Declan Galbraith (born December 19, 1991, in Hoo St Werburgh, Kent, England… Read Full Bio ↴Declan Galbraith (born December 19, 1991, in Hoo St Werburgh, Kent, England) is an English singer of Scottish and Irish origin.

He has been hailed as a '‘once in a lifetime’' phenomenal talent and a rising media star.

The control and range of his voice, as well as his ability to interpret and adapt material of differing genres, are the cornerstones of his unique talent.

Declan Galbraith and his family live in the UK, in Hoo, a village near Rochester, Kent.

The presence for Declan’s unique style and distinctive voice can be traced back to his early childhood. He would often accompany his grandfather's perforances at local folk concerts. Declan would sit for hours just watching and listening. Declan claims he can remember singing at two years old. It wasn’t long before his family and friends realized he had a very special gift.

At the age of eight, he started entering local talent competitions and won sixteen titles in just fourteen months. He was spotted by one of the major recording companies at one of these talent competitions and before long he was signed as a recording artist.

His first recording was a version of ‘Walking in the Air’,which was released on a special Christmas Hits album which also featured Westlife, Elton John and Elvis Presley among many others.

In a short period of time, Declan had become a well-known celebrity and has appeared in numerous television programs, newspapers and radio shows all over the UK and Ireland. Included among some of his most memorable appearances are the following: the Queen’s Jubilee at St Paul's Cathedral, where he sang ‘Amazing Grace’ accompanied by the St Paul’s choir and at an Elton John concert where at least twenty-two thousand listeners were present.

To his growing list of credits is a Guinness World Record where in Belfast during a 2002 tour of 'Young Voices', he was simultaneously linked with more than 80,000 children from all over the country who accompanied him in achieving the world’s largest choral singalong.

Declan’s next significant career move was a signing to media mogul Haim Saban’s Saban Music Group, headed by Ron Kenan, who recognized Declan’s exceptional talent.

Two stunningly received impromptu appearances on Germany’s biggest TV shows led German media giant Pro7/Sat1 Media to bring Declan to its new record label Starwatch, distributed by Warner Bros. In cooperation with multi-platinum German producer Ully Jonas, the resulting album, entitiled Thank You, released on December 1, 2006.

Although Declan is a British citizen and singer, Declan is more famous and well-known abroad, especially in China, whereas his songs were chosen as part of the Chinese education curriculum for learning English. Declan's songs are used to help Chinese children learn English as his songs are easy to remember and suitable for children. In May 2008, Declan undertook a successful two cities tour in China, the cities included were Beijing and ShenZhen.

Trivia

Released debut album 'Declan' on 29 October 2002
Won 'Best Young International Performer' at the 'Twenty-Fourth Annual Young Artist Awards'
At the age of 8, Declan started singing at local talent competitions and won sixteen titles in just fourteen months.
Recorded a version of 'Walking in the Air' which was released on the same Christmas album as Westlife and Elton John.

Discography

Albums
Declan (2002)
Thank You (2006)
You and Me (2007)

Singles
Tell Me Why (2002)
Love of My Life (2007)
Ego You (2007)

Bright Eyes
Declan Galbraith Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Is it a kind of dream
Floating out on the tide
Following the river of death downstream?
Or is it a dream?
There's a fog along the horizon
A strange glow in the sky
And nobody seems to know where you go
And what does it mean?

Oh is it a dream?
Bright eyes
Burning like fire
Bright eyes
How can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes
Is it a kind of shadow
Reaching into the night
Wandering over the hills unseen
Or is it a dream?
There's a high wind in the trees
A cold sound in the air
And nobody ever knows when you go
And where do you start
Oh, into the dark
Bright eyes
Burning like fire
Bright eyes
How can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes
Bright eyes
Burning like fire
Bright eyes
How can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly

Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes

Overall Meaning

The song Bright Eyes by Declan Galbraith is a poignant and introspective meditation on the nature of life and death. The opening verses set the stage with images of dreams, death, and uncertainty. The singer is contemplating the ebb and flow of life, the relentless current that carries us all toward oblivion. The fog on the horizon and the strange glow in the sky suggest an otherworldly landscape, a liminal space between life and death, where the boundary between reality and illusion is blurred.

The chorus brings the focus back to the bright eyes that the singer is observing. These eyes burn with a fiery intensity, yet they are also capable of fading away into nothingness. The singer is pondering the fleeting nature of life, and the fragile beauty that can be extinguished at any moment. The repetition of the chorus underscores the central theme of the song – the transience of life and the inevitability of death.

The final verse continues the exploration of the unknown, with images of shadows and wandering spirits. The high wind in the trees and the cold sound in the air evoke a feeling of unease and uncertainty. The singer asks questions about where we go when we die, and what awaits us in the darkness. And yet, despite all the ambiguity and existential angst, there is a glimmer of hope in the bright eyes that burn like fire. The final lines of the song reinforce this sense of resilience and possibility, as the bright eyes continue to shine, even in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Is it a kind of dream
Could it be a figment of the imagination

Floating out on the tide
Drifting on the waves

Following the river of death downstream?
Going along with the flow towards the end

Or is it a dream?
Perhaps it's just a fantasy

There's a fog along the horizon
Mist clouding the view at a distance

A strange glow in the sky
An unusual light in the atmosphere

And nobody seems to know where you go
No one is sure of your whereabouts

And what does it mean?
What is the significance of it all?

Oh is it a dream?
Oh perhaps it's all just an illusion

Bright eyes
Shining eyes

Burning like fire
Blazing with intensity