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
Going Nowhere
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When everything you had that was solid is melted into air
When you worked your fingers down to the bone but didn't get your fair share
I'll be there
In there like swimwear
I'm going nowhere
When you're a hedgehog who can't help pricking all the people that you meet
When the ravens leave the tower and you're cowering for fear in the city
I'll be there
In there like swimwear
I'm going nowhere
The empires may fall, and the seas may rise but I'll be at your side by and by
I'm like an armchair
I'm going nowhere
When you took your umbrella in your rain but you still got soaked
When you worked a 62-hour week but you ended up broke
And when the world that you thought made sense turned out to be a joke
I'll be there
In there like swimwear
I'm going nowhere
When you made your best plans but somehow they just didn't work
'Cause you were counting on your countrymen and women not to go berserk
And the future's falling in and all that's left is a hollow kind of hurt
I'll be there
In there like swimwear
I'm going nowhere
You think my beauty may slip away, but I can try to make you happy every day
I'm like your gray hair
I'm going nowhere
Now the tune may falter and the words may slide but here's hoping that the sentiment survives
I'm like your record player
I'm like an armchair
I'm going nowhere
The lyrics to Frank Turner's song "Going Nowhere" convey a sense of frustration and disillusionment with life's challenges and setbacks. The opening lines suggest a feeling of stagnation, being stuck in the same place despite efforts to move forward. The imagery of everything once solid melting into air represents the loss of stability and the unpredictability of life.
The next verse touches on personal relationships and self-perception. Feeling like one is letting down friends and family, the comparison to a hedgehog who inadvertently hurts others reflects a sense of loneliness and inability to connect deeply with people. The mention of the ravens leaving the tower and fear in the city conveys a feeling of isolation and vulnerability.
Throughout the song, the chorus reassures the listener that the singer will be there for them, using the phrase "in there like swimwear" as a playful way of emphasizing their commitment. The repetition of "I'm going nowhere" can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically. It could imply being stuck in a place of little progress, as well as offering reassurance that the singer will always be by the listener's side, regardless of the circumstances.
The subsequent verses further explore the disappointments and hardships of life. The umbrella metaphor implies that even when one takes precautions, they can still be affected by the unavoidable obstacles that come their way. Working tirelessly but ending up broke highlights the unfairness and frustration of laboring without reaping the rewards. The idea that the world one thought made sense turns out to be a joke speaks to a loss of faith and disillusionment.
Despite the challenges, the chorus reaffirms the singer's commitment to being there for the listener. The references to empires falling and seas rising suggest that even with the changing tides, the singer will stand by their side. The comparison to an armchair emphasizes their consistent presence and support.
The final verse recognizes the imperfections and uncertainties in life. The failures and unpredictability of human nature lead to plans not working out as expected. The mention of the future falling in and the resulting hollow hurt depict a sense of despair and disappointment.
The closing part of the song compares the singer's loyalty and reliability to aspects of aging, such as gray hair and a record player. Despite the potential for beauty to fade and tunes to falter, the sentiment and commitment to be there for the listener will endure. The repetition of "I'm going nowhere" can now be seen as a declaration of remaining loyal and steadfast, despite life's ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're just a stone's throw from where you started and you're going nowhere
When you're close to your starting point and making no progress
When everything you had that was solid is melted into air
When everything you relied on has disappeared
When you worked your fingers down to the bone but didn't get your fair share
When you put in a lot of effort but received no compensation
When you feel like you're letting down your friends and you failed your family
When you believe you're disappointing your loved ones
When you're a hedgehog who can't help pricking all the people that you meet
When you unintentionally hurt others with your actions
When the ravens leave the tower and you're cowering for fear in the city
When you're filled with anxiety as darkness surrounds you
The empires may fall, and the seas may rise but I'll be at your side by and by
While the world may crumble, I'll support you in the long run
When you took your umbrella in your rain but you still got soaked
When your efforts to protect yourself prove futile
When you worked a 62-hour week but you ended up broke
When you work tirelessly but remain financially struggling
And when the world that you thought made sense turned out to be a joke
When everything you believed in seems ridiculous
When you made your best plans but somehow they just didn't work
When your carefully crafted plans fall apart
'Cause you were counting on your countrymen and women not to go berserk
Because you were expecting people to behave reasonably
And the future's falling in and all that's left is a hollow kind of hurt
When hope crumbles and leaves behind a deep emptiness
You think my beauty may slip away, but I can try to make you happy every day
Though you fear I may lose my charm, I'll strive to bring you joy
Now the tune may falter and the words may slide but here's hoping that the sentiment survives
Even if our melody wavers and our expressions blur, let's hope our feelings endure
I'm like your record player
I'm here to provide you comfort and familiarity
I'm like an armchair
I'm a dependable source of relaxation and support
I'm going nowhere
I'm stagnant and not progressing
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Frank Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind