The band is notable for their single "Tie Up My Hands", taking the number one spot in the jtv music television programme, with their debut album Guillotine produced by Harry Vanda. Guillotine was also nominated for Triple J's J Award in 2007 and in December of that year British India won the AIR Award for 'Best New Independent Artist'. In April and May of 2008 the band entered Flashpoint studios once again to record their new album "Theives" officially released on the 19th of July, althought copies were available at gigs a week earlier than this. The first single from the album is titled "I Said I'm Sorry" and is on their MySpace.
British India formed when Melbourne high school friends Declan Melia and Nic Wilson met Will Drummond and Matt O'Gorman through mutual friends, and asked them to join the band. Social misfits in school, the quartet began to jam together, playing work by their favourite bands; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Beatles, Blur, and Starsailor. The band's name was originally noticed by Wilson on a b-side by Strawberry Alarm Clock.
In 2005, after playing regularly across Australia for a year, the band signed with In-Fidelity Recordings and began work on their debut EP, with producer Lindsay Gravina. In June 2005 they released a single, "Outside 109 / Automatic Blitzkrieg". The song's inspiration came from a quip made by Mick Jagger in an interview in 1964. Melia told Australian Music Online the song's lyrics referred to the band's gigging in Melbourne, and "being just outside of international recognition".
On 21 November 2005 the band released their EP, Counter Culture, on Shock Records. Following recording at Sydney's Flashpoint Studios with studio owner Harry Vanda.[6] Drummond said that in recording the EP, the band "crammed all [their] youthful exuberance" onto it.
I Can't Make You Love Me
British India Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What was the last thing that you told me
The night is over but I still have a place to go
No one else but I will be there
Walking by myself with in my head
I hope you're happy what you're doing
You know how that they say you can't help but love the dead
That's exactly where I'm heading
And I can make you love me
You wanna fight fight fight fight fight fire with me
You gotta fight down
You gonna fall in love with my work a lot
You gonna hate the way you love me tonight
And I can make you love me
And I can make you love me
And I can make you love me
And I can make you love me
The song "I Can Make You Love Me" by British India is an introspective piece that touches upon themes of mortality, regret, and unrequited love. The lyrics initially start with a melancholic tone with the singer stating "If you're reading this then that means that I am dead," implying that he has passed away but his loved one is still alive. He then questions what the last thing was that his loved one had told him before he died. As the song progresses, he talks about walking alone in his thoughts, hoping that his loved one is happy but acknowledging that he is going towards a dead-end ("That's exactly where I'm heading").
The title of the song, "I Can Make You Love Me", is repeated numerous times after the first verse, indicating a fluctuation from the somber mood of the beginning to a desperate resolve as the singer tries to persuade his loved one that he can make them love him. The lyrics "You wanna fight fight fight fight fight fire with me" suggests that the lover's relationship was tumultuous, with the implication that the singer is willing to do anything to reignite the flame.
Overall, the song may be interpreted as the emotional confessions of someone who has come to terms with their mortality and is seeking closure with a former lover.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're reading this then that means that I am dead
If you're seeing this message, it's because I'm gone
What was the last thing that you told me
What did you say to me before I left?
The night is over but I still have a place to go
The party's done, but I have somewhere to be
No one else but I will be there
It's just gonna be me, no one else
Walking by myself with in my head
I'm alone with my thoughts as I walk
I hope you're happy what you're doing
I hope you're content with where you're at
You know how that they say you can't help but love the dead
They say that it's easy to love someone who's no longer here
That's exactly where I'm heading
That's where I'm headed
And I can make you love me
I have the power to make you love me
You wanna fight fight fight fight fight fire with me
You want to enter into a battle with me
You gotta fight down
You need to be strong and not back down
You gonna fall in love with my work a lot
You'll love what I do
You gonna hate the way you love me tonight
You'll love me tonight, but you'll hate how you feel about it
And I can make you love me
I can make you love me
And I can make you love me
I can make you love me
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: DECLAN XAVIER MELIA, MATTHEW VINCENT O'GORMAN, NICHOLAS JAMES WILSON, WILL DRUMMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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"LYRICS"
If you're reading this then that means that I am dead
What was the last thing that you told me
The night is over but I still have a place to go
No one else but I will be there
Walking by myself with a funeral in my head
I hope you're happy what you're doing
You know how that they say you can't help but love the dead
That's exactly where i'm heading
And I can make you love me
And I can make you love me
You wanna fight, fight, fight, fight, fight fire with fire
You're gonna burn down
You're gonna fall in love with my work a lot
You're gonna hate the way you left me behind
And I can make you love me
And I can make you love me
And I can make you love me
And I can make you love me
Whoa whoa whoa whoa-o
Whoa whoa whoa whoa-o
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Casey Hill
I have a great friend who passed a few years ago due to drug abuse. He showed me this song before I knew his struggles and years later this still jerks my heart way too hard. I wasn’t there for him in the end, and I miss him more then I can explain. So many feelings in this tune.
Lucy Borley
Aww,,, bro,, hes still with you
Lucy Borley
Aaww ,, bro ,,, hes still with you
Manipulation Academy
sorry about that.
RythMic
@Rachel B I feel so bad for you😭😭😭 at least you haven’t abused yourself with drugs. I hope their happy together aswell😊
Rachel B
You wrote this 2 years ago but I feel the need to reply. I want to say I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my best friend almost 5 years ago and we danced to this dumb song together that is still hard to listen to now (Riptide - vance joy) and one of her favorite songs (born to die - lana del rey). She died due to her drug abuse as well. It landed her in a place and with people who didn't value her life. And I was not there in the last year or so of her life. The week before she died she contacted me and we talked about her coming home so we could hang out again. I didn't get around to it because I was busy, and any number of other excuses I told myself. A week later she was gone. About 4 years prior I lost my godchild, her baby girl. She had my middle name. I only hope they are together somewhere. I will never stop missing them. I hope you are doing alright.
217jmw
This song is massively underrated. I love the slow build up of the guitars. Awesome live.
beyond_the_dark
2019, almost no one knows or remembers this song and all of the sudden it just brought back soo many memories and emotions. Many I didn't and still don't want. Crazy how music can do that.
Foo Ghu
@Mark Broughton same here brother
Big Tony
i remember mate this song came out in a right shitty part of my life and even the slightest bit of memory that reminds me brings me back to me this song will only die until do