… Read Full Bio ↴Charlie Cunningham is an English singer-songwriter based in Oxford.
Cunningham is a fresh talent, proving to be more than just a man with a guitar and a voice; a regularity that we have become all too familiar with. His new and ambitious EP Outside Things combines beautiful, yet honest song-writing with such percussive guitar playing that he truly stands out from the crowd.
Title track “Outside Things’” premièred on Best Fit; the lyrics are from the perspective of a newly-born baby. It’s a time that occurs in everyone’s life that cannot be remembered or recalled, this therefore, explorative aspect to his song-writing shows the depth Cunningham has to offer, unlike so many artists of his type. The song manages to convey an impression of diving in and out from the confusion of that foreign experience in such a compelling nature, accompanied by intense vocals playing on the track’s intimacy. “Outside Things’” carries with it a strange sense of longing, which is continuous throughout the EP.
“In One Out” is the first track to be heard on the record; it’s melodic, but profoundly sombre and relatively dark sounding. The finger-picked guitar behind the vocals is hypnotic. There’s a slight step away from this intensity of the opening track and that of the title track in “Lights Off” and “Plans” - the second and fourth tracks on the EP. With far less movement there’s time to breathe between songs, it really helps to make each one stand out in their own right. During both of these tracks Cunningham creates moments of silence, with constant breaks where everything comes to a brief halt – if you heard these tracks live you’d want to be situated in an intimate and silent setting.
The Outside Things EP not only demonstrates Cunningham’s impeccable writing ability, but his intricate and skilful playing technique, developed and picked up from his time spent in Seville, along with showing off his individual voice. Through the EP Cunningham’s percussive, yet flexible guitars playing technique is something to be whole heartedly admired.
An Opening
Charlie Cunningham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More than I
If not here another time, then you lie
Poist in the star
Is a bed of your heart
I'm not here to pick a fight
but we can if you like
Common they said
Common you might
Someone else for a while
And from there I tell you just turn right
Turn the water to wine
Common they said
Common you might
Be yourself by the fire
The words down her eyes
Starts down her eyes
Play sisom mine
To see the whole thing is an opening
A glimpse in to the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening
To see the whole thing is an opening
A glimpse in to the world you try to hide
And you don't think it's happening
To see the whole thing is an opening
A glimpse in to the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening
The opening lines of Charlie Cunningham's song “An Opening” depict a sense of deep emotionality that is seemingly difficult to express through words. The way the singer repeats “More than a lie/ More than I” is an indication that he feels helpless and is left at the mercy of his own emotions. He pleads for a chance to make it right in the future if there's no chance in the present. In the following lines, he seems to be having a conversation with someone where they both are discussing the “Poist in the star”. He's not interested in starting a fight but mentions that they can do that if the other person prefers it.
As the song progresses, we hear Cunningham sing about a common saying, “Someone else for a while”. He then proceeds to provide directions, “And from there I tell you just turn right/ turn the water to wine” as if giving a guiding light to find oneself. The chorus repeats three times, with slight variations; “To see the whole thing is an opening/ A glimpse into the world you wouldn't find/ And you don't think it's happening”. It is clear that the singer is trying to emphasize an acceptance in the face of the unknown. It is through the opening that guides him into stepping into the unknown, displaying a sense of trust and acceptance of the way the world works.
Overall, this song can be viewed as a powerfully emotive song that highlights a particular state of heightened emotionality, which leads the singer to an openness of self-awareness and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
More than a lie
There's more than deception being said here
More than I
There's more to this situation than just me
If not here another time, then you lie
If it's not happening now, it's not going to happen at all and you're just lying to yourself
Poist in the star
There's something special about this one moment
Is a bed of your heart
This moment is close to your heart
I'm not here to pick a fight
I don't want to argue, just talk things through
but we can if you like
But if you want to fight, I'll engage with you
Common they said
People often say this
Common you might
You might feel this way too
Someone else for a while
Sometimes you want to try being someone else for a bit
And from there I tell you just turn right
From here, let me guide you towards a better path
Turn the water to wine
Turn something ordinary into something amazing
Be yourself by the fire
Relax and let yourself be comfortable
The words down her eyes
The way she looks speaks volumes
Starts down her eyes
Everything starts with a glance
Play sisom mine
This is all part of my personal journey
To see the whole thing is an opening
Seeing everything for what it is can open up new possibilities
A glimpse in to the world you wouldn't find
A new perspective can reveal things you never knew existed
And you don't think it's happening
You might not see it coming, but changes are happening
To see the whole thing is an opening
Seeing everything for what it is can open up new possibilities
A glimpse in to the world you try to hide
Sometimes you try to hide from your problems or truths, but seeing can help you confront them
And you don't think it's happening
You might not see it coming, but changes are happening
To see the whole thing is an opening
Seeing everything for what it is can open up new possibilities
A glimpse in to the world you wouldn't find
A new perspective can reveal things you never knew existed
And you don't think it's happening
You might not see it coming, but changes are happening
Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mbmpablo3631
Lyrics: 😉❤👍🏽
More than a life
More than I
If not here another time
Then you lie
Point to the stars
Is bad of your heart
I'm not here to pick a fight
But we can if you like
"Come in", they said
Come in you might
Be someone else for a while
And from there I tell you just turn right
Turn the water to wine
"Come in", they said
Come in you might
Be yourself by the fire
The words don't arrive
The stars don't align
This place isn't mine
To see the whole thing as an opening
A glimpse into the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening
To see the whole thing as an opening
A glimpse into the world you try to hide
And you won't think it's happening
To see the whole thing as an opening
A glimpse into the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening
@BrunaCubbins
Just found the lyrics right now:
More than a lie
More than I
If not here another time, then you lie
Poist in the star
Is a bed of your heart
I'm not here to pick a fight
but we can if you like
Common they said
Common you might
Someone else for a while
And from there I tell you just turn right
Turn the water to wine
Common they said
Common you might
Be yourself by the fire
The words down her eyes
Starts down her eyes
Play sisom mine
To see the whole thing is an opening
A glimpse in to the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening
To see the whole thing is an opening
A glimpse in to the world you try to hide
And you don't think it's happening
To see the whole thing is an opening
A glimpse in to the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening
@MatthewRivers
I have been listening to this song on and off for a few years. It never gets old. Amazing work.
@mbmpablo3631
Lyrics: 😉❤👍🏽
More than a life
More than I
If not here another time
Then you lie
Point to the stars
Is bad of your heart
I'm not here to pick a fight
But we can if you like
"Come in", they said
Come in you might
Be someone else for a while
And from there I tell you just turn right
Turn the water to wine
"Come in", they said
Come in you might
Be yourself by the fire
The words don't arrive
The stars don't align
This place isn't mine
To see the whole thing as an opening
A glimpse into the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening
To see the whole thing as an opening
A glimpse into the world you try to hide
And you won't think it's happening
To see the whole thing as an opening
A glimpse into the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening
@dc9641
Awesome song. Really wish the riff that enters at 2.33 continued for longer and continually built up. In a live performance or a remix, it could be even more powerful than it is in this 🤙
@fjf6050
So true
@tonyandchristinedimatteo3033
Haunting and soulful as ever Charlie. Your music is magical!
@Tina-sg3wx
Incredibly grateful. Thank you for making exactly that special music, Charlie ❤️
@greenlikelemons
Ever since I heard the song live I was waiting eagerly for its release. It is simply beautiful!
Looking very much forward for the album and to seeing you live again this spring :)
@abbasmz509
Magical. Not everybody understands the lyrics. That's why it hasn't got a lot of views. But that is actually the reason it is so special. It's not for the masess. It's foe the select few.
@rjlplondon
How is this not bigger?? so, so good.
@brandonmacdougall
This song has so much meaning to me. Sometimes I wonder if it means the same to others.