Frank Turner started solo acoustic shows prior to Million Dead's break up. The first official performance was at the first Small Town America all dayer at 93 Feet East on September 18th 2004. The solo performances were, in a sense, a sideline to Million Dead. They did allow Turner to display some of his own songwriting capabilities (without a band) as well as some covers of songs and bands he enjoyed, in some cases the songs were much re-worked to fit an acoustic atmosphere. Solo performances were also used to help bolster or expose Million Dead to new individuals as well, with some acoustic in-store and radio performances of Million Dead songs.
At the end of February and start of March (2006) Frank went to Oxford to record the "Campfire Punkrock" EP with Dive Dive as the backing band for three of the songs. This EP was released on May 15 2006 on a limited run through Xtra Mile recordings. It sold out after only a few weeks on sale and had to be re-pressed to meet demand.
With Jonah Matranga doing some touring in June 2006 in support of his CD/DVD album "Jonah Matranga" there was some discussion of Frank doing supports with Jonah, this only ended up with one show featuring both at The Peel in Kingston. The discussion however lead to the creation of the Jonah Matranga and Frank Turner split 12" vinyl. Released in the USA on Welcome Home Records and in the UK via Xtra Mile Recordings. The release features Frank covering two songs by American songwriters and Jonah covering two songs by British songwriters. He was recently (September 18 2006) the last ever artist to perform on BBC Radio 1's Lamacq Live program, unveiling two new songs from "Sleep Is For The Week".
The good sales of "Campfire Punkrock" meant good news as this allowed Frank to record his debut album "Sleep Is For The Week" in August and September 2006. Recorded in Oxford with Dive Dive as extra band on a selection of the 13 tracks. The last track, "The Ballad Of Me And My Friends", is a live recording from a sold out show at the London Barfly and features the vocal contribution of the (approximately) 200 strong audience during a verse. Those in attendance and gave their names to Xtra Mile Recordings will have their names credited as contributers to this track.
In April 2008, his second album Love, Ire and Song was released to critical acclaim.
His third full-length album, Poetry Of The Deed, was released September 7th 2009, and includes the singles The Road, Try This At Home and Isabel. An accompanying DVD, Take To The Road, was released in March 2010.
Amidst extensive touring in support of Poetry of the Deed, Turner and his then-untitled backing band recorded Rock & Roll, an EP consisting of tracks written at the same time as Poetry of the Deed alongside new material. Following its release, Turner and the band spent twenty days in January 2011, recording their next studio album with producer Tristan Ivemy. The result was England Keep My Bones, the fourth studio album by Frank, released on June 6, 2011, on Xtra Mile in the United Kingdom, and on June 7, 2011, on Epitaph Records worldwide. Preceded by the single, "Peggy Sang the Blues", the album was produced and mixed by Tristan Ivemy, who had previously mixed Love, Ire and Song, Rock & Roll and Campfire Punkrock.
The album's title is taken from William Shakespeare's play, The Life and Death of King John, with Turner noting, "I knew that the album was, for the most part, about mortality, and about Englishness. Shakespeare seemed like a good place to go hunting for some pearls of wisdom, and with a little help from my friend Ben we came across this one, and it just seemed to fit the work really well."
Following the completion of the album, Turner subsequently announced his backing band had named themselves The Sleeping Souls, after a lyric in the track, "I Am Disappeared". The Sleeping Souls are Nigel Powell, Ben LLoyd, Tarant Anderson and Matt Nasir.
Turner recorded his fifth studio album in Burbank, California, in October 2012. The reason for recording first time abroad in California was, that producer Rich Costey wouldn't come to England with all his equipment so he convinced Turner to record it in Burbank. Frank Turner announced via Twitter on 28 October 2012 that recording was completed, and mixing and mastering would be done in time for a March 2013 release date. During the November and December UK tour a free CD titled Good Hangs from Xtra Mile Recordings was distributed for free at Frank Turner shows, this included a yet-to-be-released Turner song titled "Tattoos" plus the Möngöl Hörde song "Casual Threats From Weekend Hardmen". On Christmas Day 2012, the song "Four Simple Words" was released on Xtra Mile Recordings' website as a free download along with the b-side "Cowboy Chords". On 4 January 2013, a video was shot for what would be the first single. On the same day Frank announced on Twitter that the single was the song "Recovery". On 9 January, Frank uploaded a photo to his Instagram page showing the names of all 13 songs that would feature on his new album. This included songs played during the UK and US tours of 2012 such as "Anymore", "Plain Sailing Weather", "We Shall Not Overcome" and "Tell Tale Signs". Frank also posted on his fan forum that an extended edition of his new album would be released that includes an extra 5 or 6 songs. On 19 February 2013, it was announced that Turner had signed a licensing deal with Interscope Records in the US for Tape Deck Heart. Following the release of the album Frank Turner embarked on a short U.K tour.
[this section requires expansion, to cover the period 2013 to 2018]
Discography:
2005 - Frank Turner's Demo
2007 - Campfire Punkrock
2007 - The Real Damage
2007 - Sleep Is For The Week
2008 - Love Ire & Song
2008 - The First Three Years
2009 - Poetry Of The Deed
2010 - Take to the Road: Live 2009
2010 - iTunes Festival: London 2010
2011 - 2011-11-17: Daytrotter Session, Big Orange Studios, Austin, TX, USA
2012 - The Second Three Years
2012 - Last Minutes and Lost Evenings
2013 - Tape Deck Heart
2014 - Polaroid Picture
2014 - The Third Three Years
2015 - Positive Songs for Negative People
2017 - Songbook
2018 - Be More Kind
2019 - No Man's Land
2020 - West Coast vs. Wessex
2020 - Buddies II: Still Buddies
A Love Worth Keeping
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strangers around me sleep soundly at rest
Phones and computers become me
Signals stretch back to the lands that I've left
Oh in the quiet times
Count up the things that I love
Slip through the road lights
The trail of wandering back
Left you while you were sleeping
Left you the warmth in the bed, where I lay
You left me a love worth keeping
You left me a diary to count off the days
And so in the quiet times
I saver the things that I've lost
And slip through the road lights
And wonder how I came to this
I guess you never know
Lost until you have something to lose
Choice until you have something to choose
Choose
So give me my quiet times
To mourn for the things that I've lost
And find me on the road lights
Counting the miles and the cost
So I never knew
Lost cos I had nothing to lose
Choice cos I had nothing to choose
But all the things you do
The way that you close your door
The way that you guard your shore
Darling, I'm coming home soon
Frank Turner's "A Love Worth Keeping" is a poignant and introspective song about love, loss, and the struggle to come to terms with one's choices in life. The song opens with a vivid description of the singer's surroundings as he wakes up early in the morning, surrounded by strangers who are fast asleep. He finds solace in his devices as he connects with people in far-off lands, but remains restless and unsure of himself.
The lyrics then shift to a memory of leaving someone behind while they were sleeping, and the feeling of longing and regret that lingers after the fact. The singer reflects on the things he has lost and loved as he travels on the road, constantly moving forward in search of something that he cannot quite articulate.
The chorus of the song is powerful, emphasizing the idea that one can never fully appreciate what they have until they lose it. The singer seeks comfort in the solace of his quiet times, but also recognizes that the choices he makes in life are what shape his future.
In many ways, "A Love Worth Keeping" is a song about acceptance, forgiveness, and the hope for a brighter tomorrow. The song speaks to the universal human experience of grappling with the past and attempting to make peace with it, while simultaneously striving towards a better and more fulfilling future.
Line by Line Meaning
Rise in the morning at sunrise
Starting a new day at the break of dawn
Strangers around me sleep soundly at rest
People around me are asleep and unaware of the new day starting
Phones and computers become me
Being consumed by technology and the digital world
Signals stretch back to the lands that I've left
Connecting back to places left behind through electronic communication
Oh in the quiet times
Reflecting during moments of solitude
Count up the things that I love
Listing things that bring joy and happiness
Slip through the road lights
Driving through the night
The trail of wandering back
Journeying back to familiar places
Left you while you were sleeping
Leaving a loved one behind without waking them
Left you the warmth in the bed, where I lay
Leaving behind love and affection
You left me a love worth keeping
Being left with a valuable and important love
You left me a diary to count off the days
Being left with a way to mark the passage of time
And so in the quiet times
Reflecting again during moments of solitude
I savor the things that I've lost
Appreciating the good things that are no longer present
And slip through the road lights
Driving again through the night
And wonder how I came to this
Reflecting on the decisions and circumstances that led to the present moment
I guess you never know
Realizing the unpredictability of life
Lost until you have something to lose
Not realizing the value of something until it is gone
Choice until you have something to choose
Not knowing the power of choice until there is something at stake
So give me my quiet times
Asking for moments of solitude to reflect and think
To mourn for the things that I've lost
Grieving for what is gone
And find me on the road lights
Again, seeking comfort in driving at night
Counting the miles and the cost
Thinking about the journey and its effects
So I never knew
Realizing that one never really knows
Lost cos I had nothing to lose
Being unaware of the value of something until it is gone
Choice cos I had nothing to choose
Not having the power of choice until the situation arises
But all the things you do
Thinking about the actions of a loved one
The way that you close your door
Noticing the small actions of a loved one
The way that you guard your shore
Being aware of how a loved one protects themselves and their emotions
Darling, I'm coming home soon
Looking forward to returning to a place of love and comfort
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS EDWARD TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind