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.
Impossible
C Duncan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sat and waited here for you
And you were there
And you were there in another room
It's impossible to tell you about what I'm dreaming after all
It's impossible to tell you about how I'm feeling after night fall
When you live on the other side of town
I sat you down
I sat you down on a saturday
I gave you wine
I gave you wine then you went away
And I have waited
I have waited a long long time
To make you mine
To make you mine for another dar day
It's Impossible to tell you about what I'm thinking, oh
It's impossible to tell you about what I'm doing after dark
It's impossible to tell you about what I'm dreaming after all
It's impossible to tell you about how I'm feeling after night fall
When you live on the other side of town
When you live on the other side of town
When you live on the other side of town
When you live over there
The lyrics of C Duncan's song "Impossible" explore themes of longing, unrequited love, and the difficulties of communication. The singer portrays a sense of anticipation and waiting throughout the song. In the first verse, they describe sitting and waiting for someone, presumably a love interest, who is in another room. This sets a tone of longing and separation, emphasizing the physical and emotional distance between the two individuals.
The chorus expresses the impossibility of conveying their dreams and feelings to this person. The singer acknowledges that it is impossible to articulate their thoughts and emotions accurately. This could suggest a lack of understanding between the two, as well as the frustration that comes with being unable to fully express oneself. The repetition of this line emphasizes the continued struggle and the barriers that exist between them.
In the second verse, the singer recounts a specific moment when they sat someone down and shared wine with them on a Saturday. However, despite this connection, the person "went away," leaving the singer waiting for a long time to have them back. This further emphasizes the idea of longing and the desire for reciprocation of feelings.
The chorus is repeated once again, emphasizing the challenges of communicating and expressing their inner world to the person they are addressing. The repetition of the lines, "When you live on the other side of town, when you live over there," reinforces the physical and emotional distance between them. It suggests that this separation is a significant obstacle in their relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of "Impossible" convey a sense of yearning and frustration, as the singer grapples with the difficulties of expressing their thoughts, dreams, and emotions to the person they desire. It explores themes of distance, longing, and the limitations of communication.
Line by Line Meaning
I sat and wait
I patiently waited for someone
I sat and waited here for you
I remained in this place waiting specifically for you
And you were there
You existed in the same world
And you were there in another room
But you were physically present in a different room
It's impossible to tell you about what I'm dreaming after all
It's difficult to convey the content of my dreams to you
It's impossible to tell you about how I'm feeling after night fall
It's challenging to communicate my emotions that arise after nighttime
When you live on the other side of town
Because you reside in a different area of the town
When you live over there
When you have your dwelling in that direction
I sat you down
I made you take a seat
I sat you down on a saturday
I made you sit on a specific Saturday
I gave you wine
I provided you with wine
I gave you wine then you went away
But after giving you wine, you left
And I have waited
And I have continued to wait
I have waited a long long time
I have waited for an extended period
To make you mine
To have you as my own
To make you mine for another dar day
To establish a relationship with you for another day
It's Impossible to tell you about what I'm thinking, oh
It's incredibly challenging to express my thoughts to you, oh
It's impossible to tell you about what I'm doing after dark
It's extremely difficult to inform you about my actions during the nighttime
When you live on the other side of town
Since you reside in a different area of the town
When you live on the other side of town
When you have your dwelling in that direction
When you live on the other side of town
Because you reside in a different area of the town
When you live over there
When you have your dwelling in that direction
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Christopher Duncan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mairead
I can't stop listening to this song!! I'm obsessed
Danna Wheeldon
I love the narrative of the video as it really creates empathy for Memphis Jenkins. The song is a great evolution of C Duncan’s voice, sound, and lyrics as well. Wonderful!
Andy Stone
Loving his new sound. Personally, I think this is different to his first two albums. Very underrated artist.....Looking forward to album no 3!!!!!
OokamiMusic
Wow what an impressive Vibe; perfect retro feelings, with beautiful cinematic Pictures, telling such a compelling Story.
Warren Evans
I had a great day with the actor and Mark Cumbernauld taking part in this video we had a blast especially on the golf course. i would like to thank everybody and the film crew for letting me take the opportunity to take part in the making of this video. Song is absolutely brilliant.
guillem carim
What a nice song, so inspiring
Stella Brüggen
This is such a beautiful song! Why doesn't this have more views!?
Andy Stone
This brilliant video reminds me somewhat of David Brent on the road and desperately trying to make beyond small time. Great piece of narrative Drama here...
LV 246
Totally leftfield and brilliant. What music's all about. Oh and Amazing Radio brought me here.
Anatoly V
Very, very good! I have not listened to this for a long time.