Owen Ashworth started to make music on a small casio keyboard back in 1997. His first two albums, "Answering Machine Music" and "Pocket Symphonies for Lonely Subway Cars," were made using nothing but small, battery-operated keyboards and Ashworth's own voice (along with occasional accompaniment by guest musicians). These early albums are now available on one CD, appropriately titled "The First Two Albums by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone."
Ashworth has released numerous EPs and full-length albums, with a trademark austere lyrical style that conveys emotions through its simplicity and directness.
CFTPA expanded its sound in 2006 with Ashworth's release 'Etiquette,' now using more instruments and effects (as well as more professional production and vocals from Jenny Herbinson). This album has given Ashworth room for experimentation and thinking space.
In 2009, CFTPA's newest album, titled 'Vs. Children,' was released. Although vocally very similar to his earlier work, the album features a greater variety of acoustic instruments and further demonstrates Ashworth's interest in pursuing more complex arrangements for his songs. His live shows reflect this as on his most recent tour he is joined by a full band.
In 2010 Ashworth announced that he was retiring the "Casiotone for the Painfully Alone" name, as well as the songs he wrote under that name. He now performs as Advance Base and a producer.
New Year
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a boy's bed with your pants off.
After polite declines of coffee and toast,
Walked home itching in last night's clothes.
Past the Phone Booth and the Beauty Bar,
The broken windows of your neighbors' cars.
Through the backdoor to a message from Sis,
Took the afternoon to piece it all,
Plus a half a dozen phone calls.
Crashed a party with Larissa and Chris
In pursuit of a New Year's kiss.
Not the way that you'd imagined it.
On a balcony with champagne lips.
But in a pantry against the pancake mix,
You had your New Year's kiss.
The song "New Year" by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone is a ballad that narrates the events of a New Year's Day that may not have been what the singer had hoped for. The song opens in a bedroom where the singer wakes up with "fingers crossed" and pants off, implying that she may have had a one-night stand. As she leaves the boy's house, she declines polite offers of coffee and toast and walks home, "itching in last night's clothes."
Throughout the song, there are references to specific places in the city, such as the Phone Booth and the Beauty Bar, and the broken windows of her neighbors' cars. We learn that she receives a message from her sister asking who her New Year's kiss was. The singer then spends the afternoon trying to piece together the events of the previous night, making half a dozen phone calls in the process.
Finally, she crashes a New Year's party with her friends Larissa and Chris, hoping to find someone to share a kiss with. The song ends with the singer finding her kiss, but it's not in the romantic and ideal location she had envisioned. Instead, it's in a pantry, against the pancake mix. The song is a poignant reminder that sometimes our expectations don't match up with reality, and that's okay.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up with fingers crossed
You woke up with hope and anticipation for the new year.
In a boy's bed with your pants off.
You had a one-night stand on New Year's Eve.
After polite declines of coffee and toast,
You declined breakfast at the boy's house out of politeness.
Walked home itching in last night's clothes.
You had to walk home in the clothes you wore the previous night and they weren't comfortable.
Past the Phone Booth and the Beauty Bar,
You walked past some landmarks in your neighborhood on the way home.
The broken windows of your neighbors' cars.
Some of your neighbors had their cars vandalized overnight.
Through the backdoor to a message from Sis,
Your sister left you a message while you were out.
Asking, "Who was your New Year's kiss?"
Your sister was curious about whether or not you kissed anyone at midnight.
Took the afternoon to piece it all,
You spent the afternoon reflecting on the previous night's events.
Plus a half a dozen phone calls.
You made several phone calls to friends to try and piece together what happened.
Crashed a party with Larissa and Chris
You went to a party with your friends Larissa and Chris later that day.
In pursuit of a New Year's kiss.
You were still hoping to have a special moment to ring in the new year.
Not the way that you'd imagined it.
Things didn't go exactly as you had hoped they would.
On a balcony with champagne lips.
You had imagined sharing a romantic moment on a balcony with someone while drinking champagne.
But in a pantry against the pancake mix,
Instead, you ended up sharing a kiss with someone in a less romantic place - a pantry next to some pancake mix.
You had your New Year's kiss.
Despite everything not going according to plan, you still got your New Year's kiss.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Finn Montaner
One of the greatest songs ever made. The lyrics r melancholy as all hell
Maia Jintcharadze
One of the saddest(
GiantGrowth420
the worst part about the song is it ends. ugh. I want more
Defrag's bin
that and the way he breathes before he says a line ._.
it's a cracking song though
Josh Starks
Saw him back in '08.
Absolutely fantastic show.
Loser's Club
Real etiquette is being polite no matter if you're sitting across from a ghost or a crocodile.
Woodsman Last
2020 first song I’m playing for my gf.
Lyle Kang
that drum sound is seriously so fuckin sick
milkbox
i feel like I just discovered a little gem in the corner of youtube, wow
toby s
i want the sky to swallow me, just so i don't have to feel anything anymore.