The son of Albion, Fairport and Steeleye founder Ashley Hutchings and singer Judy Dunlop, Dunlop began playing guitar at the age of six and grew up around the music of The Albion Band “I remember going to a lot of Albion Band gigs and falling in love with the music, Ken Nicol’s guitar playing has stayed with me in particular and inspired me to learn and play music I really connected with.”
Dunlop began his career in entertainment in the film industry, in Tim Burton’s production of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, playing the part of young Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp).
He started a career in music with his first EP being released in the summer of 2010 and the follow up Bags Outside the Door - EP a year later. Dunlop completed a short tour of Italy and performed at the Southbank Centre at the ‘In Search of Nic Jones’ tribute concert. He has supported acts such as Fairport Convention, Cara Dillon and Georgie Fame and was a finalist of the 2012 Radio 2 Young Folk Award.
Dunlop took over the running of The Albion Band from Hutchings in 2011 but folded the band in 2013 to focus on his solo career.
Fifty Shades Of Blue
Blair Dunlop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To check myself up and down
I stopped outside a window
The first one that I found
And I waited for a moment
With no one else around
I stared at the reflection until I made a sound
Will I find something new?"
I've never taken kindly to being lied to
And if this makes me a liar
Then what does that make you?
Oh my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue
My friends have seen the burden
And shared it for a while
He hides it well but we can tell he wears a plastic smile
So before I reach / (?)
I put myself on trial
It can't be fun but it's illogical if I myself begun
When I scratch the surface
Will I find something new?
I've never taken kindly to being lied to
And if this makes me a liar
Then what does that make you?
Oh my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue
I've looked in every mirror
But I only see my skin
Whenever I look deeper
It just magnifies your sin (?)
But I always find some comfort
Lying deep within
Lying lets me wallow in the pain you always bring
When I scratch the surface
I know I'll see it true
You can tell that you're unwell when the one that's lies you (?)
My lips are silver this one but I know that you'll see through
Oh my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue
Yeah my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue
The lyrics to Blair Dunlop's song Fifty Shades Of Blue are an introspective reflection on self-identity and the impact of outside influences on one's persona. The song opens with the singer stopping to gaze at his reflection in a window and questioning if scratching the surface will reveal something new. He is disillusioned with the idea of being lied to, and if this makes him a liar, he wonders what that makes those that deceive him. The line "Oh my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue" is a metaphor for the complexity of his emotions, and how his surface may be bright and polished, but beneath that, there are many shades of sadness, pain, and vulnerability.
The second verse delves deeper into the theme of the song as the singer laments about how his friends can see the burden he carries around, despite his attempt to hide it with a plastic smile. He decides to put himself on trial and face the pain he carries, rather than burying it further. He finds some solace in lies and the ability to wallow in the pain caused by others. The repetition of the line "When I scratch the surface, will I find something new?" is a reminder that there may always be a layer of complexity to one's persona that is yet to be revealed.
Overall, Blair Dunlop's Fifty Shades of Blue provides a thoughtful insight into the complexities of human emotions and the fragility of identity. The lyrics are rich in metaphor, exploring ideas such as perception, vulnerability, self-reflection, and the impact of others on one's sense of self.
Line by Line Meaning
Last week I took a minute
I took a moment last week
To check myself up and down
To examine myself thoroughly
I stopped outside a window
I halted outside a window
The first one that I found
The first window that caught my attention
And I waited for a moment
I stayed and waited for a while
With no one else around
Without anyone else nearby
I stared at the reflection until I made a sound
I looked at my reflection until I uttered a sound
I asked "If I scratch the surface
I inquired, "If I look beneath the surface
Will I find something new?"
Will I find something different?"
I've never taken kindly to being lied to
I've always despised being lied to
And if this makes me a liar
And if this makes me a deceiver
Then what does that make you?
Then what does that make you?
Oh my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue
My skin appears bright on the outside but I'm feeling blue on the inside
My friends have seen the burden
My friends have witnessed the weight
And shared it for a while
And carried it for some time
He hides it well but we can tell he wears a plastic smile
He conceals it skillfully, but we can sense the artificial grin
So before I reach / (?)
So before I sink lower
I put myself on trial
I analyze my own life
It can't be fun but it's illogical if I myself begun
Although it's not enjoyable, it would be foolish to be responsible for my own problems
When I scratch the surface
When I look beneath the surface
Will I find something new?
Will I discover something different?
I've never taken kindly to being lied to
I've always despised being lied to
And if this makes me a liar
And if this makes me a deceiver
Then what does that make you?
Then what does that make you?
Oh my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue
My skin appears bright on the outside but I'm feeling blue on the inside
I've looked in every mirror
I've examined myself in every mirror
But I only see my skin
But I only see my external appearance
Whenever I look deeper
Whenever I probe beneath the surface
It just magnifies your sin (?)
It just amplifies your mistakes (?)
But I always find some comfort
But I always find some solace
Lying deep within
Buried deep down
Lying lets me wallow in the pain you always bring
Deceiving myself lets me immerse in the agony you always cause
When I scratch the surface
When I look beneath the surface
I know I'll see it true
I know I'll see the truth
You can tell that you're unwell when the one that's lies you (?)
You can see that you're unwell when the one that you deceive (?)
My lips are silver this one but I know that you'll see through
My words may be deceptive this time, but I'm aware that you'll see the truth
Oh my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue
My skin appears bright on the outside but I'm feeling blue on the inside
Yeah my skin shines but it resides I'm fifty shades of blue
Yes, my skin appears bright on the outside but I'm feeling blue on the inside
Contributed by Jayce I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alan Whittle
nice voice and guitar sound.