James won Ireland's answer to the Mercury (the Choice Music Prize for 'Song of the Year') and saw his debut EP ('Say Hello') remain on the Irish chart for over 6 months. This rise and development in his home market has gained James sell-out headline dates and wider support tours with the likes of Lianne La Havas, Beth Orton, Kodaline and Marina & The Diamonds.
A snapshot of this ascent, 'Live at Whelans' is a selection of new and old songs performed in the stripped-back environment of a rapturously-received hometown show. The first track to be lifted from it, 'Nervous', is a pin-drop account of a one-sided relationship: from that initial fear of your first meeting to the gradual realisation, by the end of the song, that perhaps they were never who you thought they were (and it's best to forget about them).
James released his eagerly-anticipated debut album, ‘Bitter Pill’ on March 11th 2016 – having already gone Top 5, been certified Platinum and winner of Choice Music Prize’s ‘Song of the Year’ in his native Ireland in 2013 and 2016. Following a sold-out London show at KOKO, support across Spotify (Spotlight Artists for 2016), Radio 1, Virgin Radio, Beats 1 and Radio X, Gavin had an extensive UK tour, European tour, US tour and Australian dates, that featured Shepherd’s Bush Empire on October 7th 2016 in London and 3Arena on December 2016 in Dublin. Gavin has over 150 million total streams on Spotify already and live performances on Late Late Show with James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel Live, BBC One Show and C’est A Vous.
22
Gavin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before I could stand up
So I built a wall out of all my secrets
And now it's opened up
And I remember the cold, cold mornings
And I remember the rainy afternoons
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
I wish I was older when I was young
But half the world's asleep
'Til the morning came and took me away
Now I'm longing
Oh I wish that I had found out faster
I never thought it was me they're after
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
La da da, oh, oh
And I remember the cold, cold mornings
I never thought it was me they're wanting
When I was dreaming oh la da da
When I was dreaming oh oh oh
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
In Gavin James's song "22," the lyrics explore the theme of growing up too fast and the regret that comes along with it. The singer expresses how he feels like he was cut down into pieces before he had a chance to stand up, leaving him with no choice but to build a wall of secrets to protect himself. However, the wall eventually crumbles, and everything he has been hiding is exposed, hence the line "And now it's opened up." He remembers the cold and rainy days when he was dreaming of being 22, wishing he was older when he was young because he felt like half the world was asleep.
The chorus is full of longing and regret, wishing he had found out faster and realizing that he was the one being pursued by his demons. The song's melancholic mood is conveyed through gentle guitar strumming and James's emotive vocal delivery. The bridge is a repetition of the line "When I was dreaming that I was 22," implying that the singer is still longing for the freedom and innocence of his youth, even though he has passed that age.
Line by Line Meaning
You cut me down into little pieces
Someone hurt me deeply and shattered me into fragments.
Before I could stand up
I wasn't able to cope with the pain or recover from the injury quickly.
So I built a wall out of all my secrets
To protect myself from further harm or danger, I hid my secrets and vulnerabilities behind a barricade.
And now it's opened up
My wall of secrets has crumbled or been breached, exposing me to vulnerability and risk.
And I remember the cold, cold mornings
I recall the bleak, lonely and depressing mornings, where I felt isolated and alone.
And I remember the rainy afternoons
I reminisce about the dreary, gloomy afternoons that seemed to mirror my emotional state.
When I was dreaming that I was 22
I yearned to be young again and free of the pain and hurt that has controlled me.
That I was twenty two
The age of 22 seems to represent a simpler, happier time in my life.
I wish I was older when I was young
I regret not being more mature or wiser during my earlier years of life.
But half the world's asleep
Others were naive and unconscious like me, unaware of the world around them.
'Til the morning came and took me away
The disorienting effects of awakening or being unexpectedly exposed to harsh reality pulled me out of my reverie.
Now I'm longing
I am yearning for something that I can't have, trying to find solace in looking backwards.
Oh I wish that I had found out faster
I regret not discovering and coming to terms with my pain and vulnerability earlier in life.
I never thought it was me they're after
I believed others (such as my abusers) were my true problem rather than dealing with my own internal conflicts.
When I was dreaming that I was 22
Again, I use the idea of being 22 to symbolize a time of happiness and simplicity; a time before the damage was done.
That I was twenty two
Just like before, the line reprises to bring the listener back to the notion that everything was better and easier then.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Gavin Wigglesworth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Layse Carvalho
Lyrics
You cut me down into little pieces
Before I could stand up
So I built a wall out of all my secrets
And now it's opened up
And I remember the cold, cold mornings
And I remember the rainy afternoons
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
I wish I was older when I was young
But half the world's asleep
'Til the morning came and took me away
Now I'm longing
Oh I wish that I had found out faster
I never thought it was me they're after
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
La da da, oh, oh
And I remember the cold, cold mornings
I never thought it was me they're wanting
When I was dreaming oh la da da
When I was dreaming oh oh oh
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
Adinda Putri Wahyudina
You cut me down into little pieces
Before I could stand up
So I built a wall out of all my secrets
And now it's opened up
And I remember the cold, cold mornings
And I remember the rainy afternoons
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was 22
:))
thanks gavin james it's a very beautiful song.
and I feel it now, in 22
MoonShadow
You cut me down
into little pieces
before I could stand up
so I built a wall
out of all my secrets
and now it's opened up
and I remember the cold, cold the morning
and I remember the rainy afternoons
when I was dreaming
that I was 22
that I was 22... oooh
I wish I was older
when I was young
when the half the world's asleep
till the morning came
and took me away
now I'm lonely
I wish that I had found out faster
I never thought it was me-there after
when I was dreaming that I was 22
that I was 22
oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-la-la-la
ooooooh
and I remember the cold, cold mornings
I never thought it was me that wanted
when I was dreaming
when I was dreaming, oh...
when I was dreaming that I was 22
that I was 22... ooh
IndieAir
Why so many dislikes!? This is a fucking masterpiece..
jonodrummerboy
I get the dislikes. If you've been in the position where you have experienced domestic abuse or bullying this could be very hard to watch
IndieAir
But relatable then, so I'm still confused. Even if it's hard to watch I don't get why you'd dislike it, because the song and video are amazing. I don't know, that's just me.
Keona Garrett
there's more likes
Ingrid Vaz
hjj
orlandy101
Words can't express how much this song connects to me emotionally...
I had exactly the same experience in high school. I was bullied and spent every day wishing I was 21. Out of school. Away from the narrow minded school children and out in the real world. I'm 21 now and I look back with such sadness at how I missed out on so many experiences at school, hiding from those who made my life a misery, letting the anxiety they generated rule me. Thank you Gavin for writing such a beautiful song. I saw you live when you supported Kodaline in Birmingham and it was honestly one of the most beautiful sets I've ever heard.
Gerry Adams
same as that i was bullied in high school for years, i remember wishing to be older so noone would ever bully me, although i realise i missed out on them year,im glad there over!
Meuf!
orlandy101 so sorry for that😔
Layse Carvalho
Lyrics
You cut me down into little pieces
Before I could stand up
So I built a wall out of all my secrets
And now it's opened up
And I remember the cold, cold mornings
And I remember the rainy afternoons
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
I wish I was older when I was young
But half the world's asleep
'Til the morning came and took me away
Now I'm longing
Oh I wish that I had found out faster
I never thought it was me they're after
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
La da da, oh, oh
And I remember the cold, cold mornings
I never thought it was me they're wanting
When I was dreaming oh la da da
When I was dreaming oh oh oh
When I was dreaming that I was 22
That I was twenty two
Wing Cheung
The song speaks to reality and it's a shame so many are suffering in silence. No one person is better than another in this world. Great song. Glad to see there are still songs that are written from the heart with real messages. Not gibberish you hear a lot on the radio these days.