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).
Save Me
Gotye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was anxious
It's better just to stay in bed
Didn't want to fail myself again
Running through all the options
And the endings
Were rolling out in front of me
And I could not love
'Cause I could not love myself
Never good enough, no
That was all I'd tell myself
And I was not well
But I could not help myself
I was giving up on living
In the morning
You were leaving
Travelling south again
And you said you were not unprepared
And all the dead ends
And disappointments
Were fading from your memory
Ready for that lonely life to end
And you gave me love
When I could not love myself
And you made me turn
From the way I saw myself
And you're patient, love
And you help me help myself
And you save me
And you save me
Yeah you save me
Gotye’s “Save Me” is a song about loneliness, self-doubt, and the power of love to heal. From the beginning of the song, Gotye paints a picture of someone who is struggling with anxiety and self-doubt. The line “I was anxious, it’s better just to stay in bed, didn’t want to fail myself again” suggests that the singer is feeling overwhelmed and powerless. The lyrics “And I could not love, 'Cause I could not love myself, Never good enough, no, That was all I'd tell myself” reveal that the singer has a negative self-image and is struggling to experience self-love.
The singer then describes meeting someone who offers them love and support. The lines “And you gave me love when I could not love myself, And you made me turn from the way I saw myself, And you're patient, love, And you help me help myself, And you save me” suggest that this person has been instrumental in helping the singer overcome their self-doubt and find the will to live. The song is ultimately a celebration of the transforming power of love and the hope that it can bring to even the most hopeless of situations.
Line by Line Meaning
In the mornings
At the start of each new day
I was anxious
Feeling worried and uneasy
It's better just to stay in bed
Preferring to avoid the day and not face any challenges
Didn't want to fail myself again
Avoiding repetition of prior past failures
Running through all the options
Considering and evaluating multiple choices
And the endings
The possible outcomes
Were rolling out in front of me
Becoming clearer as time went on
But I couldn't choose a thread to begin
Having difficulty deciding on which path to take
And I could not love
Being unable to give love
'Cause I could not love myself
Due to lacking self-love and self-worth
Never good enough, no
Believing that one's own efforts were inadequate
That was all I'd tell myself
Criticizing and discouraging oneself
And I was not well
Suffering from emotional and mental distress
But I could not help myself
Being unable to improve one's own situation
I was giving up on living
Feeling defeated and hopeless, without any hope for change
In the morning
Starting anew with each daybreak
You were leaving
Going away, departing from the artist's life
Travelling south again
Moving in a particular direction with purpose
And you said you were not unprepared
Feeling ready and equipped for the journey
And all the dead ends
The closed-off, hopeless paths
And disappointments
The frustrating and discouraging experiences
Were fading from your memory
No longer weighing on the artist's thoughts or emotions
Ready for that lonely life to end
No longer feeling content or satisfied with a solitary existence
And you gave me love
Showing the artist kindness and affection
When I could not love myself
During a time when the singer was struggling to find self-appreciation
And you made me turn
Encouraging the singer to take a different perspective
From the way I saw myself
Pushing the singer to reconsider their own worth
And you're patient, love
Showing tolerance and empathy towards the artist
And you help me help myself
Assisting the artist in achieving their own personal growth
And you save me
Rescuing the singer from their own self-destructive tendencies
And you save me
Continuing to provide a positive influence
Yeah you save me
Reinforcing the significance of their actions
Lyrics © Cloud9
Written by: Walter Andre De Backer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Mr1drumlover
A true artist in every sense of the word... ART AT IT'S FINEST!!!!
I believe that it is not important to Gotye how many people his art reaches... but rather, how his art impacts even one heart and soul.
Thank you Wally, collaborators and crew for ALL the hard work and the resulting beauty that you put out into this troubled world!!!! The Karma will run over the dogma!!!!
Much Peace and Love,
Brian J. Foti
Nashville, TN USA
@Rajat_1010
In the mornings
I was anxious
It's better just to stay in bed
Didn't want to fail myself again
Running through all the options
And the endings
Were rolling out in front of me
But I couldn't choose a thread to begin
And I could not love
Coz I could not love myself
Never good enough, no
That was all I'd tell myself
And I was not well
But I could not help myself
I was giving up on living
In the morning
You were leaving
Travelling south again
And you said you were not unprepared
And all the dead ends
And disappointments
Were fading from your memory
Ready for that lonely life to end
And you gave me love
When I could not love myself
And you made me turn
From the way I saw myself
And you're patient, love
And you help me help myself
And you save me
And you save me
Yeah you save me
@ArcienPlaysGames
The people who are thinking Gotye is a one-hit-wonder are missing out on a LOT of great music.
@HailHydreigon
Absolutely true.
@ellyrussell254
I am regularly sad that it has been so long. I remember falling in love when I started college, and I feel I connect with his music more with every passing year. I really hope he returns when he’s ready
@ArcienPlaysGames
@@ellyrussell254 100% same
@Sooyush
Instead of calling it "depression", it's a song dedicated to all those great people who help us choose paths and makes us believe in ourselves. It is a love song for them. Teachers, parents, friends, our guardians.
@jamesdean5836
Beautifully said
@abhainnxv1554
Okay but that's literally what Gotye said it was about. It was about his girlfriend Tash Parker who helped him through his depression.
@kierananthony25
Gotye is someone we will be talking about for decade when he's dead. A timeless voice and an incredible sense of music. God bless him. Proper artist.
@kavyavr
Ciakai agreed
@devpatel7154
Kieran Anthony Thompson too bad people only know like 1 song of his including me before now 😂