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
Better Half
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You left to the lure of the lover who left me alone
But now you come crawling back, and I'll let you in
And we'll slip back into grooves that we cut in ourselves long ago
But there must be a better half, somewhere out there
She lives a better life, a life that shares
Shares with a better man
Who says "Hey, it's alright"
And oh my dear distance, I've met you before
Longing for a lover who's lost on a far distant shore
And oh my imperfections, are all that remain
And the days when I'd love you and I'd leave you, and you'd wish that I would stay
There must be a better half, somewhere out there
She lives a better life, a life that shares
Shares with a better man
The man who is there when she calls in the night
Who says "Hey, it's alright"
I know what she looks like, her face and skin, her smell and the rest
I know the feel of her soul, but God help me I just cannot find her address
I've how I've tried but now all that's left
Is my old friend distance and sweet loneliness
There must be a better half, somewhere out there
She lives a better life, a life that shares
Shares with a better man
The man who is there when she calls in the night
Who says "Hey, it's alright"
"Hey, it's alright"
"Hey, it's alright"
Frank Turner's song Better Half explores the theme of loneliness and the longing for a better life that is shared with a partner who is always there for you. The lyrics paint a picture of a protagonist who has been left alone by their lover, and they are reunited with their old friend loneliness. The singer is aware that a better half exists somewhere out there, someone who is living a better and more fulfilling life with a partner who is always there for her. The singer is aware of this ideal partner's appearance, but cannot seem to find her address, and all that remains is the loneliness that they have known for so long.
The lyrics are melancholic and introspective, with the singer coming to the realization that they need a partner who is there for them when they call in the night and who is always reassuring them that everything is alright. The song has a bittersweet tone, as the singer seems to have given up on finding this ideal partner, but still longs for her.
Overall, Better Half is a poignant exploration of loneliness and the longing for companionship. The lyrics are heartfelt and introspective, with Frank Turner's signature blend of folk and punk music providing a fitting backdrop to the theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my friend loneliness, where have you been?
I'm feeling lonely again and wondering why you left. I know it's because I was distracted by someone who left me alone, but now that they're gone, I'm ready to welcome you back.
You left to the lure of the lover who left me alone
I got caught up in a romance with someone who ended up leaving me alone, causing me to feel lonely and lost.
But now you come crawling back, and I'll let you in
Despite the pain you've caused me, I'm willing to forgive you and let you back into my life since I'm feeling lonely and in need of some company.
And we'll slip back into grooves that we cut in ourselves long ago
We've been through this cycle of loneliness before and have created patterns of behavior to cope with it. We'll most likely fall back into these same patterns.
But there must be a better half, somewhere out there
I'm hopeful that there's someone out there who is a better match for me.
She lives a better life, a life that shares
This elusive person I'm searching for has a better quality of life and values the idea of sharing it with someone else.
Shares with a better man
The person I'm searching for is most likely with a man who is a better fit for her than I ever was.
The man who is there when she calls in the night
She needs someone who is there for her during all hours of the day, especially when things get tough and she needs to talk things out.
Who says "Hey, it's alright"
Someone who can reassure her that everything is going to be okay and that she's not alone in her struggles.
And oh my dear distance, I've met you before
I'm familiar with the feeling of distance and being separated from someone I care about.
Longing for a lover who's lost on a far distant shore
I miss someone who is physically far away and out of reach, which is causing me to feel even more lonely.
And oh my imperfections, are all that remain
All that's left are my shortcomings and mistakes, which may have contributed to my current circumstances.
And the days when I'd love you and I'd leave you, and you'd wish that I would stay
I'm reflecting on past relationships in which I would leave people after feeling close to them, causing them to miss me and wish that I had stayed.
I know what she looks like, her face and skin, her smell and the rest
Despite not knowing exactly where this person is, I have a vivid image of what she looks and feels like.
I know the feel of her soul, but God help me I just cannot find her address
I know what kind of person she is and what she values at her core, but I can't seem to physically locate her.
I've how I've tried but now all that's left
I've exhausted all the options I can think of to find this person, leaving me with nothing else but my loneliness.
Is my old friend distance and sweet loneliness
All I'm left with now is the familiar feeling of being separated from someone I care about and the bittersweet sensation of being alone.
"Hey, it's alright"
This phrase is repeated several times to highlight the importance of having someone who can offer reassurance and comfort during difficult times.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS EDWARD TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jcak
Mood af
tcswed
Oh my friend loneliness, where have you been?
You left to the lure of the lover who left me alone
But now you come crawling back, and I'll let you in
And we'll slip back into grooves that we cut in ourselves long ago
But there must be a better half, somewhere out there
She lives a better life, a life that shares
Shares with a better man
The man who is there when she calls in the night
Who says "Hey, it's alright"
And oh my dear distance, I've met you before
Longing for a lover who's lost on a far distant shore
And oh my imperfections, are all that remain
And the days when I'd love you and I'd leave you, and you'd wish that I would stay
There must be a better half, somewhere out there
She lives a better life, a life that shares
Shares with a better man
The man who is there when she calls in the night
Who says "Hey, it's alright"
I know what she looks like, her face and skin, her smell and the rest
I know the feel of her soul, but God help me I just cannot find her address
I've how I've tried but now all that's left
Is my old friend distance and sweet loneliness
There must be a better half, somewhere out there
She lives a better life, a life that shares
Shares with a better man
The man who is there when she calls in the night
Who says "Hey, it's alright"
"Hey, it's alright"
"Hey, it's alright"
Chandler Hanson
Do people do the 1st thing?