Prior to his success as Aqualung, Hales was known as the lead singer of mid-1990s, London-based Britpop band Ruth. Ruth had a string of moderately successful hit singles, including "I Don't Know," "Valentine's Day," and "Fear of Flying," and one album, "Harrison," before changing their name in 2001 to The 45's. As The 45s, the band released two more singles and one posthumous album to little attention before splitting so Hales could focus on his new endeavor as Aqualung. Almost immediately after the band's split, "Strange and Beautiful" began climbing the British charts and gaining massive amounts of attention--a dramatic turnabout from the previous year. In 2005, Aqualung would even achieve elusive success in the United States, where they are best known for the song "Brighter Than Sunshine", which had considerable airplay and was used in the film A Lot Like Love and various television spots. He's also known to some for his song, "Easier to Lie", which was featured on the hit television show, Scrubs. His music also went on to feature in another hit television show the OC. His song, "Strange and Beautiful" was also featured on the hit show CSI. Later, the song "Something To Believe In" was also featured at the ending of an episode of CSI: Miami. It was also featured in the movie "Wicker Park". "The Lake" was also featured on the wildly popular television show Grey's Anatomy. Aqualung has also had songs featured on One Tree Hill in various seasons. In 2009, his song "Easier to Lie" was again featured on a television show, this time Lie To Me.
It has been written that Hales took the name "Aqualung" from a Jethro Tull album of the same name. However, he himself says he was not aware of this album, and that it was descriptive of the underwater feeling he felt listening to his debut album.
His debut single, "Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a spell on You)", was released in the UK on the B-Unique label on September 16, 2002, and reached number 7 in the UK Top 40 and was used in the film Wicker Park.
The song "Something To Believe In" from the album "Memory Man" was used during the ending of the former ABC show Eli Stone premiered on Jan 31, 2008.
The song "Good Times Gonna Come" has recently been used on the show Skins on the British channel E4.
On April 20th, 2010 Aqualung released his 6th studio album Magnetic North (2010). The first single released is a song called "Fingertip".
Something To Believe In
Aqualung Lyrics
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Maybe that's your way of breaking up the silence
That fills you up but it doesn't sound the same
When no one's really listening
We stumble into our lives
Reach for a hand to hold
Any wonder we need to find
Turn out the light and what are you left with
Open up my hands and find out they're empty
Press my face to the ground , I've got to find a reason
Just scratching around for something to believe in
Something to believe in
You have too much
And spending all your time collecting and discovering
It's not enough and no matter how you try
You'll never find the one you want
We stumble into our lives
Without a hand to hold
And we wonder we need to find
A certain something certain
Cut out the light and what are you left with?
Open up my hands and find out they're empty, oh
Press my face to the ground, I'm gonna find a reason
Still scratching around for something to believe in
Something to believe in
Something I can believe in
Something I can believe in, come on I need it
Something I can believe in now, come on I need it
Something I can believe in, come on I need it, ooh
Something I can believe in, come on I need it, ooh, oh
Right on, right now, right on, right now
I just need something to believe in
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on, come on
The lyrics of "Something To Believe In" by Aqualung explore the search for purpose in life, the quest for meaning, and the desire for connection. The song seems to acknowledge the different strategies of people coping with the silence and isolation of life. Some talk incessantly, while others amass things to fill a void, and still, others retreat into themselves. However, no matter how we try to numb the emptiness, we are still left with the same questions: "What is it that I'm searching for? What is it that will fill me up? What is it that I can believe in?" The chorus of the song expresses this search for something to believe in, for something that will give life meaning and that will help us make sense of our existence.
The lyrics also suggest that we cannot find that something to believe in on our own. We are beings in need of connection, and our search for meaning and purpose is intertwined with our search for others. We stumble into life without a hand to hold, and we need a certain something certain to make sense of it all. We need something to believe in to connect with others and to help us navigate life's challenges. Despite all our efforts to fill the void, we are still left searching for something that will give direction to our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You talk too much
You speak excessively
Maybe that's your way of breaking up the silence
Perhaps speaking excessively is your way of filling up the silence
That fills you up but it doesn't sound the same
It may make you feel full, but it doesn't have the same effect on others
When no one's really listening
No one is truly paying attention
We stumble into our lives
We enter our lives clumsily
Reach for a hand to hold
We search for someone or something to guide us through life
Any wonder we need to find
Is it any surprise we need to discover
A certain something certain
A definitive sense of purpose
Turn out the light and what are you left with
If you remove all external distractions, what remains
Open up my hands and find out they're empty
When I let go of everything, there's nothing left
Press my face to the ground , I've got to find a reason
In my desperation, I must search for a purpose
Just scratching around for something to believe in
Looking for anything to give me meaning
You have too much
You possess an excess amount of things
And spending all your time collecting and discovering
Devoting all your time to accumulating and unearthing
It's not enough and no matter how you try
It is insufficient and no amount of effort can make up for that
You'll never find the one you want
You'll never find what you truly desire
Without a hand to hold
Alone and without guidance
Cut out the light and what are you left with?
If you remove external stimuli, what remains?
Something to believe in
Searching for a purpose or meaning to hold on to
Something I can believe in
Looking for something that resonates with my soul
Right on, right now, right on, right now
Emphasizing the need for immediate fulfillment
I just need something to believe in
Expressing the necessity for purpose or meaning in life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KIM OLIVER, MATTHEW HALES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind