However, it wasn’t until he bought a loop pedal in 2010 that everything started to come together.
In desperate need of some cash to repair his car while on a New Years holiday in 2012, Graeme hit the streets of Gisborne for his first ever loop pedal busking session and the response from the public was so positive he was back on the road in two days.
Over the course of 2012 he upped the ante- and started driving from Palmerston North to Wellington for late night busking sessions on Cuba St. Eventually he relocated permanently to Wellington and started touring New Zealand busking and sleeping in his car ‘The Hotel Corona’.
A major breakthrough came that summer in Queenstown as he would play nightly busking concerts to crowds of over 200 people by the lakefront. This started to gather what would become a large, loyal and global fan base. His ‘make-it-up-as-you-go’ attitude made for quirky and unique versions of well known songs, generally featuring a rousing solo on the electric fiddle. On the recommendation of a fellow street performer Graeme decided to record an album of these quirky covers.
The self released album “Play one we all know” literally hit the streets in 2013 followed by “Play one we all know Vol. II” in late 2014. The latter was funded through a kickstarter campaign that met its $5000.00 target in 27 hours. Both cover albums have sold thousands of copies while busking on the streets of New Zealand. Playing interesting versions of popular songs allowed Graeme James to hone his craft as a recording artist and with over 500 performances over the next two years his captivating live show was earning him fans across the country.
Graeme had always written his own songs, but it wasn’t until 2015 that he began performing them live and his original material was met with immediate interest from fans. His first single ‘Alive’ came out at the end of 2015 and was featured on NZ on Air’s ‘New Hits Disc’, The Edge Radio and TV and has been streamed over a million times to date.
In 2015 he completed three full New Zealand tours and made two trips across the Tasman for shows on Australia’s East Coast. Recent sold out shows in Wellington, Christchurch, Wanaka, Queenstown and Melbourne are a testament to the momentum that has started to build around his original music.
His debut original album ‘News From Nowhere’ is a collection of songs written over the last few years while touring the length and breadth of his homeland. Drawing inspiration from the beauty and immensity of New Zealand’s famous landscapes, the album is intensely visual in its writing and sound. In an attempt to mirror the energy and joy of his live show, he has performed and produced the album in its entirety, with a few notable features from select musicians including a duet with his wife who he met while busking in Wellington.
News From Nowhere was released in September 2016.
Bittersweet Symphony
Graeme James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die.
I′ll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the
Places where all the veins meet, yeah.
No change, I can't change, I can′t change, I can′t change,
But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold.
But I′m a million different people from one day to the next
Well I never pray,
But tonight I′m on my knees, yeah.
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah.
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now.
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now.
No change, I can′t change, I can't change, I can't change,
But I′m here in my mold, I am here in my mold.
And I′m a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
End
Compositores: Keith Richards / Mick Jagger / Richard Ashcroft
In Graeme James's song "Bittersweet Symphony," the lyrics describe the struggle of life and the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of trying to make ends meet. The line "Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die" highlights the idea that we often become so consumed with making money and surviving that we forget to enjoy life. The singer takes the listener down the only road they've ever been on - the one that leads to the places where all the veins meet, implying that we are all connected by our struggles.
Despite the singer's desire to change, they feel stuck in their mold and unable to do anything about it. The repetition of the line "No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change" emphasizes this feeling of helplessness. The singer recognizes that they are a million different people from one day to the next, but they are still limited by their mold. The final lines of the song depict the singer on their knees, praying for some sort of relief from the pain they feel. They let the melody shine and cleanse their mind, momentarily freeing them from their troubles.
Overall, "Bittersweet Symphony" is a poignant commentary on the struggles of life and the feeling of being trapped in a cycle. The repetition of certain phrases captures the feeling of being stuck, while the singer's moments of freedom through music give the listener hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Life is like a symphony with both happy and sad moments.
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die.
Trying to survive by earning money often makes you feel like a slave and the end is inevitable.
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I will show you the path I have taken before.
You know the one that takes you to the Places where all the veins meet, yeah.
I will show you the places where all the important things in life intersect.
No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change, But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold.
I feel stuck in my ways and unable to change, but I still exist in my own unique form.
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Even though I feel stagnant, I still experience different emotions and thoughts every day, and although I cannot change who I am fundamentally, I still have the ability to grow and develop.
Well I never pray, But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah.
Although I am not religious, I am feeling desperate and in need of something to lift me up.
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah.
I am looking for music or other sounds that I can relate to my own pain and struggles.
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now.
I allow the music to take over and help me forget my worries and anxieties, feeling more at ease.
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now.
There is a sense of emptiness as there is no music or sound to comfort me, leaving me feeling isolated and alone.
End
The song is coming to a close.
Writer(s): Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Richard Ashcroft
Contributed by Michael N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.