During the 1980s, Armstrong's composition work included commissions from the Arts Council for various classical ensembles in Scotland, and he also served as resident composer at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow. During this time he also received a Composer's Award to study electronic music, and maintained a parallel career in the Scottish Pop music scene, as a member of bands Hipsway, Texas and The Big Dish.
In 1990, his music theatre group Performance performed at the Glasgow Mayfest, and he composed a number of works for film, television, and stage productions by the Traverse Theatre, the BBC, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, among others. By the late 1990s he had gained critical acclaim for his work on the Baz Luhrman films Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! (which won him a Golden Globe for Best Original Score in 2001). He has also done orchestrations with artists such as Massive Attack, Madonna, U2, Suede, Pet Shop Boys and The Future Sound of London. During this time he also released his first album of his own orchestral work, The Space Between Us, in 1998.
During the early 2000s Armstrong continued to produce film and orchestral work, including commissions for the Barbican Centre and the Scottish Ensemble. His most recent film scores are for the Academy Award winning Taylor Hackford film, Ray for which Armstrong won a Grammy Award, and Oliver Stone's 2006 film World Trade Center.
Recently Craig has teamed up with Scott Fraser for his latest electronic project, Winona. The project sees them dust off their eye-watering collection of vintage synthesizers and set about making widescreen, minor-key masterpieces to make Winona's debut album 'Rosebud' a down-key classic.
Escape
Craig Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hide me behind it
It takes me inside another place where no-one can find it
Escape
I get out when I can
Escape
Anytime I can
Escape
Just get me out of here
Don't get me wrong
Don′t get me right
I'm not like you are
When I get home from work at night
I'm blacker and bluer
So I Escape
I get out when I can
Escape
Anytime I can
Escape
I′m crying in my beer Escape
Just get me out of here
Where am I running to?
There′s no place to go
Just put on my makeup and get me to the show
Yeah
Escape
My doctor said just come around
You'll be taken care of
And while he ran my problems down
I stole his mascara
That′s how I Escape
I get out when I can
Escape
Anytime I can
Escape
I'm crying in my beer Escape
Just get me out of here
Escape
The lyrics of Craig Armstrong's song "Escape" deal with themes of loneliness, hiding one's true self, and the need for escapism. The singer paints on a "cruel or happy face" to hide behind, and uses it to take himself "inside another place where no-one can find it". He seeks to escape the various problems and difficulties in his life, using alcohol ("crying in my beer") and makeup to create a different persona and escape from his troubles.
The song's somber and melancholic tone, together with the plaintive lyrics, convey a sense of helplessness and desperation. The lyrics suggest that there is no real solution to the singer's predicament, and that his only recourse is to escape into fantasy and illusion.
Some possible interpretations of the song include a commentary on the pressures and expectations of society, and the difficulty of living up to these standards. It may also represent the struggle of artists and performers to reconcile their inner selves with the public persona they must present. Another possible reading is a more general reflection on the human condition, and the need for each individual to find meaning and purpose in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Paint on my cruel or happy face
I hide my true emotions behind a painted facade, whether good or bad
It takes me inside another place where no-one can find it
The facade brings me to a place of safety, where no one can see the real me
Escape
My only option is to escape
I get out when I can
I take any opportunity to escape
I'm crying in my beer Escape
I drown my sorrows to escape my reality
Just get me out of here
I just want to leave this place
Don't get me wrong
Don't misunderstand my actions
Don't get me right
Don't interpret my actions correctly either
I'm not like you are
I'm different from you
When I get home from work at night
When I retreat to my personal space
I'm blacker and bluer
I'm emotionally exhausted and drained
So I Escape
I escape to regain my strength
Where am I running to?
I don't know where I'm going
There's no place to go
I feel lost and trapped
Just put on my makeup and get me to the show
I put on my facade and perform, despite my emotional state
My doctor said just come around
My therapist advised me to seek help
You'll be taken care of
I'll receive support and guidance
And while he ran my problems down
Although he analyzed my issues
I stole his mascara
I used his makeup to reinforce my facade
Writer(s): Craig Armstrong
Contributed by Thomas M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
NorAisah Abdul Samad
Iter (Film)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Screenplay by: Eric Roth
Based on: Iter, The Dimension the No Man knows by Ken Butters
Produced by: Scott Rudin, Robert Zemeckis
Cinematography: Robert Presley
Edited by: Jeremiah O'Driscoll
Music by: Alan Silvestri
Production Companies: Legendary Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, ImageMovers
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: November 29, 2008 (NASA Headquarters), January 14, 2009 (United States)
Running Time: 114 Minutes
Countries: United States, United Kingdom
Language: English
Budget: $249.7 Million
Box Office: $629.4 Million
Zae’sForecast00
I always fail to understand how mr Craig Armstrong isn’t as popular as composers like Hans zimmer Armstrong is out of this world good
John of the South
On Top Gear, when Jeremy Clarkson just got around the Nürbergring in less than 10 minutes, this song played. It was glorious 🙌
Floi Xhema
Also in the M5 video i think
mohneesh mishra
can you tell the name of the video? or link?
Mario T
Crazy to think that this intense yet epic music track comes from an action comedy of all things.
Swatmat
plunkett and mccleane
Taliesin McGregor-Sims
Isn’t that life and breath from audio machine
California Combatives Club 209
Romeo must dieeeee
Lebazar TonyTruand
To me, the best part is still @ 04:22 . The feeling is so epic !
Nathan Szany
It's like your cornered by the enemy and as you look to the East, as the sun rises, you see your cavalry has arrived on the mountaintop. They charge downhill @ 4:45