… 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.
Heights
Charlie Cunningham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It twists and it turns and it glides
You watch it fall aside, like all the others
Never a call for alarm
The storm before the calm
And it's an everlasting calm waiting for all of us
Color your life
Climb up to higher heights
More than I
Much more than I've shown
If they're open, leave them open
Don't close them, don't close them
If they're open, leave them open
All them bygones be bygones
Color your life, climb up to higher heights
No compromise, everything all the time
Color your life and climb up to higher heights
No compromise, everything all the time
Charlie Cunningham’s song Heights, is a reflective and introspective piece that reflects on the challenging moments in life we encounter as individuals. In the opening lines of the song, Cunningham expresses how people tend to call even when they lie, suggesting that people tend to conceal their true emotions when things are falling apart. The line "you watch it fall aside, like all the others", indicates that these moments of turmoil and strife in life are just like any other troubles we face and they sometimes end up disappearing by themselves. The line "never a call for alarm" reinforces the idea that these moments of chaos may come and go, but they are not something to be overly worried or stressed about.
The chorus, "color your life, climb up to higher heights, no compromise, everything all the time," is a call to climb to greater heights instead of being dragged down by negative emotions. The line "much more than I've shown" suggests that there may be more to people than they let on. The line "If they're open, leave them open" may be interpreted as a call to live a life without regrets and close doors of opportunity may be gone forever. The line "all them bygones be bygones" tells us that it is necessary to leave the past behind and move forward without letting it weigh you down. It is important to paint your own life with colour and not let it be defined by negativity.
Line by Line Meaning
You can call when you lie
You have the ability to call others even when you're not telling the truth.
It twists and it turns and it glides
The deceitful act has many layers and angles to it that can easily fool others.
You watch it fall aside, like all the others
The truth is eventually revealed and it's no different from other lies that have been uncovered before.
Never a call for alarm
There's no need to worry or panic about the situation, it's just another lie exposed.
The storm before the calm
The chaos and turbulence caused by the lie will eventually subside and lead to peace.
And it's an everlasting calm waiting for all of us
True contentment and serenity can be achieved if we learn to be honest and genuine in our dealings.
Color your life
Add vibrancy, joy and positivity to your life.
Climb up to higher heights
Keep reaching for higher goals and aspirations.
No compromise, everything all the time
Do not settle for less and always aim for the very best.
More than I
We have more potential and capacity than we realize.
Much more than I've shown
We have not yet fully realized our true capabilities and what we're truly capable of achieving.
If they're open, leave them open
If opportunities arise, embrace them fully and do not let them slip away.
Don't close them, don't close them
Do not be afraid to take on challenges and seize opportunities when they come your way.
All them bygones be bygones
Let go of past grievances and move forward with a positive outlook.
Color your life, climb up to higher heights
Life should be lived with enthusiasm and purpose. Keep striving for bigger and better things.
No compromise, everything all the time
Do not settle for mediocrity or less than what you truly deserve. Always aim high and work hard towards your goals.
Color your life and climb up to higher heights
Live your life in full color, with passion, purpose and a drive to achieve your dreams.
No compromise, everything all the time
Do not let setbacks or challenges dampen your spirits or hold you back from achieving your true potential.
Contributed by Daniel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mandybuehler9471
This beautiful man doesn't know of a bad song!
Completely infatuated!!
@rafear2694
awesome vibes as always.