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
St. Christopher Is Coming Home
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From another weekend choked with cigarettes and sin
I've been busy, so much lately
That every time I get some time to spend
I end up drunk or sleeping in
And I miss you, you're busy too
We call each other up, when we're messed up
And say we'll meet in the New Year
Come the spring
When the evening casts it's shadows on the corners of my days
And I am old and I am settled in the place where I will stay
When my wandering meanderings have finally reached their end
Yeah whatever else maybe I will not forget my friends
Friday evening, barely even begins
Before my phone begins to ring with people asking where I am
And I can't suppress a smile, we talk a while
The chances are that I am far away and so I'm phased out of the plan
And that's how I miss out, on another night
The kind of night where nothing really happens
Yeah but everything goes down
And at the end I'm just a promise to pick up the phone
When I'm in town
When the evening casts it's shadows on the corners of my days
And I am old and I am settled in the place where I will stay
When my wandering meanderings have finally reached their end
Yeah whatever else maybe may my friends remember me
The song "St Christopher Is Coming Home" by Frank Turner captures the bittersweet longing for connection and lost opportunities that often arise in our fast-paced and hectic lives. The lyrics convey a sense of regret and the acceptance of missed chances, as well as the hope that our friends will remember us when we are old and settled. The singer laments his inability to spend more time with his friends, and recognizes that his own restless wanderings have kept him from being fully present in his relationships. He acknowledges that even when he is physically present, he may be too drunk or distracted to truly connect with those around him. The repetition of the line "when the evening casts its shadows on the corners of my days" underscores the sense of time passing and nostalgia for what has been lost.
The song's title refers to St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, who is traditionally thought to protect those on the road. The mention of his imminent return (presumably in the form of a statue or other religious icon) suggests a longing for a sense of home and stability in the midst of the singer's nomadic lifestyle.
Overall, "St Christopher Is Coming Home" is a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of time and the importance of cherishing the moments we have with those we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Monday morning, comes a crawling in
The start of a new week feels slow and exhausting.
From another weekend choked with cigarettes and sin
The weekend was filled with unhealthy habits and questionable decisions.
I've been busy, so much lately
Life has been hectic and filled with many obligations.
That every time I get some time to spend
When there is free time, it is often wasted.
I end up drunk or sleeping in
Free time is used to engage in unhealthy behaviors or simply not doing anything productive.
And I miss you, you're busy too
The singer misses their friend but acknowledges that they both have busy lives.
We call each other up, when we're messed up
The friends rely on one another during times of emotional distress or intoxication.
And say we'll meet in the New Year
They make plans to see each other in the future.
But it's perfectly clear we'll do no such thing
Despite the promises, the friends know their plans may not come to fruition.
Come the spring
The artist acknowledges that time will pass and plans may change by the time spring arrives.
When the evening casts it's shadows on the corners of my days
The end of the day, and by extension the end of life, is approaching.
And I am old and I am settled in the place where I will stay
Looking towards the end of their life, the artist realizes they have found their place in the world.
When my wandering meanderings have finally reached their end
After a lifetime of wandering, the singer has found stability in their life.
Yeah whatever else maybe I will not forget my friends
Despite what else may happen in their life, the singer promises to remember their friends until the end.
Friday evening, barely even begins
The weekend has just started, but things are already happening.
Before my phone begins to ring with people asking where I am
Friends are eager to know where the artist is and what they are doing.
And I can't suppress a smile, we talk a while
The artist is happy to hear from their friends and enjoys talking to them.
The chances are that I am far away and so I'm phased out of the plan
Due to distance or other factors, the singer knows they may not be able to participate in their friends' plans.
And that's how I miss out, on another night
The singer is unable to be with their friends, causing them to miss out on experiences.
The kind of night where nothing really happens
The artist acknowledges that the night may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Yeah but everything goes down
Despite the night seeming uneventful, a lot is actually happening.
And at the end I'm just a promise to pick up the phone
Although unable to be with their friends, the artist promises to stay in touch.
When I'm in town
The singer plans to make time to see their friends when they are physically present in the same location.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS EDWARD TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GazzettaDelleHighlands
I really like it!
🟩⬜🟥
@tigrottoFS
Saint Cristopher's day is my birthday, July 25th. So "I'm old and I'm a settled..." is a perfect verse
@dansimpson4854
No one had left a comment and that felt sad. My friend sent me this song and it's quite pretty