Angus was born on the 11th June 1982 in Melbourne, Victoria. he started playing trumpet at the age of twelve, and learnt to scat from listening to jazz recordings. He went to Malvern Primary School, where he often sang at school assemblies. He then went to McKinnon Secondary College and was taught by Ian Orr in Melbourne before studying at the Victorian College of the Arts. In 2006 he appeared twice as a panellist on the ABC Australian Music Quiz show Spicks and Specks. Angus is also part of The Conglomerate, a four-piece Melbourne jazz band. He also played basketball for the Malvern Tigers Basketball Club, and used to wear the club's black and yellow singlet while performing at gigs. He is married to Emily Lubitz, the lead singer of Tinpan Orange.
His side project, Jackson Jackson, is a partnership with producer and film composer Jan Skubiszewski (Two Hands, The Rage in Placid Lake, Last Man Standing). "Jackson Jackson and the New Apocalypso Beat" features Melbourne trio The Genie (composed of Ollie McGill on keyboards and keytar, Ryan Monro on bass, and Will Hull-Brown on drums). His backing singers are known as "The Jackson Jackson 5" (made up of Elana Stone, Karishma Sadhai, Bec Ari, Chantal Mitvalsky, and Rory Osman). Jackson Jackson are signed to EMI, and their debut album The Fire Is on ohe Bird was released in 2007. In 2008 they released their second album. Tools for Survival.
Angus is a member of The Conglomerate, and plays trumpet on four tracks of the debut album Aroona Palace by Tinpan Orange, which also features Ollie McGill.
He has also released two folk/acoustic solo albums: Live at the Famous Spiegeltent (2008) and Little Stories (2011).
Boring Life
Harry James Angus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to have this hammer in my fist
I used to think that I would write a song that saved the world
Now I think I couldn't give a shit
All my plans and papers in the wind
All my furniture is fresh and new from Sweden
All the things I've done, and all the things I'll be
I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid that I'm afraid
I'm afraid, I'm afraid that I'm afraid
Of my boring life, my boring life
(ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
I went on holidays, we got to Burma shave
In the mountains in the jungle we were crazy
We were drunk, we were young, we were lawyers on the run
I saw this begging man, his legs were little stumps
He tried to grab my ankle as I passed
I admit that I was frightened, but I laughed
I threw a coin and he grabbed it from the air
Then he turned his rotting face to me and said
"I would kill, I would kill, I would kill you where you stand
I would kill you, I would kill you where you stand
For your boring life, your boring life"
(ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
I bought my girlfriend a necklace for her birthday
She calls me her lawnmower babe
In the mornings we run around the lake
In the evenings I try to stay awake
My bedroom lamp has a soft warm glow
With the TV, it dances on the wall
Keeps me up a little longer, I like to smell the air
After midnight, when it feels like the highway isn't there
And I think, and I think, I think to myself
To myself I think that I should learn to love
My boring life, so clear and bright
(ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
My boring life, my sacrifice
(ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh...)
Harry James Angus's song "Boring Life" is a deeply introspective piece that explores the conflicting emotions of youthful ambition and adult contentment. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the internal struggle that the singer is facing. He muses about how he used to have grand ambitions, but now he feels disillusioned and apathetic towards them. All of the grand plans and ideas that he thought would change the world seem to have disappeared somewhere along the way. The singer seems to be grappling with the idea of whether or not he should accept his mundane existence or continue to yearn for the days where he felt alive and passionate.
The second verse of the song introduces a pivotal moment. The singer recalls a time where he was on holiday in Burma and had a chance encounter with a beggar on the street. The beggar, who has no legs, tries to grab the singer's ankle as he walks past. At first, the singer is frightened, but then he throws a coin and the beggar catches it. The beggar then turns to him and says he would kill him where he stands for his boring life. This moment seems to haunt the singer and makes him question whether he should be content with the simple pleasures of his life or try to seek out more meaningful experiences.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm afraid that I'm afraid" which emphasizes the singer's uncertainty and fear about his current state of being. However, by the end of the song, the singer has come to a realization that he should learn to love his "boring life" and see it as a sacrifice that he has made for the people he loves. This transformation of perspective seems to bring a sense of peace and acceptance to the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to have this fire in my eyes
At one time, I had a burning passion to accomplish great things
I used to have this hammer in my fist
I was once very motivated to create and build things
I used to think that I would write a song that saved the world
I believed that I could make a great impact with my creative pursuits
Now I think I couldn't give a shit
However, I have since become disillusioned and feel apathetic towards my former passions
All my plans and papers in the wind
My goals and dreams have been scattered away by life's unpredictable nature
All my furniture is fresh and new from Sweden
I've made a lot of consumer purchases to attempt to bring some excitement into my life
All the things I've done, and all the things I'll be
Despite the things I've accomplished and the person I will become in the future, I still feel unfulfilled
You're a son and you're a father, is there nothing in between?
I'm feeling stuck in a mundane routine and struggling to find a sense of identity beyond my familial roles
I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid that I'm afraid
I'm consumed by a sense of fear and uncertainty about my future
I'm afraid, I'm afraid that I'm afraid
This fear is so intense and all consuming that it's starting to take over my life
Of my boring life, my boring life
I am deeply dissatisfied with my current situation and everyday experiences
I went on holidays, we got to Burma shave
Despite my attempts to spice up my life with travel and adventure, I am still unfulfilled
In the mountains in the jungle we were crazy
During these exciting trips, we let loose and acted in ways we wouldn't normally
We were drunk, we were young, we were lawyers on the run
We were reckless and living in the moment, not planning for the future
I saw this begging man, his legs were little stumps
During one trip, I encountered someone in a less fortunate position than myself
He tried to grab my ankle as I passed
Although I was initially frightened, I didn't take his desperate actions seriously
I admit that I was frightened, but I laughed
In fact, I chose to laugh it off as something silly and insignificant
I threw a coin and he grabbed it from the air
As an empty gesture, I threw him some spare change
Then he turned his rotting face to me and said
However, his angry and bitter reaction was unexpected
"I would kill, I would kill, I would kill you where you stand
The reality of his helpless and desperate situation became clear in this violent statement
I would kill you, I would kill you where you stand
He resented me for not seeing him as a real person and prioritizing my own comfort and satisfaction above his suffering
For your boring life, your boring life"
He saw me as a representation of a life that he would never have and was therefore unable to appreciate
I bought my girlfriend a necklace for her birthday
In an attempt to feel more fulfilled, I am making grand gestures for my loved ones
She calls me her lawnmower babe
However, these performative actions don't necessarily mean anything in the grand scheme of things
In the mornings we run around the lake
As part of our daily routine, we try to find joy in these small moments
In the evenings I try to stay awake
However, even these moments are becoming dull and uneventful
My bedroom lamp has a soft warm glow
I've been trying to find pleasure in mundane experiences like the ambiance of my bedroom
With the TV, it dances on the wall
Even indulging in the small pleasure of watching TV is becoming less and less exciting over time
Keeps me up a little longer, I like to smell the air
Although I don't have a lot of excitement in my life, I try to find joy in small things like staying up slightly later and enjoying the night air
After midnight, when it feels like the highway isn't there
I try to escape my monotonous life by losing myself in these quiet moments where the world seems still
And I think, and I think, I think to myself
In these moments of escape, I become introspective and reflective
To myself I think that I should learn to love
I'm starting to realize that the thing that's missing in my life isn't necessarily adventure or excitement, but rather, a sense of gratitude and contentment with what I have
My boring life, so clear and bright
There is beauty in the simple moments of my life that I've been taking for granted
My boring life, my sacrifice
Embracing the mundanity of my life is a sacrifice of the excitement that I once craved
Contributed by Lucy B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.