Along with the likes of Lily Allen, Jamie T, Kate Nash, Adele, etc, he is often included in the "Estuary English" pack of UK musicians - the 2006/2007 UK trend of young musicians singing without consciously altering their spoken English accent. (Estuary English being the accent commonly found around the south east of England, most notably in London [and even more notably among the youth], considered a compromise between Cockney and RP)
At 17 he started the band Jack's Basement with his friend Felix White. The band split in two, one half going on to form The Maccabees, the other forming Jack Peñate's band, including Joel Porter (bass) and Alex Robins (drums). Having started a Classics degree at UCL he hooked up with London indie club and label, Young Turks and his studies were dropped in favour of a music career.
His eclectic mix of styles incorporates elements of his varied influences which range from rockabilly and folk to jazz and trip-hop. He lists Prince, Jeff Buckley, Shuggie Otis, Todd Rundgren, JJ Cale, Harry Nilsson and Herbie Hancock among his influences. Yet he delivers a genuine London voice and still manages to sound original.
His live performances are characterised by his much commented, "individualist" style of dancing where he plays guitar and dances simultaneously with a vigorous fluidity - he finds it hard to keep still.
In autumn 2006, Peñate signed to XL Recordings who delivered main-stream success with the release of his debut album Matinée. It was followed up in 2009 with Everything is New.
Pull My Heart Away
Jack Peñate Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm moving the boxes into the hall
I stop when I hear a drumbeat call
Must be a sign, it is time
I need to take myself away
From the pillowed hand on which I stand
And throw me out of the side of a plane
I will have to pull my heart away
'Cause if I never leave I'll ruin yesterday
It's not like my feet are stuck to the floor
It's not like I'm wanting to know about the door
I want you to throw my shoes in the fire
And I'll watch the souls burn on the funeral pyre
And I'm over and it will change my position
And I'll know that nobody, nobody's listening
And that's easy for me and it's better for the soul
And it's better for you and it's better for all
I will have to pull my heart away
'Cause if I never leave I'll ruin yesterday
I will have to pull my heart away
'Cause if I never leave I'll ruin yesterday
I'm over with words, I'm moving in lines
And all that I put is jump up inside, jump off the side
I will have to pull my heart away
'Cause if I never leave I'll ruin yesterday
I will have to pull my heart away
'Cause if I never leave I'll ruin yesterday
I will have to pull my heart away
The lyrics of Jack Peñate's song Pull My Heart Away convey a sense of restlessness and a desire to escape from something that has been holding the singer back. The opening verses imply that the singer is in the process of moving on from a past relationship, tearing down old posters and boxing up belongings. The drumbeat that he hears symbolizes a calling to move on from the past and take a risk. The singer sees himself "throwing himself out of the side of a plane" as a way of testing his own limits and seeing where his new journey may take him.
The chorus of the song speaks to the heart of the matter. The singer is unable to move on if he holds onto his heart, so he must find a way to pull it away. If he doesn't leave his past behind, he knows it will "ruin yesterday". The second verse takes the metaphorical language even further as the singer asks his lover to burn his shoes on a funeral pyre. This implies the desire to cut ties completely and start anew.
The final verse of the song brings the inner conflict to a close. The singer declares that he is done with words, instead choosing to move through life with action. The phrase "jump up inside, jump off the side" suggests the singer is ready to take risks and fully embrace his future without dwelling on his past.
Overall, Pull My Heart Away is a powerful and introspective song about leaving the past behind, taking risks, and moving forward with life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm ripping your posters off the wall
I'm trying to erase every memory of you from my life
I'm moving the boxes into the hall
I'm packing my things and preparing to leave
I stop when I hear a drumbeat call
I'm waiting for a sign that it's time to move on
Must be a sign, it is time
I'm ready for a change and to leave the past behind
I need to take myself away
I need distance and time to heal and move forward
From the pillowed hand on which I stand
From the comfortable and familiar place I've been stuck in
And throw me out of the side of a plane
To take a bold and risky move to see where it leads me
And I'll just see where I land
To let go of control and embrace the unknown
It's not like my feet are stuck to the floor
I'm not trapped, I have the power to move on
It's not like I'm wanting to know about the door
I don't need to know what's behind the door, I need to leave
I want you to throw my shoes in the fire
I want to distance myself from the life I've known
And I'll watch the souls burn on the funeral pyre
I'm ready to let go of the past and move forward
And I'm over and it will change my position
I'm ready to move on and it'll change my perspective
And I'll know that nobody, nobody's listening
I'm not seeking validation or permission to move forward
And that's easy for me and it's better for the soul
This is a necessary and freeing step for my well-being
And it's better for you and it's better for all
It's better for everyone involved to let go of the past
I'm over with words, I'm moving in lines
I'm done talking about change and ready to take action
And all that I put is jump up inside, jump off the side
All I can do is take the leap and hope for the best
I will have to pull my heart away
I know I need to let go of my attachment to the past
'Cause if I never leave I'll ruin yesterday
If I stay stuck in the past, I'll never be able to move forward
I will have to pull my heart away
It's a difficult but necessary step for me to take
'Cause if I never leave I'll ruin yesterday
Holding onto the past too tightly will only hold me back
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL EPWORTH, JACK PENATE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind