the person being addressed to join them on an adventure.
Follow me down
The artist wants the person being addressed to follow them through life's journey.
It's hard to tell
It's difficult to predict who will love you the most and treat you the best.
Who's gonna love you the most
The artist wonders who will provide the most love and affection in a romantic relationship.
It's hard to discover
Sometimes it takes time and effort to realize that someone you care about treats you poorly.
That they treat you like a ghost
The person being addressed is ignored and overlooked by someone they care about.
You're faithful to the fight
The person being addressed is committed to working through the trials and tribulations of a romantic relationship.
So rock me
The artist wants physical affection from the person being addressed.
And shock me
The artist wants excitement and thrills in their life, which they hope the person being addressed can provide.
Reach me
The singer desires emotional intimacy and connection with the person being addressed.
And teach me
The singer is open to learning from the person being addressed and growing together as a couple.
Baby, what's it gonna be
The artist is curious about the future of their relationship and wants the person being addressed to make a choice.
So break me
The artist is willing to have their heart broken in pursuit of love.
And shake me
The artist wants the person being addressed to challenge them and push them out of their comfort zone.
So find me
The singer wants the person being addressed to actively seek out their love and affection.
Remind me
The artist wants the person being addressed to remind them of their love and devotion.
Oh, won't you follow me down
The singer is extending an invitation to the person being addressed to join them on a journey through life.
Contributed by Wyatt Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.