In the summer of 2001 Baxter Dury released his debut single, the "Oscar Brown EP". The single picked up rave reviews, which included 'Single of the Week' in NME. It also achieved 'Single of the Week' in the Guardian.
Claire
Baxter Dury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't waste your life, Claire
Don't waste the things that you might do
And I love you
So
Don't waste your bus fare
Don't waste your bus fare
Don't waste the places you might go
And I want you
Now
There's a cold tune
In my heart
There's a cold tune
In my heart
The lyrics of Baxter Dury's song "Claire" are an admonition to the titular character, urging her not to waste her life or potential. The repetition of "Don't waste your life, Claire" serves as a reminder that time is precious and should not be squandered. The addition of "Don't waste the things that you might do" and "Don't waste the places you might go" emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities when they present themselves, as one never knows what they might lead to. The repetition of "And I love you" and "And I want you now" shows that the singer cares about Claire and wants the best for her.
The repeated line "There's a cold tune in my heart" adds a sense of sadness to the song, as if the singer has experienced regret in their own life or is worried about Claire making the same mistakes. The use of the word "tune" suggests that this feeling is something that can be expressed through music or art, and that perhaps the song itself is a way for the singer to convey their message to Claire.
Overall, the lyrics of "Claire" are a poignant reminder to live life to the fullest and not let opportunities slip away.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't waste your life, Claire
Claire, please don't waste your life; use it to the fullest and make the most out of it.
Don't waste the things that you might do
There are so many things that you might do, so don't waste any of them and explore all of your options.
And I love you
I love you, Claire.
Don't waste your bus fare
Don't waste your money on trivial things like bus fare; you could use that money on something more important.
Don't waste the places you might go
Don't limit yourself and waste the opportunity to go to new and exciting places.
And I want you
I want you, Claire, to be happy and successful in your life.
There's a cold tune in my heart
I feel a sense of loneliness and sadness in my heart.
Contributed by Brody O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alfred Vonk
Never hears of him before.... it’s brilliant!!, as are the backup vocals ..... simple, however not as simple as it seems. I am impressed. Regards from The Netherlnads
Laurence Morgan
His voice has got the "Bob Dylan" quality of being not technically very good, but incredibly addictive!
MrPheasant
One of the loveliest blokes I've ever met. Loves his dad but let's be fair : as an artist would you want to be mentioned in the same breath as your dad every f****** time? His dad was awesome, sure but let's give Baxter some of his own air to breathe, uh?
myboythom
MrPheasant I was married to a poor mans ian fury... and I know my daughter would totally agree with what you say x
Savva Vlasov
my dad used to jam out to this when i was growin up.. 10 years later and i still know the lyrics :) addictive and fresh
joan lockwood
Love this video and song. Thanks, Baxter! :-)
Valter Ivo Cerqueira
He sings like his late dad! Great poetry!
Orb E
Excellent! Been a fan of Ian's since the 70's...thought i'd check out Baxter, and man, it's good! Reminded me of Metronomy... Long live the Durys! :)
kurtis holstein
every listen of this album just gets better and better and reveals so many layers... Like a good proper album should
Bec McKinlay
Cool, very cool, brought here via your dad and youtube. Definitely your own voice with echos. Curious if you recognise old time music hall cadence in both your styles of compositions?.