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 River Queen
Harry James Angus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It just flows down, past the valleys and the parks
And it takes on a lot of shit along the road
But the river knows exactly where it's going
To the ocean at the bottom of the hill
Where the green grass meets the deep blue dark
Deepness of the waters cold as ice
I had come to this place to bury some things
Bury my iPod, bury my rings
And I filled the whole with all my cycling clothes
Then 'round the bend of the river she came
Cold as ice, the river queen
With hair of gold and skin of blue
She floated past without so much as a "how do you do?"
When I stood and stared
She floated out to sea and was sunset
Eventually the water turned to red
The thing is that a river bends and twists like a lie
And a river is a very good place to hide
So they placed her in the water in the darkness of the night
And he kissed her on the brow, and let her to the tide
Oh you foolish, foolish man
Wiping the blood from the back of your hand
Don't you know the river is a lady
The thing is that a river never has to choose a path
It just flows down, past the valleys and the parks
And it takes on a lot of shit along the road
But the river knows exactly where it's going
To the ocean at the bottom of the hill
Where the green grass meets the deep blue dark
Deepness of the waters cold as ice
The lyrics of Harry James Angus's song "The River Queen" are a metaphor for the path of life. The river symbolizes the journey of life and how we have no control over the path we take. Like a river, life takes us through valleys and parks, and we encounter obstacles and hardships that we have to "take on" and overcome. However, just like the river knows its destination - the ocean at the bottom of the hill - we have a purpose in life and a destination to reach. The deep blue dark of the ocean represents the mysteries of life that we have yet to discover.
The singer has come to the edge of the river to bury some things, perhaps as a way of letting go of the past and moving on. However, as he watches the river, he sees the River Queen floating by. She is cold and distant, and she floats past without acknowledging him. Later, it's revealed that the River Queen was murdered and dumped into the river. The river becomes a symbol of the mystery of death and the unknown.
The line "Don't you know the river is a lady" is a warning to the singer that he should not underestimate the power of the river. Going against the flow of the river, trying to control the path of life, is like going against the natural order of things. The river is a lady, and as such, should be respected and allowed to flow in its natural path.
Overall, the message of the song is one of acceptance and surrender. Just as the river flows down its path and takes on whatever may come, we should accept the twists and turns of life and trust that we will reach our destination.
Line by Line Meaning
The thing is that a river never has to choose a path
Rivers are not bound to follow a particular route
It just flows down, past the valleys and the parks
It always keeps moving and adapts according to its surroundings
And it takes on a lot of shit along the road
A river endures all the impurities it receives on its way
But the river knows exactly where it's going
Despite obstacles, a river remains focused on its destination
To the ocean at the bottom of the hill
The river's final stop is the sea
Where the green grass meets the deep blue dark
The meeting point of the land and the sea
Deepness of the waters cold as ice
The river runs deep and is incredibly cold
I had come to this place to bury some things
The artist is here to let go of some things
Bury my iPod, bury my rings
The artist is letting go of personal possessions
And I filled the hole with all my cycling clothes
The artist replaces old things with new things
Then 'round the bend of the river she came
A woman appeared on the bend of the river
Cold as ice, the river queen
The woman is referred to as the queen of the river and is cold to the artist
With hair of gold and skin of blue
Descriptive features of the woman
She floated past without so much as a "how do you do?"
The woman ignored the singer
When I stood and stared
The singer was captivated
She floated out to sea and was sunset
The woman blended into the sunset and disappeared
Eventually the water turned to red
The aftermath of an event, possibly a crime
The thing is that a river bends and twists like a lie
Rivers can be unpredictable, just like a lie
And a river is a very good place to hide
A river can conceal things or people
So they placed her in the water in the darkness of the night
Someone disposed of something or someone in the river
And he kissed her on the brow, and let her to the tide
The person lets go of whatever they have disposed of
Oh you foolish, foolish man
The artist is addressing someone who has made a mistake
Wiping the blood from the back of your hand
Someone has been involved in violence or something violent has happened
Don't you know the river is a lady
The river is personified as a female figure
Contributed by Dylan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.