Matt Hales (born January 17, 1972), better known as Aqualung, is a British … Read Full Bio ↴Matt Hales (born January 17, 1972), better known as Aqualung, is a British singer/songwriter best known in the United Kingdom for his song "Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell on You)", which was featured on a television advertisement for the new Volkswagen Beetle during the summer of 2002 and went on to become a Top 10 hit in the UK singles chart later that year.

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".

You Turn Me Around
Aqualung Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The end, it was the end
The sirens were pulling him down
And his heart was so cold
So very cold, you'd believe it might never have beat.

When the sun sets around me,
My daydreams confound me,
And the long night surrounds me,

You turn me around.

And you; she was there too
Drowning and wanting it over.
And her hope was all lost
All hope was lost
Given up and never again

When the sun sets around me,
My daydreams confound me,
And the long night surrounds me,
You turn me around.

But watch as fingertips touch
And the life floods in
And they swim to the sun

Oh, and the long night surrounds me
You turn me around

I won't let you down

I won't let you down
You turn me around

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Aqualung's song You Turn Me Around are a mixture of dark and hopeful themes. The opening lines describe the end of someone's life, with the sirens - perhaps from an ambulance or police car - signalling that there is no hope left. The person's heart is described as so cold that it might never have beat, suggesting a life marked by pain or trauma. However, as the song progresses, there is a glimmer of hope. The person singing the song is lifted out of their "daydreams" by someone else - presumably the "you" mentioned in the title.

The second verse introduces a new character - "she" - who is also at the end of her rope. Her hope has been lost, and she has given up on life. But the chorus returns with its message of hope: "you turn me around". The final lines of the song are a promise not to let this person down, suggesting that the singer is there to help the other person through their struggles.

Overall, the lyrics of You Turn Me Around are a moving exploration of the themes of despair and hope. The image of the sirens pulling someone down is a powerful metaphor for the way that dark thoughts and feelings can overwhelm us. But even in the depths of despair, there is the possibility of connection and love that can lift us up and turn us around.

Line by Line Meaning

The end, it was the end
A moment when everything came to an end

The sirens were pulling him down
He was being dragged down by something.

And his heart was so cold
He was emotionally detached.

So very cold, you'd believe it might never have beat
His heart was so cold that it seemed lifeless.

When the sun sets around me,
The time when the day ends,

My daydreams confound me,
My thoughts and imagination overwhelm me.

And the long night surrounds me,
When there's no light, and it's dark all around.

You turn me around.
But then, you make me feel alive again.

And you; she was there too
She was also a part of the moment.

Drowning and wanting it over.
She was struggling and hoping for it to end.

And her hope was all lost
She was hopeless.