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.
Thorns
Charlie Simpson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And step outside to look at the roses
But they're all covered in the morning snow
Just open your heart and the world
Will carry you home tonight, it will
I get dressed up in my summer clothes
And step outside to look at the roses
Just open your eyes and the world
Will follow you home tonight, it will
Well, let's put on our raincoats
And drench ourselves in England's weather
Just to know we're free
And we'll bury our heads down
Beneath the old oak tree, just you and me
But please
Oh, don't take this broken heart of mine
It's the only beat that I have left
That's pulsing through this empty chest
And I don't know where I should begin
I get dressed up in my autumn clothes
And step outside to pick up the leaves
And I cannot believe the whole year has gone
I open my arms to embrace you
It's time to go right back to the start
Well, let's put on our raincoats
And drench ourselves in England's weather
Just to know we're free
And we'll bury our heads down
Beneath the old oak tree, just you and me
But please
Oh, don't take this broken heart of mine
It's the only beat that I have left
That's pulsing through this empty chest
And I don't know where I should begin
In "Thorns," Charlie Simpson explores the passage of time and the inevitable changes that come with it. The song is divided into different seasons, each symbolizing a different phase in life. In the first verse, he talks about winter and envisages roses covered in snow. The lyrics suggest that life can often be cruel, and what was once beautiful can become unrecognizable due to the impact of time. However, he still holds onto hope, acknowledging that the world will carry him home if he keeps an open heart.
The second verse sees Charlie dressing up in summer clothes and observing the roses, but they are now covered in thorns. The roses have turned from a symbol of beauty to something dangerous and sharp. He urges us to keep our eyes open and let the world follow us back home. The third verse is about autumn, and he talks about picking up leaves, realizing that he cannot believe how fast time flies. It's a metaphor for how we often fail to appreciate the moments that matter until they've come and gone.
The chorus of the song talks about putting on raincoats and drenching ourselves in England's weather to feel free. It's Charlie's way of urging us to embrace life, the good and the bad, to find a sense of liberation. The final plea to not take his broken heart is a heart-wrenching admission of vulnerability. It's a reminder that even though life can be cruel, the heart keeps beating, reminding us that we're alive and that we should keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I get dressed up in my winter clothes
I prepare myself for the difficult times ahead
And step outside to look at the roses
And search for beauty in the midst of hardships
But they're all covered in the morning snow
But even the beautiful things in life can be covered and hidden by difficulties
Just open your heart and the world
Will carry you home tonight, it will
All it takes is to open oneself up to love and the world will welcome and support you
I get dressed up in my summer clothes
I try to enjoy life and its pleasures
And step outside to look at the roses
And search for beauty and joy
But they're all covered in their sharper thorns
But sometimes the things we enjoy can also hurt us
Just open your eyes and the world
Will follow you home tonight, it will
All it takes is to see the world as it is and it will open up to you
Well, let's put on our raincoats
Let's face the challenges ahead
And drench ourselves in England's weather
And experience life in all its unpredictability
Just to know we're free
Just to remind ourselves that we have the freedom to choose how we respond to life's challenges
And we'll bury our heads down
Beneath the old oak tree, just you and me
And find solace in each other's company
But please
Oh, don't take this broken heart of mine
But please, don't take away what little I have left
It's the only beat that I have left
It's the only thing that keeps me going
That's pulsing through this empty chest
That's keeping me alive and moving forward
And I don't know where I should begin
And I don't know how to heal or move forward
I get dressed up in my autumn clothes
I reflect on the passing of time and the changes it brings
And step outside to pick up the leaves
And try to hold onto what little remains of the past
And I cannot believe the whole year has gone
And am amazed at how quickly time has passed
I open my arms to embrace you
I reach out for comfort and warmth in the midst of change and loss
It's time to go right back to the start
It's time to begin again and start anew
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHARLES SIMPSON, DANTON SUPPLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FeRaL6
Charlie, you are freaking awesome.
I listened to Busted when i was a kid, I love all the work done with Fightstar and it is still one of my favourite bands... And now I just discovered all your songs by your own. You deserve much more than the fame you have now. I hope people realize about it soon dude, I really hope so :)
Bracken1492
I am absolutely LOVING these unplugged versions of Charlie's album tracks! His voice is absolutely gorgeous and his song writing is flawless. So glad I found this.
vildikus babus
I've never loved someone's music as much as yours. Touches my soul, man. Thank you!
pukeyourguts
those harmonies are lovely
kazzypepper
This is one of my favourite tracks off the album, and this unplugged version is so beautiful <3 He's so fucking talented!
Noelia Mendez Vazquez
I love your voice!! ♥ It's perfect
Melissa Hobbs
Love him! Especially live! :)
ckoois01
Love this song... it's absolutely perfect.
Abbyemma xo
im in love with his voice, he is such a talented artist and deserves a lot more credit then he receives!
Tyira
unplugged or not this man sounds perfect and his voice is beautiful x<3