In 2011, Leftwich released his debut album, "Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm," produced by Ian Grimble. The album achieved commercial success, peaking at number 35 on the UK charts. Critically acclaimed, it was praised by The Fly as a "majestic debut" and received positive reviews from publications like The Skinny and the Sunday Express, with the latter describing it as "lovely." Songs such as "Shine" gained popularity, becoming Spotify's "Most addictive track of 2014" and accumulating over 150 million global Spotify plays. Additionally, "Atlas Hands" was featured in the Zillow TV commercial titled "Lake House" in 2015. During the same year, Leftwich co-wrote the song "Grow" with British artist Frances, which was featured in an Amazon UK TV advert.
Leftwich's second album, "After the Rain," was released in August 2016. Following the album's release, he embarked on an extensive tour from April 2016 to August 2017, performing songs from both his second album and his debut. The tour covered various countries, including the UK, Canada, USA, China, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and several Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia.
In recent years, Leftwich has released a series of single cover-tracks, including "Pure Morning" by Placebo, "Rebellion (Lies)" by Arcade Fire, "When You Were Young" by The Killers, and "Because of Toledo" by The Blue Nile. These releases showcase his versatility as an artist and his ability to reinterpret songs from diverse genres.
Throughout his career, Benjamin Francis Leftwich has made a significant impact, selling over 100,000 copies of his debut album and garnering millions of streams on digital platforms like Spotify. With his soulful folk-pop sound and introspective lyrics, he continues to captivate audiences around the world.
Maps
Benjamin Francis Leftwich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I named a star after you
But that wasn't bright enough for you
I climbed a hill for you
I climbed a hill just for you
But you said "That's nothing new, what does that prove?"
I'll wait for the day when I find a way to make you mine
I put up a building for you
With thirteen floors and a nice view
But that wasn't good enough for you
So I pushed it down down like you asked
Built it again out of glass
So every star could shine through, darling,
And you'd change your mind
Didn't you?
Oh my darling, you should know
Since the last time you saw me, I have grown
I know if I find when you hide in your mind, I'll get lost in it
I'll wait for the day when I find a way to make you mine
The singer in Benjamin Francis Leftwich's song Maps is trying to show their love and devotion to someone who they feel is unattainable. They have gone to great lengths, even naming a star, climbing a hill and building a structure with a view, but none of these efforts seem to be enough for the person they are trying to impress. The second verse shows that the singer is willing to listen and understand the person they are pursuing, even if it means getting lost inside their mind. They are willing to do whatever it takes to make this person theirs, but they seem to be stuck in a pattern of trying and failing to impress.
The bridge of the song shows a glimmer of hope, as the singer pushes the building they built down and rebuilds it out of glass, where every star can shine through. They are hoping that this gesture will finally change the person's mind and make them see the singer's love for what it truly is. The final verse shows the singer's growth since the last time they interacted with the person, and their willingness to continue to try and win them over.
Overall, the song seems to be about unrequited love and the lengths someone will go to try and win over the person they desire. The lyrics are filled with heart and emotion, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
I named a star for you
I wanted to show my love for you by naming a star after you
But that wasn't bright enough for you
But you wanted more than just a star named after you, it wasn't enough to make you happy
I climbed a hill for you
I went out of my way for you by climbing a hill just to show my love
But you said "That's nothing new, what does that prove?"
But you didn't seem impressed, you wanted more from me and didn't see the significance of my gesture
I know if I find when you hide in your mind, I'll get lost in it
I understand that you have your own thoughts and emotions that may be difficult to share, but I am willing to delve into them with you
I'll wait for the day when I find a way to make you mine
I'll continue to try and win your heart, hoping that one day you'll see that we belong together
I put up a building for you
I built something grand for you, a building with thirteen floors and a great view
But that wasn't good enough for you
But even something as impressive as a great building wasn't enough to satisfy you
So I pushed it down down like you asked
Rather than being offended or upset by your lack of appreciation, I took it down as you requested
Built it again out of glass
But I didn't give up on trying to impress you, and rebuilt it with a new material that would allow the stars to shine through
So every star could shine through, darling,
So you could see that I had put thought and effort into the building, and that I wanted to create something special for you
And you'd change your mind
I hoped that after seeing the effort I put in, you would see things in a different light and have a change of heart
Didn't you?
Did it work? Did you finally see that I loved you and that my efforts were sincere?
Oh my darling, you should know
I'm still very much in love with you, and I want you to understand that
Since the last time you saw me, I have grown
I've been working on becoming a better person, and I hope that you can see that in me
Contributed by Oliver T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@CAM91394
i feel like Benjamin's voice could heal the whole world.
@Mistersocksssssss
I agree
@xobluewhitepolkadot
Benjamin Francis Leftwich's songs are PERFECT for a rainy day :)
@JulySummers0508
His music is really soul and head cleansing.
@Ethan-gd6uq
Agreed. I know I’m 7 years late, but I agree. It helps clear your head and reflect and understand and maybe rethink some decisions you’ve made and change your path in subtle ways. It makes you feel cared for. Like the world is giving you a comforting hug telling you there’s still time, you’re loved, everything will pass, and everything will be okay.
@amiragaci1511
I've been listening to this masterpiece since i was 13 , back when i had no idea a song can ever hurt this bad , it's so different now..
god time flies ..
@joshuachela2505
🖤
@Numpti2394
Discovered this guy on radio 1 today. Bless his soul he has such a beautiful voice :)
@seanmorris2712
This music is so great to make you sit back and think about how great and lucky we are for life, this music makes me happy
@Animindstudio
I loved hearing him play this without his mic and with his guitar unplugged. He asked us all at the HMV institute, Birmingham, to be as quiet as we could. It was so intimate and magical - he was also extremely brave to do that to the whole crowd - no mic or amps... Really impressive musician and person