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.
Like You Do
C Duncan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've come again
For someone else but you
Forget yourself
Forget yourself
And start again like you
Be clear to me
There's nothing else for you
It's clear to me
It's clear to me
You're suffering, you're suffering
Like you do
Like you do
Ooh
It takes someone to begin again
It takes someone to be hurt
It's torn again
It's torn again
There's no one here but you
It's cold again
It's cold again
There's nothing here to do
Be clear to me
Be clear to me
It's all you see, it's all you see
Be clear with me
You're suffering
No more, no more
Like you do
Like you do
Like you do
Like you do
Ooh
It's always fine in the evening time
It's always fine in the night
In "Like You Do," C Duncan writes about the end of a relationship where the other person has come back into their life, but not for them. The singer is aware that the other person is suffering and wants to help them start again. The repetition of "Be clear to me/with me" emphasizes the need for open communication in relationships. The phrase "Like you do" is repeated often and can be interpreted as the singer understanding that the other person is going through a difficult time, but also acknowledging that the other person tends to consistently fall into these patterns.
The second verse acknowledges that it takes both people to make a relationship work, but also that it takes one person to make the decision to start over. The repetition of "It's torn again/It's cold again" suggests that the relationship has gone through multiple cycles of good and bad times. The final chorus brings back the phrase "Like you do," almost like a resignation to the fact that some people continue to make the same mistakes and suffer the same way they always have.
Line by Line Meaning
You've come again
You have returned once more
You've come again
You have returned once more
For someone else but you
Although you have come here for someone else, you are the one that needs help
Forget yourself
Stop thinking about your own problems
Forget yourself
Stop thinking about your own problems
And start again like you
You need to start over and reinvent yourself
Be clear to me
Explain yourself more clearly to me
Be clear to me
Explain yourself more clearly to me
There's nothing else for you
There is no other option for you
It's clear to me
I understand
It's clear to me
I understand
You're suffering, you're suffering
You are in pain and need help
Like you do
Just like you always do
Like you do
Just like you always do
Ooh
An expression of empathy
It takes someone to begin again
It takes someone to decide to start over
It takes someone to be hurt
One must experience pain to be able to heal
It's torn again
Something has been damaged yet again
It's torn again
Something has been damaged yet again
There's no one here but you
You are alone in this situation
It's cold again
Things seem bleak and without passion
It's cold again
Things seem bleak and without passion
There's nothing here to do
There are no distractions or ways to forget your problems
Be clear to me
Explain yourself more clearly to me
Be clear to me
Explain yourself more clearly to me
It's all you see, it's all you see
You are consumed by your own problems
Be clear with me
Explain yourself more clearly to me
You're suffering
You are experiencing great pain
No more, no more
You want the pain to stop
Like you do
Just like you always do
Like you do
Just like you always do
Like you do
Just like you always do
Like you do
Just like you always do
Ooh
An expression of empathy
It's always fine in the evening time
Things seem better at night
It's always fine in the night
Things seem better at night
Writer(s): Christopher Duncan
Contributed by Callie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
João Victor Cabañas
I adore this song so much!! (actually I adore pretty much everything C Duncan does). This video is terrific, congrats!!
neilbertorelli
Couldn't agree more.. seen him live stunning
Nancy Spade
This song is amazing like the rest of the album.
Marco Zirino
I saw C Duncan open for Elbow in Irvine, California. Listening to the recording confirms that my ears being blown away at times was no illusion. The harmonies and other innovations are "bee-utiful"
Rob Blackshaw
I heard this last night while catching up on a Guy Garvey programme on BBC sounds. What a great sound. Glad I found C Duncan🙂
THE V.I.C
Must be lovely to be able to create and put beauty likethis out to the world and it comes from your mind and then moves so many people in sooo many ways. A gift 😘
Geologo Etr
Con el estilo unico de C Duncan, Siempre es un leite su trabajo.!!
Gabriella Horvath
Beautiful music.
renalistens
being in a relationship with someone who's still dealing with internalised trauma and homophobia - giving them space, loving and supporting them, even if it hurts you too
Danielle Guzman
Great album