1) An Englis… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least four artists referred to as "Black":
1) An English singer-songwriter.
2) A Bangladeshi rock band.
3) A Malaysian singer-actor.
4) A hip-hop artist from New York.
1) Black is the name by which Liverpool born singer/songwriter Colin Vearncombe (26/5/1962 - 26/1/2016) identified himself through his music career. Dave Dix was also a member of the band from 1981 to 1988.
His fist gig was New Year’s Day, 1982 and his debut single 'Human Features' was released the same year. An erratic few years followed and he signed for WEA records in 1984, but the relationship was not fruitful and Vearncombe was dropped during the promotion period for the single ‘More Than The Sun.’
Black had two top-ten hits in the UK in 1987: 'Sweetest Smile' and 'Wonderful Life'. The album of this name reached no. 3 in the UK album chart, but following albums and singles did not enjoy similar commercial success. He was able to continue recording music, releasing 14 albums over the course of his life. His latest, ‘Blind Faith’, was released in 2015.
Vearncombe died in Cork, Ireland, on January 26, 2016, after suffering from head injuries in a car accident.
2) Black is a band from Bangladesh. Black is mainly an alternative band who sings in Bangla, the language of Bangladesh. The band formed in 1998 with four members - John, Tony, Asif, Spondon. Later the band line-up changed as Miraz and Tahsan joined the band in 2000 and Spondon and Asif left the band. Their first song was released in an underground mixed album "Charpotro", their first solo album Amar Prithibi was released in 2002 which is still a big hit. Their second album Utshober Por got released in 2003. Both albums were released from the label G-Series. Though their released music now defines them, and that has been a plethora of styles present in them from nu metal to emo like alternative, they had before that time performed in a lot of underground metal concerts covering the likes of Pantera. They are pretty known for their innovative stances on music and performance.
3) Hanifah bin Md Hanafiah , rather known mononymously by his stage name Black, is a Malaysian singer and actor who rose to fame after winning the third season of the local reality show Mentor. At the time, Black was the protege of renowned Malaysian singer Mas Idayu.
4) black is an artist and rapper from New York who released his debut album JAZZ FOR JESUS on September 17, 2021. His latest project In All Its Messiness, released September 6, 2022, is an EP containing barely mixed and unmastered demos.
Leaving Song
Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pass me my shirt hung on the line.
I'll polish up my boots
And then take the first plane stateside I can find.
It's a handicap to try to see this far,
When this place seems so cramped and small.
In the streets they whisper legends
I'm leaving,
I'm leaving.
All of my sense is shot,
The streets are like a premonition of a crime.
I wrote without you,
Then I took the first plane stateside I could find.
If they could they would've stopped me,
They'd say I'm gaping at a dream.
I'm leaving,
I'm leaving.
So I polish up my brand new car,
Then take my tunes from door to door.
I try not to see their faces
As I'm dealing out my aces,
The horizon seems so far away.
From a penthouse for a king and queen
I expected more of the stuff of dreams.
If they can they like to get their man
And cut him right down to his knees.
And I'm reeling,
Once again I'm leaving.
I'm leaving
And once again I'm leaving.
And I'm leaving,
Once again I'm leaving.
In "Leaving Song" by Black, the singer is clearly fed up with his current situation and wants to start anew in a different part of the world. He wants to leave everything behind and escape the claustrophobic environment he's currently in. He requests his guitar and clothes, prepares his boots, and jumps on the first plane abroad he can find. Even though he is aware that leaving everyone and everything is not easy, he has to do it. Otherwise, he'll be trapped in a life that he does not want.
The singer's frustration is evident in the lyrics, where he talks about the streets being like a premonition of a crime and how legends are whispered everywhere. He writes, "If they could, they would've stopped me," and "they'd say I'm gaping at a dream," indicating that people are against his decision to leave. Nonetheless, he is determined and has already made up his mind.
In the second half of the song, the singer describes his new life, where he travels from door to door, dealing aces and trying not to see faces. He is still searching for something, but it's different now. It's not about escaping, but finding a place to call home.
Line by Line Meaning
Hand me my five and dime,
Give me my basic possessions.
Pass me my shirt hung on the line.
Give me my shirt that's drying on a clothesline outside.
I'll polish up my boots
I'll clean my boots until they shine.
And then take the first plane stateside I can find.
Then I'll leave this place and go to America as quickly as possible.
It's a handicap to try to see this far,
It's difficult to imagine what the future holds.
When this place seems so cramped and small.
When you feel trapped and confined in this place.
In the streets they whisper legends
People on the street are spreading rumors and stories.
And it seems that I'm riding for a fall.
It seems like I'm doomed to fail.
I'm leaving,
I'm departing from here.
All of my sense is shot,
I've lost my senses and my ability to reason.
The streets are like a premonition of a crime.
The atmosphere on the streets feels ominous and dangerous.
I wrote without you,
I wrote something without your presence or influence.
Then I took the first plane stateside I could find.
Then I left the country and went to America as quickly as possible.
If they could they would've stopped me,
If they had the power, they would've prevented me from leaving.
They'd say I'm gaping at a dream.
They would criticize me for chasing an unrealistic dream.
So I polish up my brand new car,
I clean and prepare my new car for the journey.
Then take my tunes from door to door.
Then I travel around playing my music for anyone who will listen.
I try not to see their faces
I try to avoid looking at the people I'm performing for.
As I'm dealing out my aces,
As I'm playing my best songs and performances.
The horizon seems so far away.
The future seems too distant to clearly see.
From a penthouse for a king and queen
From a luxurious and extravagant residence.
I expected more of the stuff of dreams.
I hoped for a more magical and fulfilling life.
If they can they like to get their man
If possible, people like to control or manipulate others.
And cut him right down to his knees.
And humiliate or defeat them completely.
And I'm reeling,
And I'm unable to keep my balance, physically or metaphorically.
Once again I'm leaving.
Again, I'm departing from this place.
Once again I'm leaving.
Once again, I'm leaving this place behind.
And I'm leaving,
And I'm departing, moving on to a new chapter.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: COLIN VEARNCOMBE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind