Daniel Powter is a Canadian recording artist, born on 25 February 1971. He … Read Full Bio ↴Daniel Powter is a Canadian recording artist, born on 25 February 1971. He grew up in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, in the Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia. With few local musical influences, he credits his early exposure to music to his mother, who was a pianist and took her son on long distance trips to see artists like Prince perform in Vancouver.

Daniel Powter released his debut album, I'm Your Betty, in 2000. The album, limited to a very small print, contains ten songs, two of which—"More Than I" and "Negative Fashion"—were featured on the television show Higher Ground. Powter has a music publishing deal with BMG Music Publishing for France.

Daniel Powter's first piano pop single, "Bad Day," debuted not in his home country of Canada, but rather in Europe in mid-2005. It was chosen by Warner Brothers as a submission for commercial production and was subsequently chosen by Coca-Cola as the theme song for an ad campaign in Europe. Additionally, "Bad Day" is currently being used extensively by American Idol in its fifth season. Powter sang the song live at the end of the penulimate show of that season. The song achieved heavy airplay in most European countries, and made it as high as number three on the overall European airplay chart. It did best in Germany, where it peaked at number one in national airplay, Ireland where it peaked at #1 on the Singles Chart, and in the UK, where it peaked at number two in the singles chart and stayed in the top 10 for 13 weeks. In the United States the song peaked at number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 seven weeks after it was released. In Australia, it peaked at number three. The song reached top five in Canada and is now a top 10 hit at Adult Top 40 radio. It was fifth place in the British Record of the Year 2005.

On July 2, 2005, Powter performed at the Berlin installment of Live 8, a simultaneous group of concerts in nine countries intended to raise awareness of poverty in Africa and put pressure on world leaders for aid.

On April 1, 2006, he was named the best new artist at the Canadian Juno Awards.

In March 2008, a song by Japanese singer Haru featuring Powter, "Find My Way", was released. In September, Powter released his third album, Under the Radar.

Powter also performed piano on tracks for what was scheduled to be Marcy Playground frontman John Wozniak's solo album, Leaving Wonderland...in a fit of rage, but the album will now be released under the band's name. Powter will still be given credit for his contributions to the album, particularly the album's single "Good Times".

Whole World Around
Daniel Powter Lyrics

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Life's been good, I can't complain so far
Designer clothes, expensive caviar
And gated homes to keep the wolves at bay
Tinted glass to hide my guilt and shame

Neon signs and vagrants at the door
Broken values, needles, liquor stores
And won't somebody help me to believe

Help me to deny the things I see

Now whatever comes your way
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
When it all comes down, you make it through

You got the whole world around
You got the whole world around
Something tells me not to make a scene
Open up your heart and let me in

I've traveled far enough
To meet my own demise
Seems that every one I know still
Wears the same disguise

Tape me, rape me, push me down
As long as I'm understood
Like the soldiers view from the bunkers
To the towers at Park Avenue, yeah, yeah, yeah

Something tells me not to make a scene
Open up your heart and let me in
You got the whole world around
You got the whole world around

Something tells me not to make a scene
Open up your heart and let me in
You got the whole world around
You got the whole world around
You got the whole world around
You got the whole world around

You got the whole world around
You got the whole world around
Yeah, you got the whole world around

Yeah, open up your heart and let me in
Don't be afraid

Overall Meaning

The song "Whole World Around" by Daniel Powter is about the conflicting emotions and experiences of a person who has lived a life of privilege and success but is also haunted by guilt and shame. He sings about his luxurious lifestyle, designer clothes, and gated homes that keep the "wolves at bay." But at the same time, he is surrounded by neon signs, vagrants, broken values, needles, and liquor stores.

The lyrics suggest that even though he has achieved success and financial security, he is still struggling to come to terms with the world around him. He longs for someone to help him deny the things he sees and to believe that there is still goodness in the world. Ultimately, the song is a plea for connection and understanding, as the singer asks listeners to open up their hearts and let him in.

The song touches on themes of social inequality, the struggle to reconcile privilege with reality, and the inner turmoil that can come with success. The lyrics are thought-provoking and introspective, inviting listeners to reflect on their own experiences and perspectives.

Line by Line Meaning

Life's been good, I can't complain so far
I have no reason to complain about my life so far, as it has been good to me.

Designer clothes, expensive caviar
I have the luxury of wearing designer clothes and indulging in expensive food like caviar.

And gated homes to keep the wolves at bay
I have protective gates around my home to keep unwanted people or danger out.

Tinted glass to hide my guilt and shame
I use tinted glass to conceal my feelings of guilt and shame.

Neon signs and vagrants at the door
I am surrounded by flashing bright signs and homeless people at my front door.

Broken values, needles, liquor stores
The society around me is characterized by broken values, drug needles, and alcohol outlets like liquor stores.

And won't somebody help me to believe
I am struggling to believe in something, and I need someone to guide me towards faith.

Help me to deny the things I see
I need help to ignore the harsh realities that I witness in the world around me.

Now whatever comes your way
Whatever circumstances you face in life...

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
...sometimes you will achieve success, while other times, you will experience setbacks or losses.

When it all comes down, you make it through
Regardless of what happens, you will emerge victorious and overcome any adversity.

You got the whole world around
You have everything you need in the world around you.

Something tells me not to make a scene
I feel that it is best for me to avoid causing a commotion or conflict.

Open up your heart and let me in
Allow me to be vulnerable and connect with you on a deeper level.

I've traveled far enough
I have journeyed to a far enough point in life...

To meet my own demise
...where I will eventually come face-to-face with my own mortality.

Seems that every one I know still
It appears that everyone I know or come across...

Wears the same disguise
...is concealing their true selves behind a facade or mask.

Tape me, rape me, push me down
I am willing to face any form of abuse or mistreatment, as long as my message is heard and understood.

As long as I'm understood
I only need to be comprehended, even if it means enduring some form of violence or harm.

Like the soldiers view from the bunkers
I can relate to the vantage point of soldiers hiding in bunkers during a war, where one is always on the lookout for danger.

To the towers at Park Avenue, yeah, yeah, yeah
This can be contrasted with the luxurious towers at Park Avenue, which symbolize the stark differences in society's economic class structure.

Don't be afraid
Do not let fear hold you back.

Yeah, open up your heart and let me in
Let me connect with you on an emotional level.

You got the whole world around
You possess everything you need to succeed in life within the world around you.

Yeah, you got the whole world around
Yes, indeed, you have everything you need to succeed within your grasp.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DANIEL POWTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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