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.
Shine
Benjamin Francis Leftwich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tarot cards
Said I'm already dead
Crystal ball
Fell down onto my head
Tenderness
If I want it I pay
My true love
CHORUS
But I can shine it all on
I can shine it all on
I can shine it all on
And still be amazed
Had some money
And a hole in my pocket
Had a house
But I forgot to lock it
Took a drag
>From a smoke that may kill me
What a drag
How the winter wind chills me
CHORUS
I'll shine it on just like MacBeth
In the face of certain death
Of a salesman or a king
And when the palm trees are on fire
I'll take my boat out on the sea
Had a face
But I never could save it
Hada kid
But I never would name it
Have a life
Well, that's what they call it
It's a road
But I guess I could crawl it
CHORUS
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The lyrics to Benjamin Francis Leftwich's song "Shine" have a haunting and introspective quality. The opening lines about tarot cards and a crystal ball imply a sense of fatalism and foreboding, as if the singer believes that his fate is already predetermined. This feeling is echoed in the lines "Had some money / And a hole in my pocket / Had a house / But I forgot to lock it," which suggest a lack of control or agency in the singer's life.
Despite all of this, the chorus offers a glimmer of hope: "But I can shine it all on / I can shine it all on / I can shine it all on / And still be amazed." Here, the singer seems to be saying that even though he may feel powerless and defeated, he still has the ability to persevere and find wonder in the world around him.
The song continues with more nods to mortality and missed opportunities ("Took a drag / From a smoke that may kill me / What a drag / How the winter wind chills me"), but ends on a note of determination and resilience: "I'll shine it on just like MacBeth / In the face of certain death / Of a salesman or a king / And when the palm trees are on fire / I'll take my boat out on the sea." Ultimately, "Shine" is a song about finding strength and hope in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Tarot cards
A deck of cards used to predict the future
Said I'm already dead
The cards predicted the singer's death
Crystal ball
A tool used for divination and predicting the future
Fell down onto my head
The crystal ball fell on the artist's head, disrupting their sense of clarity
Tenderness
Affection, care, and kindness
If I want it I pay
The singer is willing to pay for tenderness and affection
My true love
The singer's most significant and genuine love interest
Well she threw it away
The artist's true love ended the relationship
CHORUS
Repeated chorus
But I can shine it all on
The artist can pretend everything is fine
And still be amazed
The singer can still marvel at the world around them
Had some money
The artist once had wealth
And a hole in my pocket
Despite the wealth, the singer had a hole in their pocket, suggesting carelessness with money
Had a house
The singer once owned a home
But I forgot to lock it
The singer was careless and forgot to secure their home
Took a drag
Took a puff of a cigarette
>From a smoke that may kill me
The artist is aware that smoking poses a risk to their health
What a drag
A pun on taking a drag from a cigarette and feeling weighed down or bored
How the winter wind chills me
The singer is affected by the cold and the winter season
CHORUS
Repeated chorus
I'll shine it on just like MacBeth
The artist will act as though everything is fine, just like the character MacBeth did
In the face of certain death
Even when facing danger or risk, the artist will keep up appearances
Of a salesman or a king
No matter what the singer's status or occupation is, they will still pretend to be okay
And when the palm trees are on fire
Even when things are literally burning and falling apart, the artist will still pretend everything is fine
I'll take my boat out on the sea
The singer will escape from their problems by going out to sea
Had a face
The singer had a physical appearance
But I never could save it
The singer was never able to preserve or maintain their appearance
Had a kid
The artist has a child
But I never would name it
The artist refuses or neglects to give the child a name
Have a life
The singer is alive and has a life
Well, that's what they call it
The singer is questioning what it means to truly have a life
It's a road
Life is a journey or path
But I guess I could crawl it
The artist may be struggling but they are willing to persevere and move forward
CHORUS
Repeated chorus
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yasminedjebli9842
I could live in a different place
With a different house and a different name
I could sing you your favourite song
Yeah, you'd sing along, you'd sing along
I could wrap you in your favourite clothes
And kiss your face just so you know
That I'm the one who has got your back
Now turn around and don't be sad
I hope you find the love that's true
So the morning light can shine on you
I hope you find what you're looking for
So your heart is warm for ever more
I could fly you away with me
To the furthest place you'll ever be
We could smoke 'til the sun goes down
And without a sound, without a sound
We'd fall asleep by the big blue sea
With open eyes so we could see
The way it shines for you and I
You know it'll shine until we fly
I hope you find the love that's true
So the morning light can shine on you
I hope you find what you're looking for
So your heart is warm for ever more
I could wait with you by the water
I could wait with you for the winter to come
I could stand with you with your snow boots on
I hope you find the love that's true
So the morning light can shine on you
I hope you find what you're looking for
So your heart is warm for ever more
I hope you find what you're looking for
So your heart is warm for ever more
Such a beautiful song ❤:')
@sethparker3381
This song just makes me feel like everything's gonna be okay. It brings me back to a simpler time.
@penesavea8741
So true ✌️
@diegohidalgo9088
Yes mate, but this video really makes the difference aswell.
@xxmc06xx7
Every thing is going to be okay if we all give life a chance then trust me it will be okay this virus will be over corona will be over soon
@yahyaelmesstoure8094
Listen to Quran and answer me after
@gagepearson3358
Your comment makes us all cringe so hard. Please, think before you do something selfish… you just ruin this for everyone with comments like that.
@3dxspx703
9 years later, this song still gives me extreme levels of happy hormones every time I'm listening.
@bryantstate
ME TOOOO
@lady96clara
Benjamin Francis Leftwich + Kygo = pure awesomeness
And they said I wasn't good at maths
@jakecal9521
lol