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.
Isn't It A Pity
Bernard Fanning Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That in my hour of need
You′d be gone
I'm guessing you thought about it all
Then turned your back on me
And lost your tongue
That when the night time comes there's no-one in your arms
Isn't it a pity
That I still cry for you but you′re not coming home
A weight sinking deep in my chest
Setting off the loaded charge
Lurking in the depths
Deep down I smoulder and seethe
With unspoken pains
And poisoned beliefs
Isn′t it a pity
That when the night time comes there's no-one in your arms
Isn′t it a pity
That I still cry for you but you're not coming home
In my hour of need
You turned your back on me
In my hour of need
Now all your fabled advice
Rings of emptiness and studied lines
I have resolved to erase
All the bitterness
And venom in my veins
Isn′t it a pity
That when the night time comes there's no-one in your arms
Isn′t it a pity
That I still cry for you but you're not coming home
Isn't it a pity
That in my hour of need you turned your back on me
Isn′t it a pity
Isn′t it a pity
The lyrics of Bernard Fanning's "Isn't It a Pity" primarily revolve around one crucial theme - betrayal. The song explores the emotions of a person who has been let down by a close friend or a lover, someone they had trusted to stay beside them in their hour of need, but who, instead, turned their back on them.
The singer begins by admitting that they always knew this day would come, deep down in their heart. The opening line, "I probably knew all along," suggests that the singer was not entirely blindsided by this betrayal, but still, the realization that the one person they had counted on has left them stranded in their time of need is devastating.
The emotions of the singer then shift towards anger and hurt. They express their disbelief and frustration at how the person has turned their back on them, further aggravating their pain by refusing to speak or choose silence over truth. The lines "I'm guessing you thought about it all, then turned your back on me, and lost your tongue" convey a sense of betrayal and abandonment that leaves the singer feeling devastated and alone.
The chorus repeats the sentiment of the singer's disappointment, with the lines "Isn't it a pity that when the nighttime comes, there's no one in your arms, Isn't it a pity, that I still cry for you but you're not coming home". It highlights the sinking realization that the person whom the singer has once held the closest to their heart is no longer there to comfort them.
The second half of the song talks about the singer's journey of moving on from the betrayal. The line, "All the bitterness and venom in my veins" speaks of the hurt and anger that the singer must overcome to move on. They acknowledge that the person's advice and guidance, which they once held in high esteem, now sounds hollow and insincere.
Overall, the lyrics of Bernard Fanning's "Isn't It a Pity" explore the range of emotions one feels when their trust is betrayed. The song details the pain, the frustration, the anger, the heartbreak involved in being left alone by someone who was supposed to be there for them.
Line by Line Meaning
I probably knew all along
I have a feeling that deep down I knew this was going to happen
That in my hour of need
During the time when I was struggling the most
You'd be gone
I expected you to disappear and leave me to deal with my problems alone
I'm guessing you thought about it all
I assume that you considered your actions before choosing to abandon me
Then turned your back on me
You decided to ignore my struggles and leave me behind
And lost your tongue
You stopped communicating with me and refused to discuss the situation
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it sad or unfortunate
That when the night time comes there's no one in your arms
It's unfortunate that you don't have someone to hold you at night
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it sad or unfortunate
That I still cry for you but you're not coming home
It's sad that I still miss you and want you back even though you've left and won't return
A weight sinking deep in my chest
I feel a heavy burden on my chest, causing me discomfort or pain
Setting off the loaded charge
Triggering the explosion of emotions inside me
Lurking in the depths
Hidden deep inside me
Deep down I smoulder and seethe
I'm burning with anger and resentment underneath the surface
With unspoken pains
I'm experiencing emotional pain that I haven't expressed or spoken about
And poisoned beliefs
My negative thoughts and beliefs are affecting me negatively
Now all your fabled advice
Your well-known advice that was once valued
Rings of emptiness and studied lines
Now sounds hollow and rehearsed
I have resolved to erase
I've decided to get rid of
All the bitterness
All the negative feelings and resentment
And venom in my veins
And the toxic thoughts that are poisoning me emotionally
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it sad or unfortunate
That when the night time comes there's no one in your arms
It's unfortunate that you don't have someone to hold you at night
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it sad or unfortunate
That I still cry for you but you're not coming home
It's sad that I still miss you and want you back even though you've left and won't return
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it sad or unfortunate
That in my hour of need you turned your back on me
It's sad that you abandoned me when I needed you the most
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it sad or unfortunate
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it sad or unfortunate
Writer(s): Bernard Joseph Fanning
Contributed by Adalyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
carl Zab
This gives me so many of Powderfinger feels! Keep them coming Bernard!
maverick humphris
carl Zab oath it does!
Merilyn Steele
Animation is brilliant in this....especially love the lava filled crater!!! Looking forward to the new sounds and next tour.
xxx :))
Steve Lever
What a cool sound this track has! Loving the video as well! Brutal Dawn is going to be an absolute belter... I can feel it :)
Forgetful Merc
You're an amazing singer really, I really hope people get to know you more. (going to make my friends listen to you till they get annoyed by me 😉)
Sam Daly
Amazing track again. Can't wait for Brutal Dawn and hopefully another tour soon after.
Keep up the amazing work Bernard!
Jess Owen
Brilliant 👌🏻 Bernard one of my favourite singers, song writer and artist keep singing from your soul.
Alyssa Borda
This song has a great vibe. A perfect chillax song! The Art direction of the video has a Monty Pynthon look to it. Very creative!
Nuff Nuff
What a great song!
jqhosko
The tune of this song is so exhilarating!!!