Fanning was taught the piano by his mother at an early age. At the age of 12, while attending St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, Fanning began writing music, and upon graduating from St. Joseph's, moved on to the University of Queensland, where he studied journalism for a short time. He would go on to drop out to pursue a music career after meeting Ian Haug in an economics class. Fanning joined Haug, John Collins, and Steven Bishop, who had recently formed Powderfinger, and took the role of lead singer. Subsequently, Bishop left and guitarist Darren Middleton joined.
From 1994 to 2004 Powderfinger released five albums, a double CD live album, and a Best Of, after which they decided to take a break. Fanning's solo album Tea & Sympathy was released in October 2005 and debuted at #1 on the Australian ARIA Albums chart. Singles released from this album were Wish You Well, Songbird and Watch Over Me.
Fanning won three ARIA awards in 2006, Best Male Artist, Album of the Year for Tea and Sympathy, and Best Music Video for Wish You Well. In the same year Wish You Well was voted in at #1 on Australian youth radio station Triple J's 2005 Hottest 100 poll.
Fanning also contributed songs to the 2003 film Ned Kelly including Shelter For My Soul and a cover of the traditional song Moreton Bay.
Powderfinger released their 6th studio album, Dream Days At The Hotel Existence in June 2007 and toured with Silverchair that autumn.
After the disbanding of Powderfinger in 2010, Fanning moved to Spain with his family where he began writing and recording demos for his next solo album. In January 2013 Fanning announced on his website blog that he had been recording the follow up to 2005's "Tea and Sympathy" in Los Angeles. In March 2013 he announced via his blog that recording had been completed and he had returned back to Australia. On 22nd April 2013 the first single Battleships was released. Fanning's second album, Departures, was released on 7th June 2013. Since the album release, two more singles have been released: Departures (Blue Toowong Skies) and Tell Me How It Ends.
Hope & Validation
Bernard Fanning Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Think we've seen enough now
Hope and validation are united again
Higher than the buds that bloomed
I've seen it hanging in your face
You may need time to think it over
Think we've seen enough now
Built the resurrection of a bond nearly dead
Seen enough now
Higher than the windswept moon
I've seen it hanging in your face
You may need time to think it over
Plans and preparations are decided in vain
Hope and validation are united again
Set a new direction for the harvest ahead
Built the resurrection of a bond nearly dead
Think we've seen enough now
Think we've seen enough now
Think we've seen enough now
Think we've seen enough now
The lyrics of Bernard Fanning's song "Hope & Validation" focus on the idea that despite making plans and preparations, sometimes they end up being pointless. The singer has seen enough and realizes that hope and validation are what really matter. The two ideas are united again in this revelation. The lyrics have a sense of a fresh start, with the singer encouraging the listener to set a new direction for the harvest ahead. The bond nearly dead can be resurrected, and the singer believes that they have seen enough to be able to make amends.
The imagery in the lyrics is powerful, with the buds that bloom and the windswept moon capturing the essence of nature's beauty. The singer has seen something in the other person's face that is powerful and significant, which may require time for them to think it over. Despite plans not working out, there is still hope that things can be set right again. The repetition of "think we've seen enough now" reinforces the idea that the singer has reached a conclusion and is ready to move forward.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of optimism and the possibility of redemption. The musician seems to have learned something valuable from their experience, and they hope to share this lesson with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Plans and preparations are decided in vain
The efforts of planning and preparation have been a waste of time and have not yielded any results.
Think we've seen enough now
We have experienced and observed enough to come to a conclusion or decision.
Hope and validation are united again
Feeling optimistic about something and being confirmed that it is the right decision or choice.
Higher than the buds that bloomed
Being at a level above the blossoming of flowers, suggesting a sense of elevation and grandeur.
I've seen it hanging in your face
Being able to read and understand someone's emotions just by looking at their face and body language.
You may need time to think it over
Taking the necessary time to ponder and make an informed decision before taking action.
Set a new direction for the harvest ahead
Making a change in the direction of one's life or goals to ensure a better outcome in the future.
Built the resurrection of a bond nearly dead
Rebuilding a connection with someone that was almost lost or forgotten, creating new meaning and significance.
Think we've seen enough now
Reinforcing the idea that enough information has been gathered, and it's time to act on that knowledge.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BERNARD JOSEPH FANNING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stevenz2109
After 20 years, I've come to conclude that this is my favorite album of all time.
@swift71
I've listened to it countless times and I never get tired of it...🍷Plans and preparations are decided in vain
@dinukap4
Was introduced to this Song from Love the beast by Eric Bana first time I watched it 8 years ago, watched it again today and couldn't resist the song.
@apotheticallyautistic73
🥰🥰🥰🥰 seriously shocked this has such little views one of my fav albums
@guillermohoffmann8417
great son Bernard, I've been listening to it since I heard about it as a soundtrack of Love the Beast.. and that scene of Eric driving with his dad was touching and the song fitted just right... brought some tears to my eyes cause I miss my dad a lot , he was elemental to my passion on motor racing and my best mate!!! ... Cheers!..
@garon9728
I finally found the song!
@alexmorse6377
First heard this on Eric Bana's Love the Beast, just had to find out what it was... Great song & artist :)
@juliegharbi1833
🤞 with any hope, I'll get that chance again. someone I love and the beach for our lives.
@LukeFishaar
Found this song on love the beast and now its on of the best songs ever!!!!!
@Guillermo1962
+COROLLA KID so did I!