… 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.
Born
Charlie Cunningham Lyrics
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Like you don't want to be holding me
I can float on streams
So easily molding me
How many more then get born?
Let they don't want to be born
I already know why
I can't be
Can't be
My eyes won't see
But you trying to see
No me
How many more then get born?
Let they don't want to be born
I already know why
Why, there's always a choice
Different voices and tones
Never said so
They are always go, where ever you go
There's always a choice
Different voices and tones
Never said so you know it
They are always go, where ever you go
I'm toned
I can't be
What you want me to be
Can't be
My eyes won't see
But you trying to see
No me
How many more then get born?
Let they don't want to be born
I already know why
Why, there's always a choice
Different voices and tones
Never said so
They are always go where ever you go
There's always a choice
Different voices and tones
Never said, so you know it
They are always go where ever you go
I'm toned
In this song, Charlie Cunningham is exploring the idea of identity and how we often struggle to fit into the molds that others want us to fit into. The first verse is about the difficulty of being held by someone who doesn't really want to hold you, and the feeling of being easily molded by others. The chorus repeats the question of how many more people will be born into these situations, born into lives they don't want to live. Cunningham then acknowledges that he can't be what others want him to be, his eyes won't see what they want them to see, and the other person can't really see him for who he is. The second verse repeats the questions and ideas of the first, but with a slightly different focus on the choices we have and the different voices that we can choose to listen to.
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to find and maintain one's own identity in a world that often tries to tell us who we should be. Cunningham's use of delicate guitar melodies and soft vocals emphasize the vulnerability and uncertainty that can come with this struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Holding me
The feeling of being physically embraced by someone
Like you don't want to be holding me
A sense that the person holding you has an insincere, forced reaction
I can float on streams
A confident, effortless ability to adapt and adjust to different situations
So easily molding me
An acknowledgement of being a flexible, adaptable person who can be easily influenced by others
How many more then get born?
A rhetorical question about how many people are born with similar experiences and emotions
Let they don't want to be born
An acknowledgement that some people don't feel they belong or have a purpose in life
I already know why
An assertion that the singer understands the reasons behind these feelings
Can't be
A sense of frustration or limitation that the artist cannot fulfill certain expectations of others
My eyes won't see
An acknowledgement that the artist's perspective may not align with what others are seeing or expecting
But you trying to see
A recognition that others may be attempting to influence the artist's actions or beliefs
No me
A sense of separation or disconnection from others due to differences in perception and values
Why, there's always a choice
A reminder that individuals have the power to make choices and decisions, even if they may not feel like it at times
Different voices and tones
Acknowledgment of the variety of opinions and perspectives that exist among people
Never said so
A recognition that these differences may not always be openly communicated or understood
They are always go, where ever you go
A sense of how these different opinions and perspectives can still exist and impact the individual, regardless of location or circumstance
I'm toned
An acknowledgement of the artist's own personal characteristics and limitations
Contributed by Hunter B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.