Backer was born in Belgium, but moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia when he was two. Originally a member of the indie band Downstares, Backer began performing under the name Gotye in 2001 when the band disbanded. Aside from his solo work, De Backer has been a member of the indie band The Basics since its formation in 2002.
Gotye's second album Like Drawing Blood was featured by Triple J in May 2006 and was voted Number 1 in the listeners poll of the Best Album of 2006 . The album was also nominated for a J Award that year. Two tracks from that album, Learnalilgivinanlovin and Heart's A Mess, were ranked 94 and 8 respectively in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006. Like Drawing Blood has been certified Platinum.
In September 2006, Gotye was nominated for an Australian Recording Industry Music Award (ARIA award) for best independent release for his album Like Drawing Blood, and won 'Most Outstanding New Independent Artist' at the inaugural Australian Independent Record (AIR) Chart Awards.
In 2007, Gotye won the ARIA for best male artist. As a result of the publicity of the nomination, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA album chart and was named iTunes UK Album of the Year in 2008.
In 2009, Heart's A Mess came in at #77 in Triple J Hottest 100 of all time, voted by the Australian public.
Amidst the lead-up to Gotye's third album, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA charts in mid 2011, peaking at its highest ever position of 13.
After the success of Like Drawing Blood, De Backer was able to establish a permanent home, still in Melbourne's South East. In 2010, De Backer set up a recording studio in a barn at his parents' farm and set about recording tracks for his third album. He released a new single, Eyes Wide Open, in mid-October 2010, online and on 10" vinyl. The single received generally positive reviews and reached number 25 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2010. It was also shortlisted for the 2011 APRA Music Awards in the Song of the Year category.
In late March 2011, De Backer revealed the album's title to be Making Mirrors. This title was inspired by an artwork, painted by De Backer's father in the 1980s, discovered by De Backer amongst old bills and newspapers in his parents' barn, which was later edited in Photoshop to become the album artwork. "The mirror reflects on artwork and it is all very related to self-reflection and introspection on the album."
On 19 May, it was announced that the album would be released on 19 August 2011, with the album launch the following day at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Graphic Festival which will feature animators and a 10-piece orchestra as part of Gotye's performance. De Backer also released a follow-up single to Eyes Wide Open titled Somebody That I Used to Know, which was released 6 July 2011, and debuted at #27 on the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. The single became something of a sensation, quickly moving up the ARIA singles chart despite comparatively low airplay to many other charting singles at the time. The track was further boosted by endorsements from well-known celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen via Twitter, exposing Gotye's music to their millions of followers. The single has gone on to reach 6× Platinum (420,000 units sold) status.
On 15 July 2011, it was announced that Gotye's single Somebody That I Used to Know had come third in the 2011 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. As part of the prize, Gotye won a spot to perform at Song Summit 2012 at Darling Harbour, 26–28 May 2012.
On its first week of release, Making Mirrors came in at number one on the ARIA Australian album chart, making Gotye the first Australian act to simultaneously hold both the number one single and album since Silverchair, who achieved the same feat in 2007.
On 11 October 2011, it was announced that Gotye had been nominated for seven ARIA Awards. Due to the release date restrictions of the eligibility period, Making Mirrors could not be nominated, and the seven nominations all related to the single Somebody That I Used to Know. Gotye was nominated for Highest Selling Single, Single of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Male Artist and three awards in the ARIA Artisan category: Best Video (Natasha Pincus), Engineer of the Year (Francois Tetaz) and Producer of the Year (Wally De Backer). On the same day the nominations were revealed, the winners of the Artisan categories were announced, with Gotye and the album personnel winning all three. On 27 November 2011, Gotye took out three of the four remaining ARIA Award nominations. Single of the Year, Best Male Artist and Best Pop Release.
"Somebody That I Used To Know" has become an international hit, reaching #1 in Australia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Poland, Austria, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Germany, and also reached #1 on the alternative radio airplay charts in The United States and Canada (on the pop charts in those countries, the song has reached #5 and #11, respectively).
Here in This Place
Gotye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stars will protect us with their celestial embrace
Here in this place
The slow wind sings gently to the rolling waves
I touch your face
And we leave conscious thought for the freedom of this drug-like daze
And I heard you say
Let's lose ourselves out here always
Lost in this haze
This prison of pleasures from which we want no escape
Cos here in this place
Our night's filled with passion and so are our days
I heard the moon say
To the sky, why do we bother with a timetable?
When it's clear as the rain
We're lovers forever, together we'll always stay
Here in this place
See the clouds begin to form
Feel that cold wind start to blow
Here comes the storm
Gotye's song "Here in This Place" is a dreamy, atmospheric track that explores the powerful feelings of being lost in the moment with someone you love. The song opens with a serene image of the stars protecting the couple with their "celestial embrace" in this idyllic place. The slow, gentle wind sings to the rolling waves, creating a serene and tranquil mood.
As the song progresses, we realize that the couple is lost in a hazed state, enveloped by the pleasures of this place. They have left behind conscious thought and have surrendered to the freedom of this "drug-like daze." The idea of being lost in this moment is so appealing that they don't want to escape. The moon speaks to the sky and asks why they need to keep track of time when they are already lost in this blissful romance. The song ends with the ominous sound of a storm approaching, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the potential danger that awaits them outside of their isolated paradise.
"Here in This Place" is not just a love song; it's a sonic experience that immerses the listener in a dreamlike state. The vivid imagery and lush instrumentation create a mood that is both relaxing and emotionally charged. Gotye's haunting vocals complement the song's instrumentation perfectly, with his voice almost blending in with the soundscape of the track.
Line by Line Meaning
Here in this place
We are currently present in this location.
The stars will protect us with their celestial embrace
The stars will surround us and keep us safe.
Here in this place
Once again, we are here in this particular location.
The slow wind sings gently to the rolling waves
The wind is blowing softly and creating a soothing sound as the waves of the water move calmly.
I touch your face
I make contact with your facial features.
And we leave conscious thought for the freedom of this drug-like daze
We are no longer thinking or processing our thoughts logically, allowing us to be free and relaxed.
And I heard you say
I listened as you spoke these words.
Let's lose ourselves out here always
We should always remain in this moment, fully immersed in the experience.
Lost in this haze
We are entirely enveloped by this relaxed and carefree mindset.
This prison of pleasures from which we want no escape
We are stuck in this joyful prison and have no desire to leave.
Cos here in this place
Because of our current location and state of mind.
Our night's filled with passion and so are our days
We experience passion throughout all aspects of our time here.
I heard the moon say
I listened as if the moon was speaking.
To the sky, why do we bother with a timetable?
The moon is questioning the point of sticking to a set schedule.
When it's clear as the rain
It is obvious and apparent to everyone.
We're lovers forever, together we'll always stay
We will remain in love and together forever.
Here in this place
Once again, we are still present in this location.
See the clouds begin to form
We observe clouds starting to gather.
Feel that cold wind start to blow
We feel a cold breeze picking up.
Here comes the storm
A storm is approaching our location.
Contributed by Layla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Salma S
Here in this place
The stars will protect us with their celestial embrace
Here in this place
The slow wind sings gently to the rolling waves
I touch your face
And we leave conscious thought for the freedom of this drug-like daze
And I heard you say
Let's lose ourselves out here always
Lost in this haze
This prison of pleasures from which we want no escape
Cos here in this place
Our night's filled with passion and so are our days
I heard the moon say
To the sky, why do we bother with a timetable?
When it's clear as the rain
We're lovers forever, together we'll always stay
Here in this place
See the clouds begin to form
Feel that cold wind start to blow
Here comes the storm
TY2020
I love how this song goes from happy and sexy to mysterious and sad. Only Gotye knows how to make songs like this. Every song he wrote is telling a story.
TY2020
@Christian Chapman I don't only listen to Gotye. I was just saying that his music is unique.
c c
I love Gotye, but really? Only Gotye? Go listen to Opeth, Steven Wilson... Snarky Puppy? Zero 7?!
Salma S
Here in this place
The stars will protect us with their celestial embrace
Here in this place
The slow wind sings gently to the rolling waves
I touch your face
And we leave conscious thought for the freedom of this drug-like daze
And I heard you say
Let's lose ourselves out here always
Lost in this haze
This prison of pleasures from which we want no escape
Cos here in this place
Our night's filled with passion and so are our days
I heard the moon say
To the sky, why do we bother with a timetable?
When it's clear as the rain
We're lovers forever, together we'll always stay
Here in this place
See the clouds begin to form
Feel that cold wind start to blow
Here comes the storm
Shaun Pierce
The sax in this is so seductive
Imane M'hamed Lakouismi
Good song to listen !
Arun Kishor
Beautiful!!
ginger snaps
👍
Arun Kishor
Still beautiful!!!
Pepsi Fire
I'm back. Felt like I needed to return to Gotye's songs again...