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).
The Banker
Harry James Angus Lyrics
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I'm living in New York and Hong Kong on weekends
And my offices are so high up
You should see it at night
When the lights down below are like fairy dust
And in a few restaurants they know me by name
And I order the usual and they know what I′m saying
I know I was put on this earth
To change pounds into dollars and yen, and back again
I guess that I miss you, but we'll meet again
Sometimes I get homesick when I go to bed
And when I can't sleep
I turn on my screen
And the numbers flicker like fairy dust
One day perhaps we′ll get married
You could come and live here, you know I could carry you
You′d just stay home and do your paintings all day
And the sun will turn red in the evening
We'll go home twice a year to visit our mums
And swim at the waterfall up on the hill
We could be so happy, so happy again
But I know I was put on this earth
To change pounds into dollars and yen, and back again
I guess that I miss you, but we′ll meet again
Sometimes I get homesick when I go to bed
And when I can't sleep
I turn on my screen
And the numbers flicker like fairy dust
And now you could say I′m a high powered banker
I'm living in New York and Hong Kong on weekends
And my offices are so high up
You should see it at night
When the lights down below are like fairy dust
The song "The Banker" by Harry James Angus speaks of a high-powered banker who lives between New York and Hong Kong, with a successful career and a great amount of wealth. He describes his luxurious and lavish lifestyle, with offices so high up that the view below looks like fairy dust at night. However, amidst all the success and wealth, the banker seems to feel a sense of loneliness and homesickness, especially when he goes to bed and turns on his screen, which only flickers with numbers.
The lyrics suggest a yearning for a simpler life, one where he could settle down with the person he loves and live a happy life. The banker mentions his desire to get married and have a wife who could stay home and paint while he takes care of the finances. He also speaks of a waterfall on a hill where they could swim and enjoy their time together. However, he believes that he was put on this earth to change pounds into dollars and yen, and back again, suggesting that he cannot let go of his job and the lifestyle that comes with it, even if it means sacrificing his happiness.
Overall, "The Banker" is a poignant commentary on the emptiness of wealth and the price of success, hinting at the inevitable tradeoffs one must make to attain such status.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you could say I'm a high powered banker
I am a wealthy and successful banker
I'm living in New York and Hong Kong on weekends
I frequently travel and spend time in New York and Hong Kong during weekends
And my offices are so high up
My offices are situated in tall buildings
You should see it at night
The view of the city at night from my offices is magnificent
When the lights down below are like fairy dust
The city lights resemble magical fairy dust when viewed from high up
And in a few restaurants they know me by name
I am a regular customer at some restaurants and they recognize me
And I order the usual and they know what I'm saying
I often order the same thing and the staff understands my preference
I think I could turn this whole city around
I believe I have the power to make significant changes in the city's economy
I know I was put on this earth
I believe that I have a purpose in life
To change pounds into dollars and yen, and back again
My purpose in life is to work as a currency trader
I guess that I miss you, but we'll meet again
I feel nostalgic about someone I miss, but I am hopeful that we will reunite
Sometimes I get homesick when I go to bed
Occasionally I feel melancholic about being away from home when I'm about to sleep
And when I can't sleep
When I have difficulty sleeping
I turn on my screen
I use my computer to distract myself from sleeplessness
And the numbers flicker like fairy dust
I find comfort in watching the numbers on my computer screen as they fluctuate, akin to a glittery fairy dust
One day perhaps we'll get married
I entertain the thought of getting married someday
You could come and live here, you know I could carry you
I offer to support and take care of my partner, should they choose to live with me
You'd just stay home and do your paintings all day
I imagine my partner doing what they love, which is painting, while staying at home all day
And the sun will turn red in the evening
We will enjoy the beautiful sunset together
We'll go home twice a year to visit our mums
We will make arrangements to visit our mothers twice a year
And swim at the waterfall up on the hill
We will spend some quality time together by swimming at a nearby waterfall
We could be so happy, so happy again
I believe we could have a fulfilling and joyful life together
Writer(s): Henry James Angus
Contributed by Max A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Benedict Garman
Utterly beautiful. My favourite of his tracks I think. Little Stories is a tremendous album, can't wait for the next one!
Onjit
Brilliant!
Filipa Pinto
I wanna marry him. I'm absolutelly in love with this man
Thirstyspirit
I friggen feel this
Brillig144
:)