They have released three studio albums, A Book Like This (2007), which peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart; Down the Way (2010), reached No. 1; and their self-titled album (2014). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 they won five awards from nine nominations: winning Album of the Year, Best Adult Alternative Album, Best Cover Art and Producer of the Year for Down the Way and Single of the Year for "Big Jet Plane".
Released in March 2010, their album “Down The Way” debuted at #1 on Australia’s ARIA Charts enjoying a remarkable 12 months inside the ARIA Top 20 albums chart. It went on to pick up Album Of The Year at the 2010 ARIA Awards and includes the platinum selling Single Of The Year ‘Big Jet Plane’; which was most notably voted No.1 on the 2011 annual Triple j Hottest 100. The album has hit triple platinum (210,000+) sales in the Stones’ home country, the only Australian artist album to reach this milestone on the current ARIA Top 50 albums chart.
European audiences have also fallen head over heels in love with “Down The Way”. Reaching platinum (100,000+) album status in France, supported by a hugely successful film sync with ‘Big Jet Plane’ for the movie, Les Émotifs Anonymes. Extended sold out tours are not limited to native Australia with the 2011 French tour including 5 ‘Le Trianon’ Paris shows selling out 2 months before the tour commenced. The UK, Germany, Austria, Spain & Portugal are all just a taste of the frequent European tour destinations with sell out shows. In the US, their dramatic and lush soundscapes have found homes on prime time dramas; Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice and key slots at iconic US festivals Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and Coachella.
Travelling has been an integral part of the Stone’s musical story, so it’s not surprising they opted to record “Down The Way” in a number of diverse locations around the globe; an old sawmill on the river banks of Fowey in Cornwall, a studio in Brooklyn, a water tank in Coolangatta, London - and Queens in New York.
“Down The Way” marked their debut as producers, taking full control of their sound without losing the spirit of what made the first record ‘A Book Like This’ so special. There has been a subtle shift of gear, represented by a growing confidence in their abilities as artists and the music follows suit as it flows easily through sparse and rich textured arrangements without losing any of its etherealness and charm.
With an incredible response to “Down The Way” from all corners of the globe, Angus and Julia Stone will take some well-deserved time off and prepare for their next step along a remarkable musical journey.
“Simple yet inspired tunes, a heart-felt soundtrack to their folk adventures and lessons learnt along the way”
Rolling Stone Australia ***
“Aussie siblings continue to enchant’. ‘Sweet and savoury blend to warm the soul.. innocently Joyous”
MOJO UK ****
”The pair melt in to one another to create a spectral and lush backdrop”
Clash Magazine UK
“If A Book Like This compounded their future, consider Down The Way the fulfilling realization of all”
FILTER USA
Website: www.angusandjuliastone.com
www.myspace.com/angusandjuliastone
www.youtube.com/angusandjuliastone
Soldier
Angus & Julia Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He said life is a stranger
That won't go away
He took me by surprise
And I felt for the first time
what it's like to be alive
But I don't know how to fight
I'm your best friend
But I'm scared to see you tonight
I'm the darkness
But I want to be the light
Oh how I want to be
Oh how I want to be
I met him down by the sea
Said I look like someone he knew
I said I don't know anyone
So how could I possibly know you
He touched my hand
Finally I understand
What it means to be here with you
I'm a soldier
But I don't know how to fight
I'm your best friend
But I'm scared to see you tonight
I'm the darkness
But I want to be the light
Oh how I want to be
Oh how I want to be
Ladida ladada ladada
Ladida lada lada
Ladida ladadada ladada
Ladadadadadadada
I'm a soldier
But I don't know how to fight
I'm your best friend
But I'm scared to see you tonight
I'm the darkness
But I want to be the light
Oh how I want to be
Oh how I want to be
Oh how I want to be
Oh how I want to be
The lyrics to Angus & Julia Stone's song Soldier are a reflection on the complexities of human emotions and identity. The singer meets a stranger down by the bay and the sea who teaches them about the beauty of being alive and feeling connected to others. Through these encounters, the singer develops an introspection about themselves, cutting through the façade of their outward identity to realize their true desires to be the light and the best version of themselves.
The lyrics invoke a conflict within the self, where the singer identifies as a soldier but doesn't know how to fight. They are scared to face their best friend, possibly because they are afraid of confronting their true selves or of disappointing them. The singer acknowledges their own darkness and wants to overcome it and become a beacon of light, demonstrating their vulnerability and desire for change.
Overall, the song Soldier portrays a journey of self-discovery, where the singer confronts their own flaws, desires, and insecurities. It speaks to the human experience of wanting to become the best version of oneself and the complex emotions that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I met him down by the bay
I encountered him by the water
He said life is a stranger
He expressed that life is an unknown entity
That won't go away
Which cannot be erased
He took me by surprise
He startled me unexpectedly
And I felt for the first time
And I experienced something new
what it's like to be alive
What it feels like to exist
I'm a soldier
I am a warrior
But I don't know how to fight
Though I lack the skill of combat
I'm your best friend
I am your closest companion
But I'm scared to see you tonight
But I am hesitant to encounter you this evening
I'm the darkness
I embody the shadows
But I want to be the light
Despite this, I aspire to be luminous
Oh how I want to be
How deeply I yearn
Ladida ladada ladada
Nonsensical expression
Ladida lada lada
Nonsensical expression
Ladida ladadada ladada
Nonsensical expression
Ladadadadadadada
Nonsensical expression
Oh how I want to be
How deeply I yearn
Oh how I want to be
How deeply I yearn
Contributed by Liliana J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@spidahunter1769
this song is very underrated
@Mithridatist_
Yeah This is and stays the BEST Music ever heard, Angus & Julia Are the BEST!!!!!!
@lydirenee
This is the sweet memory I have left of a book I once read. I remember it being beautiful but I can't recall anything about the story, apart from the music I was listening to during my reading. This little beauty.
@ashishbhandari5905
Love from Nepal😍😍😍
@bleepgoesbl00p
First comment \0/ yay! But wow they're amazing. <33
@IamToGood1
:)
@TheBlazingNemesis
:D