Edwyn Collins (born 23 August 1959) is a Scottish musician from Edinburgh, … Read Full Bio ↴Edwyn Collins (born 23 August 1959) is a Scottish musician from Edinburgh, Scotland. He formed the Nu-Sonics in 1976, which became Orange Juice in 1979. The group is perhaps best known for the No. 8 hit "Rip it Up", its only UK top 40 single. In 1985, Orange Juice broke up, and he has since then pursued a solo career. Edwyn Collins is best known for his 1994 hit, "A Girl Like You", which was featured in the films Empire Records and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and "Magic Piper of Love", a 1997 single which featured on the soundtrack of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Collins' music is mostly electric guitar-driven pop, and his songwriting and vocal delivery range from the acerbicly satirical to the soulfully tender, although he is better known for the former. He built his own studio in 1994 and produced his own third solo album, Gorgeous George. He has also worked as producer with other artists, including The Proclaimers, The Cribs, and Little Barrie. Collins also produced and starred in the Channel 4 sitcom West Heath Yard.

Collins lives with his long term partner, Grace Maxwell, who also manages his career. The couple, who live in London, have one son.

In a BBC 6 Music radio interview on 18 February 2005 Collins had said he felt unwell, but ascribed the nausea and vertigo to food poisoning. Two days later he was admitted to intensive care in London's Royal Free Hospital after apparently suffering a major cerebral haemorrhage. On 25 February he underwent an operation, reportedly after suffering a second haemorrhage. The procedure was successful, and Collins began a lengthy programme of neurological rehabilitation.

Sept 2007 saw the release of Home Again, the first album since his illness. Recorded before Collins’ hospitalisation but only mixed and produced after his recovery, Edwyn worked on the album during his recovery. He was heard to sing a few bars on BBC Radio 4's Front Row, sharing strumming and chord duties with Grace. 'Crap' he said afterwards; some listeners begged to differ.

Home Again
Edwyn Collins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm home again
Hardly certain of my role and then
I started searching for my soul again
But there was nothing I could find
I'm home again
But l've been here before, old friends
And I know I'll be consoled again
In the past I've left behind

When I was a boy
Well I heard somebody singing
And I heard the guitars ringing
And it brought me home again
Home again

I've strayed again
My good intentions got mislaid and then
I got stuck inside this maze that bends

Have I been this way before?
I've stalled again
Like some eternal drunken brawl that ends
When the mirror finally cracks and then
There's no reflections any more

Outside on the street
Well I heard somebody singing
And I heard the music ringing
From some clapped out pirate station
It was my unholy salvation

Home again
Home again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Edwyn Collins's song "Home Again" seem to touch on the theme of finding one's way back to a familiar place after straying away for a while. The singer seems to have come back to a place that he has been to before, but he is not quite certain of his role there. He searches for his soul but finds nothing. Despite this, he finds comfort in knowing that he will be consoled by old friends, who he has left behind in the past.

Collins draws on his childhood memories of hearing someone singing and playing the guitar, which brought him home again. The lyrics reveal that he has strayed from his good intentions and the maze of life has got him stuck, making him question whether he has been this way before. He feels like he has stalled, in some eternal drunken brawl that ends when the mirror finally cracks and there are no reflections left. But then he hears someone singing on the street and it brings him back home again.

The song seems to encapsulate the idea that life is a journey with twists and turns, and despite it all, we always end up back where we started. It's about coming to terms with one's past and the mistakes made along the way, and finding comfort in the familiarity of home and old friends.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm home again
I have returned to my place of residence

Hardly certain of my role and then
I am not confident of my place in life

I started searching for my soul again
I am trying to rediscover who I am

But there was nothing I could find
I was unsuccessful in my search

But I've been here before, old friends
I am familiar with this place and the people in it

And I know I'll be consoled again
I am certain that I will find comfort here

In the past I've left behind
I have previously departed from this place

Well I heard somebody singing
I listened to somebody's melodic voice

And I heard the guitars ringing
I heard the clear sound of guitars being played

And it brought me home again
Hearing the music helped me feel like I was back home

I've strayed again
I have once again gone off-course