Shine On, Dexter Freebish’s first full length album in over six years, explores new sonic territory and builds on the hook laden songs of previous releases. While creating Shine On, the band was inspired by 808 drum machines, beat up synths, and their I-phone apps. Produced by The Singularity, the album ranges from the dance, heavy beat influenced “Wide Awake,” to the rock anthem “Do You Want To.” They also collaborated with Greg Wells (Katy Perry, One Republic) on the song “Save the Last Dance.”
Dexter Freebish acknowledges the power of predestination and how it had a hand in them becoming a band. “I was just looking in the Austin Chronicle and had never been in a band or called an ad,” recalls lead singer Kyle. “At the time I wasn’t really a singer except for in school chorus, though I kept notebooks of lyrics. I saw an ad that read: “Singer Wanted. Influences Bono and Sting,” and I said, “what the heck and called, and because of reading the ad I met Chris Lowe (bass, keyboards, programming) and Scott Romig (guitars, programming) and Rob Schilz (drums.) It was the first ad I ever called and it’s still the only band I’ve ever been in.”
Their determination led to “Leaving Town,” Dexter Freebish’s 1999 John Lennon Songwriting Contest Song of the Year (picked from 27,000 entries), which led to a record deal with Capitol Records for the band’s 2000 full-length debut A Life of Saturdays. After exuberantly received radio play (for “Leaving Town” and “My Madonna”), heavy video play on VH1 and MTV2, and enthusiastic tours both domestic and abroad, Dexter Freebish and Capitol Records experienced a regime change that would not allow the band to obtain the attention they deserved and both parties decided to part ways.
This set-back proved to strengthen Dexter Freebish’s resolve, and the believed this was fate’s way of telling them to independently release their 2004 sophomore album, Tripped Into Divine. Pressed by producer Matthew Wilder (No Doubt) Tripped Into Divine bridged the gap between the wide-eyed wonder of unbridled youth and the contemplative fortitude of experience. The single on this album was the fan-favorite, “Prozak,” which went on to win Rock Song of the Year in 2004 in the John Lennon Songwriting contest.
After touring the world to promote Tripped Into Divine, the band decided to go on permanent hiatus in 2005. “We all needed to do other things for a while,” says Lowe. He adds, “We never officially broke up and have all remained friends. But I can honestly say, there was never any hint that we would ever put out another Dexter Freebish record. We were pretty much done.”
In early 2008, the band decided, on a whim, to play a couple of shows throughout Texas. “It just felt right playing together again,” says Romig. “Soon after that, we started writing and recording some new songs.” One of those new songs captured the attention of Electronic Arts, garnering the band’s song “The Other Side,” a spot in the Sims 3 video game.
Steve Schnur, President of Electronic Art’s Publishing Company, Artwerk, comments, “I was in awe of the talent that Dexter Freebish exemplified when I first signed them to a record deal and these feelings have not changed. Ten years ago, I signed them to Capitol Records because of their incredible songwriting and performance abilities and ten years later I’m still working with them for the exact same reasons. The songs that they write are timeless.”
Lowe comments, “It’s crazy to look back to the days when we were on Capitol and how much money the labels would waste to record albums. With modern technology, it is so much easier and cheaper to record an album these days.” Romig adds, “We laugh because recording and mixing this new album cost less than 1/2% of our budget for the albums we made on Capitol. This is a great thing for independent artists and brings power to the people.”
Last Christmas
Dexter Freebish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the very next day you gave it away
This year to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance but you still catch my eye
Tell me baby, do you recognize me?
That doesn't surprise me
Merry Christmas, I wrap it up and send it
With a note saying "I love you" and I meant it
Now I know what a fool I've been
But if you kissed me now
I know you'd fool me again
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
Crowded room, friends with tired eyes
Hiding from you and your soul of ice
My god, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me, I guess I'm just shoulder to cry on
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man under cover but you tore me apart
Ooh, now I've found a real love
You'll never fool me again
Found a real love
Yeah, I found a real love
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But you gave it away
Now I'll give it to someone special
I'll give it to someone special
The lyrics to "Last Christmas" by Dexter Freebish describe the heartbreak of a past relationship. The singer gave their heart to someone last Christmas but regretfully explains that the very next day, their lover gave it away. The song continues with the singer making the decision to give their heart to someone special this year to avoid repeating the same pain from before. The lyrics also describe the difficulty in moving on from a past lover, even when attempting to stay at a distance. The singer wonders if their ex would recognize them after a year apart and even contemplates the possibility of being fooled by them again if they were to kiss.
The second verse of the song describes a crowded room with friends present, all while the singer hides from their past lover. The singer reveals their disappointment in thinking their ex was someone to rely on and instead, they are left to be just a shoulder to cry on. However, the lyrics end on a positive note as the singer claims they have found real love and will never be fooled by their ex again.
Line by Line Meaning
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
Last Christmas, I gave you my unconditional love and devotion.
But the very next day you gave it away
However, you didn't value my love and discarded it the very next day.
This year to save me from tears
To avoid the pain and heartbreak I experienced last year.
I'll give it to someone special
I'll offer my love to someone who can appreciate it and reciprocate my feelings.
Once bitten and twice shy
I've been hurt before and I'm more cautious now.
I keep my distance but you still catch my eye
Although I'm trying to avoid getting hurt again, I can't help but notice you.
Tell me baby, do you recognize me?
I'm wondering if you remember me and the love I offered you last year.
Well, it's been a year
It's been a whole year since we last saw each other.
That doesn't surprise me
I'm not surprised that you don't remember me because you didn't value my love last year.
Merry Christmas, I wrap it up and send it
In the spirit of the holidays, I'm sending my love and affection to you.
With a note saying "I love you" and I meant it
The note accompanying my love expresses my true feelings for you.
Now I know what a fool I've been
I realize that I was foolish to offer someone like you my love last year.
But if you kissed me now
However, if you were to show me affection now,
I know you'd fool me again
I have reason to believe that you would deceive me once more.
Crowded room, friends with tired eyes
In a room filled with people, surrounded by friends who see through your act.
Hiding from you and your soul of ice
I'm avoiding you and your cold, unfeeling nature.
My god, I thought you were someone to rely on
I used to think that you were dependable and trustworthy.
Me, I guess I'm just shoulder to cry on
But now I realize that I was just someone for you to use as emotional support.
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
I may seem like a typical romantic partner, but I have deep, passionate feelings.
A man under cover but you tore me apart
Although I try to maintain my composure, you broke my heart and left me vulnerable.
Ooh, now I've found a real love
Now I've finally found someone who appreciates my love and returns it genuinely.
You'll never fool me again
I won't let someone like you deceive me and manipulate my emotions again.
Found a real love
I'm happy to have found true love with someone who values my affection.
Yeah, I found a real love
Yes, I'm grateful to have found someone who truly deserves my love.
Now I'll give it to someone special
Now, I'm ready to devote my love to someone who can appreciate it and cherish it the way I deserve.
I'll give it to someone special
I'll give my love to someone who can make me happy and feel loved in return.
Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.