Early life
Leith was raised in Milltown, County Kerry, Ireland. His father travelled as part of his work as an engineer, and their family lived in countries including Libya and Botswana.
As a child he formed a family band, Leaf, with his sister Aine and brothers Paul and Darren. Leaf recorded in New York and then again later under the new name Releaf, which made an appearance in the Irish Top 100.
Since moving to Sydney, he has played in a number of high profile venues across Sydney, as the front man for the band Revelate. His first Australian performance was at The Basement in Sydney's Circular Quay.
He worked as a chemist prior to auditioning for Australian Idol.
Australian Idol
Leith was selected by the judges as one of the final 24 contestants, and was the first person voted into the competition's top twelve as the result of a viewer vote. He was praised by the show's judges for his falsetto technique, which he used regularly in performances.
Despite comments from judges Mark Holden and Kyle Sandilands in relation to Leith's unconventional appearance, and a performance of Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" which drew ridicule from Holden, the judges assessments of Leith's performances were usually positive. His renditions of Roy Orbison's "Crying", Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" each earned Leith a "touchdown" from Mark Holden, a gesture which has come to be regarded as Holden's ultimate accolade for an excellent performance. Sandilands also stated that the family of Roy Orbison had contacted the Australian Idol producers requesting a copy of Leith's performance of "Crying".
Leith was the last contestant in the 2006 season to be in the bottom three, until the top five verdict on October 30. On Sunday, November 26, during a live broadcast from the Sydney Opera House, Leith was announced the winner, over runner-up Jessica Mauboy. His debut single, "Night of My Life", was released as a paid digital download from Bigpondmusic soon after the conclusion of the grand final, with an official CD release on November 28. It has been stated that his debut album will be released in early 2007.
Australian Idol Performances
* Sydney Auditions - "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice
* Theatre Round (Day Three) - "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen
* Top 24: Group 1 - "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker
* Top 12: Contestant's Choice - "With or Without You" by U2
* Top 11: Rock - "Creep" by Radiohead
* Top 10: No. 1 Hits - "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks
* Top 9: Contestant's Year of Birth - "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" by Elton John
* Top 8: Disco - "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang
* Top 7: Contestant's Choice: Acoustic - "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak
* Up Close And Personal Night - "Sky" (original) by Damien Leith
* Top 6: Rock Swings: "High & Dry" by Radiohead
* Top 5: ARIA Hall of Fame: "Message to My Girl" by Split Enz
* Top 4: Viewer's Choice: "Crying" by Roy Orbison
* Top 4: Viewer's Choice: "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen
* Top 3: Judge's Choice: "Nessun Dorma" by Giacomo Puccini
* Top 3: Judge's Choice: "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
* Top 2: Contestant's Choice: "Never Meant to Fail" by Alex Lloyd
* Top 2: Contestant's Choice: "Waiting On an Angel" by Ben Harper
* Top 2: Grand Final Performance: "Nessun Dorma" by Giacomo Puccini
* Top 2: Winner's Single: "Night of My Life"
To Get To You
Damien Leith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make you happy
When everything is passed
Is left to nothing
All the pieces that you bring
A lie is stranded
CHORUS:
I'm chasing down the highway
My life is going no where
Trying to get to you
God only knows that
I've been here once before
But im gonna get to you
I don't know what to do
To make you want me
Coz nothing is breaking though
The place your hiding
All the colours that you bring
Are turning red
CHORUS
I can make you understand
That living without you
I can make you understand
(Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa)
CHORUS
I'm chasing down the highway
I'm lying a runway
My life is going no where
Trying to get to you
I'll never know what my life has installed
God only knows that
I've been here once before
But im gonna get to you
Im gonna get to you
In Damien Leith's "To Get to You," the singer is attempting to reconcile with a partner and seems to be struggling to connect with them. The first stanza indicates his difficulty in making his partner happy despite his attempts. Even when the partner brings all the pieces, he seems unable to make it work, and instead, everything turns into nothing. The second and third stanzas show how he is trying to find his partner, chasing down highways and lying on runways, trying to get her.
The chorus plays a pivotal role in showcasing his desperation to get back with his partner, sending a message that he's been there before, and God only knows his struggles. However, he promises not to give up because he's going to get to her. In the final stanza, the singer shows that he understands the gravity of losing her and vows to make her understand that his life isn’t complete without her in it.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know what to say
I am unsure of what to say
To make you happy
To bring joy or pleasure to you
When everything is passed
When everything has ended
Is left to nothing
There is nothing remaining
All the pieces that you bring
All the items or aspects that you bring to the situation
A lie is stranded
A falsehood is left without support or defense
I'm chasing down the highway
I am pursuing you at high speed along the road
I'm lying a runway
I am creating a path or avenue to reach you
My life is going no where
I feel that my existence is without direction or purpose
Trying to get to you
Striving to reach you
God only knows that
Only God truly knows that
I've been here once before
I have previously experienced a similar situation
But im gonna get to you
However, I am determined to reach you this time
I don't know what to do
I am unsure of what actions to take
To make you want me
To cause you to have desire for me
Coz nothing is breaking though
Because nothing is successfully reaching or penetrating
The place your hiding
Wherever you are concealed or keeping yourself hidden
All the colours that you bring
All of the vibrancy or diversity that you bring
Are turning red
Are becoming indicative of anger or danger
I can make you understand
I can help you to comprehend
That living without you
Existing without your presence or influence
(Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa)
Exclamatory expressive sound
I'll never know what my life has installed
I cannot predict what future events or circumstances will bring
Im gonna get to you
I shall achieve my aim of reaching you
Writer(s): BARRY JOHN JOSEPH PALMER, ANDREW MCGUIRE, DAMIEN LEITH, STUART JOHN CRICHTON
Contributed by Wyatt V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
thebraff
I have always loved this song, even after more than 5 years I still play it. The album it comes from - Remember June is brilliant
Yun Cho
He definitely deserves more than this...
Jim Bob
I didn't really dig him much on Australian Idol & I got this Remember June album on a whim. I was surprised at how absolutely brilliant it is. If you like this song you'll just love the album.
Rogue Lavellan
Wonderful
Nehpets Leumas
I like this song, really thought it'd have many more views than this.
pong 00
good song..
Hikanui
What?