Ayle… Read Full Bio ↴Barns Courtney (born Barnaby George Courtney on 17 November 1990 in
Aylesbury, England) is an English singer, songwriter and musician.
Courtney spent a large part of his childhood in Seattle,USA, before returning to home country UK as a 15-year-old. This change of scenery comes across as clearly in his eclectic mix of US blues-rock, hip-hop and grunge with British indie melodic sensibilities, as it does in his hybrid US-British twang.
Playing in various projects and bands growing up whilst developing his sound, Barns incarnation as a solo artist has been an unexpectedly fast paced one. At the end of 2015, his first track ‘Glitter & Gold’, with its rocking gospel-blues and Barns’ honey & sand delivery, soared to #1 on the UK Spotify Viral Chart, #2 on the iTunes Alternative Chart, was added to the BBC Introducing Playlist, clocked hundred of thousands of plays on YouTube, and was featured on the ITV Winter 2015 drama reel, all in the span of two months.
‘Goodbye John Smith’, a poignant piano ballad that channels ageless song-and-voice men such as Johnny Cash and Tom Waits, hit the radars of tastemakers online and further spread the word about Barns, earning him a spot as one of Channel 4’s Future Sounds artists that year.
Barns Courtney released his debut EP, ‘Hands’, a four-track collection, in 2016 on Virgin EMI.
Castaway
Barns Courtney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until the phone rings
Until the blood sings
Oh oh oh
Like in the movie
Up on the big screen
These happy endings
Bad omens in my head
For every words that started on your breath
Sweet child you'll end up dead
Oh oh oh oh
Cast away unto the tide
Don′t wanna hesitate
Don't wanna hesitate
All this time I've lost you know
Oh oh oh oh oh
Cast away unto the tide
Don′t wanna hesitate
Don′t wanna hesitate
All this time I've lost you know
Oh oh oh oh oh
Into a dark dream
Into the black sea
We could be happy
Oh oh oh
Water pillow memories
Thunderbolt heartbeat
Magazine beauties
Oh oh oh
Cast away unto the tide
Don′t wanna hesitate
Don't wanna hesitate
All this time I′ve lost you know
Oh oh oh oh oh
Cast away unto the tide
Don't wanna hesitate
Don′t wanna hesitate
All this time I've lost you know
Oh oh oh oh oh
(Cast away)
(Cast away)
(Cast away)
(Cast away)
All this time I've lost you know
Oh oh oh oh oh
In "Castaway" by Barns Courtney, the lyrics delve into the theme of loneliness and the fleeting nature of happiness. The song begins with the acknowledgment that we are all lonely until something or someone disrupts that solitude. The phone ringing and the blood singing symbolize these interruptions, signaling a potential connection or passion. However, the notion of happiness is portrayed as transient, akin to a movie's happy ending that comes and goes.
The following lines express a sense of foreboding and pessimism. The singer mentions bad omens in their head, suggesting negative thoughts or doubts about a relationship. The phrase "for every word that started on your breath" implies that the relationship may have been founded on false promises or empty words. The mention of a sweet child ending up dead alludes to the detrimental consequences of staying in a toxic relationship.
The chorus, "Cast away unto the tide, don't wanna hesitate," suggests a desire to break free from the burdens of the relationship or situation. The use of the metaphorical tide symbolizes a chance for liberation and starting anew. The repetition of the line "All this time I've lost, you know" highlights the feeling of wasted time and the urgency to move on.
In the second verse, the lyrics take a more abstract turn. The singer mentions entering a dark dream and a black sea, possibly alluding to the depths of their subconscious or emotional turmoil. The notion of finding happiness in water pillow memories and magazine beauties suggests a longing for escape and fantasy. The thunderbolt heartbeat adds an element of intensity and a longing for excitement.
Overall, "Castaway" captures the emotions of loneliness, disillusionment, and the desire for freedom from toxic relationships. It explores the fleeting nature of happiness and the need to break away from negative situations to find personal growth and contentment.
Line by Line Meaning
We're all lonely
Every person experiences feelings of loneliness
Until the phone rings
Loneliness can be momentarily alleviated by communication
Until the blood sings
Intense emotions can temporarily distract from loneliness
Oh oh oh
Expressing a sense of longing and yearning
Like in the movie
Comparing experiences to those depicted in films
Up on the big screen
The grand display of emotions and events portrayed in movies
These happy endings
The positive outcomes portrayed in films
Come and go
Good moments and happiness are transient
Bad omens in my head
Negative thoughts and premonitions
For every words that started on your breath
Negative experiences caused by the words spoken by someone
Sweet child you'll end up dead
Dire consequences and negativity ahead
Cast away unto the tide
Letting go and surrendering to fate
Don't wanna hesitate
Avoiding indecision and doubt
All this time I've lost you know
Regret for the time wasted or lost
Into a dark dream
Entering a state of pessimism and uncertainty
Into the black sea
Being consumed by negative emotions and experiences
We could be happy
Hope for finding happiness despite the challenges
Water pillow memories
Recollections that bring comfort and solace
Thunderbolt heartbeat
Intense and palpable emotions
Magazine beauties
Idealized and superficial representations of beauty
(Cast away)
Repeating the idea of letting go
All this time I've lost you know
Continued regret for the time wasted or lost
Oh oh oh oh oh
Expressing a sense of longing and yearning
Writer(s): Barnaby Courtney, Sam Bartle
Contributed by Aaron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Andrew J. Casey
on Golden Dandelions
It's an upbeat song about death a loss.