The son of two classical musicians, he was surrounded by music throughout his childhood. He initially took up piano and viola. His teens led him to school bands – learning to play guitar, bass and drums – but did little to quell his fascination with the composition and performance of classical music. He eventually enrolled in Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) to study music composition, where his pieces were performed by various ensembles across the UK.
To hear C Duncan’s music now is to grasp those two common threads between his interests in classical and modern music. The pieces that make up his forthcoming debut LP are formed from lush choral harmonies and acoustic instrumentation, textured like contemporary dreampop and all recorded at home in Glasgow on his bedroom studio setup, gradually built up one layer and one instrument at a time. The results of this methodical and isolationist recording process give us charming lo-fi folk with the harmonic width of choral composition, the sweetness of barbershop and the rough eloquence that has so readily soundtracked Glasgow over the past decades.
He is also an accomplished painter, naming Grant Wood and Gerhard Richter as influences. His work has been exhibited throughout Scotland and he provides cover art for his own records, expressing the same musical ideas through painted image.
Garden
C Duncan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go and colour me blue
I feel new
I feel new
I feel so alive, so alive
Leave me here on the patio
Let me know when you go
I feel good
Like I should
Oooh
So lay all the woes of the world inside
Ooh aah
So lay all the weight of the day behind
Ooh aah
Aah
Ba ba bada ba ba
Ba ba bada ba ba
Ba ba bada ba ba
Ba ba bada ba ba
Take me out through the fire escape
Let me know when I'm free
I feel new
I feel new
I feel so alive, so alive
Leave me here on the patio
Let me know when you go
I feel good
I feel good
Like I should
Oooh
So lay all the woes of the world inside
Ooh aah
So lay all the weight of the day behind
Ooh aah
So take all the weight of the world
And shake all the weight of the world
And throw all the woes of the day away
Ooh aah
Aah
The song "Garden" by C Duncan seems to be about finding solace and peace in a garden. The first few lines talk about being taken out to the garden and feeling blue, but at the same time feeling new and alive. This could symbolize a desire to escape from the overwhelming stress and burdens of everyday life and find a calm and serene place to rejuvenate. The chorus talks about leaving behind the worries and weight of the world and feeling good, like one should. The repetition of "ooh aah" after these lines suggests a sense of relief and release.
The second verse again talks about being left on the patio and feeling good. The lines "take me out through the fire escape, let me know when I'm free" could represent a desire to escape not only from the stress of life but from something more alarming, perhaps grief or trauma. The repetition of "I feel new, I feel so alive" seems to suggest that this escape has provided a sense of rebirth and renewal.
The final verse talks about shaking all the weight of the world and throwing away the woes of the day. This indicates that the garden serves as a metaphor for leaving behind worries and finding peace. The repetition of "ooh aah aah" at the end of the song, with its hypnotic quality, suggests that this experience has brought a sense of trance-like calm.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me out to the garden
I want to be taken to the garden
Go and colour me blue
Feelings of sadness and melancholy
I feel new
I feel rejuvenated
I feel new
I feel rejuvenated
I feel so alive, so alive
I feel very much alive and energized
Leave me here on the patio
Leave me on the porch
Let me know when you go
Inform me when you leave
I feel good
I feel excellent, satisfied
I feel good
I feel excellent, satisfied
Like I should
Pleased with how I feel
Oooh
Indication of pleasure or satisfaction
So lay all the woes of the world inside
Let me contain all the world's problems within me
Ooh aah
Vocalization to indicate satisfaction or pleasure
So lay all the weight of the day behind
Leave behind all the pressures of the day
Ooh aah
Vocalization to indicate satisfaction or pleasure
Aah
Vocalization to indicate satisfaction or pleasure
Ba ba bada ba ba
Instrumentation
Ba ba bada ba ba
Instrumentation
Ba ba bada ba ba
Instrumentation
Ba ba bada ba ba
Instrumentation
Take me out through the fire escape
I want to be taken out through the emergency exit
Let me know when I'm free
Inform me when I am liberated
I feel new
I feel rejuvenated
I feel new
I feel rejuvenated
I feel so alive, so alive
I feel very much alive and energized
Leave me here on the patio
Leave me on the porch
Let me know when you go
Inform me when you leave
I feel good
I feel excellent, satisfied
I feel good
I feel excellent, satisfied
Like I should
Pleased with how I feel
Oooh
Indication of pleasure or satisfaction
So lay all the woes of the world inside
Let me contain all the world's problems within me
Ooh aah
Vocalization to indicate satisfaction or pleasure
So lay all the weight of the day behind
Leave behind all the pressures of the day
Ooh aah
Vocalization to indicate satisfaction or pleasure
So take all the weight of the world
Bear the burden of the world's problems
And shake all the weight of the world
Let go of the burden of the world's problems
And throw all the woes of the day away
Get rid of all the day's problems
Ooh aah
Vocalization to indicate satisfaction or pleasure
Aah
Vocalization to indicate satisfaction or pleasure
Writer(s): CHRISTOPHER MAYM DUNCAN
Contributed by Evan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@maria8399
Revisiting this song...still perfect ❤
@jejesus
Two weeks ago, Radcliffe & Maconie brought to my ears to C Duncan. Lovely song and great album. So refreshing!
@patcharisma
This is sooo refreshing and great in our dull Radio-Landscape...
Fuuck, I wished for more such great Neo-Psyck...
Scotland forever...
(Pat, Switzerland)
@peterdeeming1083
Absolute gem........
@davidtribe9256
Queens Park, a lovely garden...sublime sounds :)
@CloudWalkBeta
I initially got that feeling from "Cream" "I feel free" in this. Also getting an "under the sea" kind of vibe, very good song altogether.
@letmetellyousomething123
Thank GOD for such beauty!
@purebaldness
I'd rather thank Christopher "The Hitman" Duncan instead
@bloviatingignoramous
Wonderful Summery, breezy, pop psychedelia stuff. :)
@beanboyo
Heard it on BBC Radio 6. Awesome!