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
The Real Damage
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On failing to find my friends, I decided it was clearly time to go.
So I made my way out of the door as quietly as I could - there was no one there I knew to say goodbye,
Squinting in the sadly sobering sunshine of the Sunday morning light.
I started the night with all my friends and I ended up alone.
I started out so happy now I'm hungover and down.
It was about then that I realized I was half-way through the best years of my life.
I scanned the local landmarks, trying to find out where I was, and maybe even find a bus back home,
Longing for a shower, and for clean sheets, and a charger for my phone.
Suddenly it hit me - I got paid this Friday last, and so I rifled through my pockets for some change.
But all I found was a packet of broken cigarettes and a sinking sense of shame.
I had to ask myself:
Is is really worth it? Is any of this worth it?
Well the whole thing's far from perfect,
But I've yet to figure out a better way to spend my time.
Too many suits and dirty looks made me rack my brains - the real damage started to sink in.
It'd been quite a heavy weekend and I could just about remember where I'd been.
Well I started the night with all my friends and I ended up alone,
I started out so happy now I'm hungover and down.
I stood on a street corner and I felt a little sick.
It was about then that I realized I was halfway through the first day of the week.
"The Real Damage" by Frank Turner tells the story of a heavy night of drinking and partying, ending with the singer waking up alone on a stranger's sofa. As he attempts to navigate his way home, he realizes the toll that his lifestyle is taking on him. He is hungover, broke and feeling a sense of shame as he rummages through his pockets and only finds broken cigarettes. Despite all of this, he still believes that the party scene is the best way to spend his time.
The song highlights the darker side of a casual, carefree lifestyle. The constant partying and drinking inevitably lead to a sense of loneliness and loss of control. The singer's realization that he is halfway through the best years of his life is also a poignant moment, as he acknowledges that he may be wasting his youth on empty pleasures.
The lyrics also touch on the themes of identity and loneliness. The singer is surrounded by strangers, and his search for a way home becomes a search for something more meaningful. This sense of searching and not finding what one is looking for is a universal feeling that many people can relate to.
Overall, "The Real Damage" is a cautionary tale about the perils of too much indulgence, and the loss of self that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up on a sofa in an unfamiliar house, surrounded by sleeping folks I didn't know.
I found myself in an unknown place, on a couch, with strangers sleeping around me.
On failing to find my friends, I decided it was clearly time to go. So I made my way out of the door as quietly as I could - there was no one there I knew to say goodbye, Squinting in the sadly sobering sunshine of the Sunday morning light.
Unable to locate my friends, I left quietly, unnoticed, and stepped out of the house, greeted by the harsh reality of the Sunday morning sun.
I started the night with all my friends and I ended up alone. I started out so happy now I'm hungover and down. It was about then that I realized I was half-way through the best years of my life.
The night started with camaraderie, but it ended with loneliness and regret. It dawned on me then that I was already halfway through my best years, now filled with a hangover and disappointment.
I scanned the local landmarks, trying to find out where I was, and maybe even find a bus back home, Longing for a shower, and for clean sheets, and a charger for my phone. Suddenly it hit me - I got paid this Friday last, and so I rifled through my pockets for some change. But all I found was a packet of broken cigarettes and a sinking sense of shame.
I searched for my bearings, hoping to find my way back home. Tired, alone, and still craving a shower and clean bed, I looked for some cash in my pockets, realizing only then the sorry state of my finances, all while dealing with a sense of guilt.
I had to ask myself: Is is really worth it? Is any of this worth it? Well the whole thing's far from perfect, But I've yet to figure out a better way to spend my time.
Trying to justify my actions, I questioned whether it was all worth it, yet unable to think of a better way to spend my time.
Too many suits and dirty looks made me rack my brains - the real damage started to sink in. It'd been quite a heavy weekend and I could just about remember where I'd been.
Feeling overwhelmed and confused, I started questioning the people around me and the situations I found myself in, realizing the true harm it was causing; all while struggling to remember the events of the past few days.
Well I started the night with all my friends and I ended up alone, I started out so happy now I'm hungover and down. I stood on a street corner and I felt a little sick. It was about then that I realized I was halfway through the first day of the week.
Once again reflecting on my situation, I dwelled on my solitude and hangover, feeling ill and alone on a street corner, realizing then it was already Monday, and still questioning where it all went wrong.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS EDWARD TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thegreatmoustachio
Just turned 25, and this song popped into my head.
@benmackeen5080
This song is amazing I saw him perform it last night at hay festival and it was a great moment when the whole crowd joined in. The show was unbelievable can't wait to see you again frank
@SallycrosbyUk
Aaaaaaahhhhh I've been looking for this song for so long and didn't realise it! The lines 'Is it really worth it/ Is any of it worth it' just kept cropping up and I couldn't think where from, even gone around asking people lol. Aaah sweet, sweet victory... And to think I almost skipped this song cause I love it too much and don't want to overplay it...
@nicfernald1850
its great! :D
but i love "if ever i stray" the most.
what an amazing artist
@Xtonisher
Just found this song again the other day after so many years.. do a cover of it, yeah?
@buddytyree
The chorus to this song is some of the realest shit I've ever heard.
@erica9076
when people ask me why i love this guy. #whatalegend
@TheDragswolf
Glad this isn't my life anymore, cheers to getting older
@nicholasrutkowski7412
I always listen to this song when I feel like I really fucked up after a night of drinking.
@OldAijo
This is basically Sunday Morning Coming Down.