The Parachutes Songfacts states that Charlie Simpson has a strong musical pedigree dating back to one of his mother's ancestors, Sir William Sterndale Bennett (1816-1875), who was a distinguished classical music composer of the romantic school. Charlie attended public school Uppingham, along with the likes of Harry Judd from McFly and his ex-girlfriend Camilla Smith. He was selected as the third member of Busted, beating Tom Fletcher (now lead singer and guitarist in McFly), after responding to an advert placed by Matt and James in NME magazine in 2001. He plays guitar, piano, drums and bass, and sings vocals.
He is renowned for his distinguished eyebrows, which he says are "...the biggest and best in the business", and his guitar playing style. He loves Nirvana and The Deftones and considers Kurt Cobain his idol.
On 14 January 2005, Charlie caused Busted to split after deciding to leave the band to concentrate on his other band, Fightstar. The name "Fightstar" was created when bassist Dan Haigh came up with the name "Evenstar" and Charlie thought of the name "A Time To Fight", these names were combined to give the name Fightstar.
Following three studio albums, Fightstar initiated an extended hiatus in 2010, allowing Simpson to focus on his solo career. Parachutes, the lead single from his debut solo full-length album entitled Young Pilgrim, was released on August 15, 2011.
He met the other guys in the band through Camilla when Alex's sister moved in with her as a flatmate, and Fightstar was born. He has two other brothers who are also in bands, Will in Brigade and Edd in Union Sound Set (formerly Prego); both have supported Fightstar on recent tours/gigs.
Comets
Charlie Simpson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Am I the signature you'll forget on the birthday cards
That I'll forget to send
Can we please just not pretend
That all my thoughtlessness had purpose
Do you think that it was worth it?
I'm not they same as I was when we were younger
We swam out past the shallow breakers
I never thought that the tide would take us
We live just to love and learn to give it up
We are in the arms of lovers
We are hopeless we're all comets
With love for someone carried on us
We live just to learn but hope never gives us up
Soldiers with heavy hearts just reach out into the dark
You found me walking through our town in the dead of night
I was looking for you
I always thought that if you loved me in the end
I could fall but I would mend but I'm tired of this secret cos I know that I can't keep it
I'm not they same as I was when we were younger
We swam out past the shallow breakers
I never thought that the tide would take us
We live just to love and learn to give it up
We are in the arms of lovers
We are hopeless we're all comets
With love for someone carried on us
We live just to learn but hope never gives us up
Soldiers with heavy hearts just reach out into the dark
Soldiers with heavy hearts just reach out into the dark
We swam out past the shallow breakers
I never thought that the tide would take us
We live just to love and learn to give it up
We are in the arms of lovers
We are hopeless we're all comets
With love for someone carried on us
We live just to learn but hope never gives us up
In Charlie Simpson's song Comets, the lyrics delve into feelings of uncertainty, regret and longing. The opening line of "Am I a terrible lie, just a southern mess?" sets the tone for the rest of the song, highlighting feelings of confusion and inadequacy. Simpson questions if he is merely a forgettable part of someone's life, evidenced by the line "Am I the signature you'll forget on the birthday cards that I'll forget to send?" He acknowledges his thoughtlessness but wonders if it was all worth it.
The chorus talks about how we all love and learn but are ultimately carried by someone else's love, comparing us to comets. The imagery of comets, often associated with fleeting moments and unpredictability, speaks to the idea that while we may float aimlessly, we still have a meaningful purpose, however short-lived it may be. The final lines of the song repeat "Soldiers with heavy hearts just reach out into the dark", perhaps signifying the struggle that comes with facing the unknown and the comforting embrace of someone familiar.
Overall, the song seems to be a contemplative and honest reflection on relationships, both past and present.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I a terrible lie, just a southern mess?
Am I just a mess, lying to myself about my identity and heritage?
Am I the signature you'll forget on the birthday cards
That I'll forget to send
Am I insignificant to you, just a name to be forgotten, and are you the same to me?
Can we please just not pretend
That all my thoughtlessness had purpose
Do you think that it was worth it?
Let's stop pretending my mistakes had meaning, and do you think it was all worth it in the end?
I'm not they same as I was when we were younger
I've changed since our childhood, and we're no longer the same.
We swam out past the shallow breakers
I never thought that the tide would take us
We live just to love and learn to give it up
We took risks and went beyond our comfort zones, but we can't always control the outcome. Life is about experiencing love, even if we have to let it go.
We are in the arms of lovers
We are hopeless we're all comets
With love for someone carried on us
We live just to learn but hope never gives us up
We get lost in the embrace of love but are also hopeless and transient like comets, yet love is what keeps us going and gives us hope.
Soldiers with heavy hearts just reach out into the dark
Even with heavy burdens, we still reach out in the darkness, searching for hope and connection.
You found me walking through our town in the dead of night
I was looking for you
I always thought that if you loved me in the end
I could fall but I would mend but I'm tired of this secret cos I know that I can't keep it
You found me searching for you, hoping that love could heal me, but I can't keep hiding my true feelings anymore.
Writer(s): Nicholas William Atkinson, Charles Robert Simpson, Edward James Holloway, Nick Atkinson Copyright: BMG Rights Management (Uk) Limited, Stage Three Music Publishing Limited, BMG Rights Management (Uk) Ltd., Notting Hill Music Uk Ltd.
Contributed by Julian Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Emma Blackery
Top video my love!! Such a tune <3
LiamMakesBadVideos
Emma?! EMMA! What are you doing here!?
cerys
Came here after hearing you were going on tour with Charlie... Love This song though
iLeoVlogs
What a beautiful views, and what a fucking great song!
Buuuuuuut I think that the song fits better in a "road trip" next to the sea in summer :)
Richard Toms
Thought it would be hard to maintain standard of first album, but this one is absolute class also!
Bluecozade
I absolutely love this song, your voice just adds to the comfort of the song. It almost takes away the bad thoughts and transports you to somewhere else
gee
I went to see Charlie earlier this year - he is honestly so amazing
SMJ Laverty
I love this song, so glad it's got a video! Lovely to see my homeland featured so beautifully. Good job!
cotton cloud
Thank you for your music Charlie! It makes me better! You are one of the best solo artists
Random Manc
Love this song! On a Charlie binge now!