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 Way I Tend To Be
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For the day to be done.
Some summer days I hide away
And wait for rain to come.
'Cause it turns out hell will not be found
Within the fires below,
But in making do and muddling through
When you've nowhere else to go.
But then I remember you,
And the way you shine like truth in all you do.
And if you remembered me,
You could save me from the way I tend to be.
The way I tend to be
Some days I wake up dazed my dear,
And don't know where I am.
I've been running now so long I'm scared
I've forgotten how to stand.
And I stand alone in airport bars
And gather thoughts to think:
That if all I had was one long road
It could drive a man to drink.
But then I remember you,
And the way you shine like truth in all you do.
And if you remembered me,
You could save me from the way I tend to be.
Because I've said I love you so many times that the words kinda die in my mouth.
And I meant it each time with each beautiful woman but somehow it never works out.
You stood apart in my calloused heart, and you taught me and here's what I learned:
That love is about the changes you make and not just three small words.
And then I catch myself
Catching your scent on someone else
In a crowded space
And it takes me somewhere I cannot quite place.
But then I remember you,
And the way you shine like truth in all you do.
And if you remembered me,
You could save me from the way I tend to be.
The way I tend to be.
The way I tend to be,
The way I tend to be.
In "The Way I Tend to Be," Frank Turner beautifully captures the vulnerability that comes with being human. The song starts with Turner admitting that some mornings he just wants the day to be over and done with. He wants time to move quickly to take him away from whatever pain he's feeling. He continues by expressing how some days he wishes for the rain to come and wash away all that's troubling him. However, he knows that true misery doesn't reside in external circumstances but in the ability to cope with those difficulties.
The chorus speaks of a person who can lift him out of his misery, someone who can give him hope by being truthful in all they do. Turner feels that if this person remembers him and reaches out to him, they can save him from the way he tends to be. He admits to being afraid of himself, of losing himself in the process of living. However, he finds comfort in the idea that he's not alone and can rely on another person to help him find the way. The song ends with Turner acknowledging that he's closer to finding his way back when he remembers this person who gives him hope, truth and love.
The song is touching and widely relatable. It speaks to the pain of trying to navigate life and the comfort of having someone to lean on. It's a reminder to hold on to those who help us see the best in ourselves, even when everything else seems bleak.
Line by Line Meaning
Some mornings I pray for evening,
There are days when I feel so exhausted and defeated that I just want the day to be over and hope tomorrow is better.
For the day to be done.
I want the day to be over so I can rest and start fresh tomorrow.
Some summer days I hide away
And wait for rain to come.
Sometimes the pressure of being happy and enjoying life is too much, so I retreat until I feel better or until an external event changes my circumstances.
'Cause it turns out hell will not be found
Within the fires below,
But in making do and muddling through
When you've nowhere else to go.
We often assume that our worst moments will be dramatic and catastrophic, but it's the ordinary and mundane moments when everything seems hopeless and we have to struggle to survive that can feel like hell.
But then I remember you,
And the way you shine like truth in all you do.
Thinking of you gives me hope and inspiration because you embody the best qualities of humanity and inspire me to be a better version of myself.
And if you remembered me,
You could save me from the way I tend to be.
If you knew how much you mean to me and how much your love has helped me cope with life, you could help me stay on the right path.
Some days I wake up dazed my dear,
And don't know where I am.
Sometimes life feels so overwhelming and confusing that I lose my sense of direction and purpose.
I've been running now so long I'm scared
I've forgotten how to stand.
I've been trying so hard to keep moving forward that I'm afraid I've lost the ability to slow down and appreciate what's around me.
And I stand alone in airport bars
And gather thoughts to think:
That if all I had was one long road
It could drive a man to drink.
Sometimes when I'm traveling or feeling disconnected from my life, I realize how lonely and isolating it can be to have only one path in life, and this can make me feel helpless and despairing.
Because I've said I love you so many times that the words kinda die in my mouth.
I've expressed love to many people, but those words feel empty and meaningless compared to the depth of my feelings for you.
And I meant it each time with each beautiful woman but somehow it never works out.
I've loved other people before, but for some reason those relationships didn't last, and I'm still searching for something more meaningful and lasting.
You stood apart in my calloused heart, and you taught me and here's what I learned:
That love is about the changes you make and not just three small words.
You are different from everyone else I've loved because you taught me that love is an active process of growth and transformation, not just a feeling or a word.
And then I catch myself
Catching your scent on someone else
In a crowded space
And it takes me somewhere I cannot quite place.
Sometimes when I'm reminded of you by a familiar smell or sound, I'm transported to a place where I feel both comforted and haunted by memories of our relationship.
The way I tend to be,
My default way of living and coping with life, which can be difficult and lonely.
The way I tend to be.
Even though this is my default way of living and coping, I know I can overcome it and make positive changes with your love and support.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANK TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joshrich43
So, this is kind of just conjecture, but here's my understanding of the video.
The reason Frank is wearing the 'the end is coming' sandwich board, is literally symbolic of the feeling at the end of a relationship, where it all feels inevitable, that it's coming to an end. That's all rather straight forward. My favourite part of the video though, has to be the hole digging.
I think this is literally him 'digging himself a hole', or getting himself into a bad situation after a relationship, emotionally. He often refers to drinking in his songs, so lets say that after a relationship, Frank gets a little boozy and depressed. The wonderful metaphor is the girl at the end. He spots her, and it literally and metaphorically brings him out of his hole, making him feel better, and giving him the impetus to move on.
Zooming out on the several holes just shows that this is a repeated process, and something Frank is all too familiar with.
Read this and think it's bullshit, or agree, it's all just art, so is completely subjective, this is just my understanding!
@ciorstanmacgregor6897
joshrich43 I think slightly differnt, shes is always behind him, and he looks through her, so although it is her that helps him move on, its the memory of her and the relationship that he knows that he fucked up. "i remember you and the way you shine like truth"
so the end is coming, the end of him ruining his relationships for stupid reasons, like after all those holes, all those fuck ups, he has finally learned from what she told him all those ruined relationships ago.
He tends to sabotage relationships but finally knows that he wants to wake up with familiarity, he doesnt want to be always on the road anymore.
He is ready now to finally to take on a real relationship and to truly love, to make the changes for someone he never could for the girl in the video which is why he walks past her, kind of think it is a "right one at the wrong time" kind of situation here
@wondereyedrive
Driving to work this morning, it was freezing cold, raining, a miserable day. Then this song came on the radio. I'd never heard it before. But soon enough I couldn't stop smiling. I had this overwhelming feeling that everything will be alright.
@RDubbayah
7 Years later and I still can't sing the prechorus without crying. This song has stood the test of time.
@kaylinburchill40
My (now) husband showed me Frank Turner a few years back. I really needed his music when I heard it. I was in a dark place and this music saved me. At the time, my husband and I were best friends, nothing romantic. Now, our son is almost 1 year old and I couldn't be happier
@p0rq
Frank is a fertility god.
@TDMoffical
This belongs in r/wholesome posts
@greenwave819
Way to go!!!
@garbanzo_bean
Poor guy had to show good jams to not be Friend zoned
@codassong
@Violin-ce 🎻 unexpected reddit
@planetfrank1994
For those asking for the meaning of the video, it is a metaphorical take on the song itself. The singer tends to be depressed and hopeless, shown here by him digging himself a grave. But no matter how many graves he digs, he always climbs out of it and walks away from giving up life because of the memory of his ex. It's a beautifully poignant video, and it really brings out the emotions of the song (and a tear in your eye). :D
@dizzotizzo69
One of the best song writers of all time.