Yet, just one year ago - with two albums already to his name, a raft of rave reviews, and a legion of fans from five years of solid gigging - Jack was about to pack it all in.
Having left his former label and management, he had become thoroughly disillusioned with the music biz at the age of 27. “I was seriously thinking about giving it all up,” he admits. He had just gotten married, had a kid on the way, and hadn't written a song in months.
Then, contemplating his next move last summer, a song came into his head. “I was thinking my career was over before it had really begun. Then this song came along and made me realise I wanted to make another album.”
That song, 'Knock Knock,' is one of the 13 self-penned songs that make up 'Before the Storm.' It's Jack's third album, but he sees it as a new beginning. “For me this is like starting all over again. The first two albums came from my imagination, but for this one I have drawn on my personal experience.”
The songs on 'Before the Storm' chart a turbulent relationship, and articulate the emotional dilemma of a young man torn between enjoying his freedom and settling down with the love of his life. There are fast songs and slow songs, sad ones and happy ones, songs about wild nights on the town and dark nights of the soul. What they share is the honesty of the lyrics and the catchiness of the tunes.
The son of a Polish-German model, whose own parents had fled the Holocaust, and an Italian actor who fled home to escape terrorist death threats, he grew up in London, Italy and Switzerland. Having spent school days “looking out of the window”, he first planned to become a footballer.
Next came a plan to study film in California, prompted by seeing 'The Graduate' at the age of 16, and falling in love with its Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack. That ambition was dramatically thwarted by Jack leaving home on September 11, 2001. “I woke up on a plane halfway across the Atlantic with military jets outside the window and the captain telling us the Pentagon had been hit, and the Twin Towers were no longer standing.” Fourteen frightening hours after taking off in Zurich, he was landing in Geneva. “My California dream came to a pretty abrupt end.”
When he finally made it to Los Angeles, he found a nation in shock, but fell in love with the city and its music. Encouraged by his mother, who had hung out with Hendrix and the Stones in her modelling years, he picked up a guitar and began to write tunes for the poetry he had written at school.
The outcome was 'Between The Minds', a debut album that showcased Jack's husky voice and knack for a catchy tune. Radio 2 loved it and he was invited to tour Europe with Corinne Bailey Rae, culminating in a gig in front of 9,000 fans at Hammersmith Apollo.
But Jack and his indie label were fighting to be heard against the machine of the industry. “It was just the wrong time for me to try to break through.”
A headline tour of Caffe Nero branches around Britain helped generate a buzz about Jack, but his second album, 'Harder than Easy,' failed to reach the audience it deserved when he parted ways with his first label.
Fast-forward to the Spring of 2012 and Jack is in the studio around the corner from his home. Recorded in just four days at KensalTown Studios, 'Before the Storm' is produced by Martin Terefe and The Suppliers, the Scandinavian collective behind a host of hits for artists including James Morrison and Jason Mraz.
“After eight years I have finally found my sound,” says Jack. “I feel like this is my first album. The first two felt like my education and my college years, and this feels like my first real job. I sat down and decided I wanted to make a great album, where every song could stand alone and yet be part of a great album. I think we've achieved it. I am very proud of this album.”
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Back to Me
Jack Savoretti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got me feeling like I'm sinking like a stone
Far from the shore, far from everyone
Feels like I'm sailing this ship on my own
In the middle of the night I'm dancing with my ghost
Where the sun don't shine and we never know where to go
But now I know, there's a lighthouse calling me
Oh, there's a lighthouse calling me
Pulling me from the blue (from the blue)
Calling me back to you (back to you)
Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me back to you (back to you)
Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me back to you (back to you)
These shifting tides are out of my control (out of my control)
But they can't keep me away from you (away from you)
It's harder than you now, harder than you think
Easier to drift, easier to sink
But I keep on coming back, back to you
In the middle of the night I'm dancing with my ghost
Where the sun don't shine and we never know where to go
But now I know, there's a lighthouse calling me
From the edge of every cliff dived to the bottom of the sea
Oh, there's a lighthouse calling me
Pulling me from the blue (from the blue)
Calling me back to you (back to you)
Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me back to you (back to you)
Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me back to you (back to you)
Shine, shine your light on me
Shine, shine your light on me
Shine, shine your light on me
Shine, shine your light on me
Shine, shine your light on me (whatever the weather, baby I'm still looking for you)
Shine, shine your light on me (whatever the weather, baby, I'm still loving you)
Shine, shine your light on me (even in the rain, you shine on)
Shine, shine your light on me (shine, shine your light on me)
Oh, there's a lighthouse calling me
From the edge of every cliff dived to the bottom of the sea
Oh, there's a lighthouse calling me
Pulling me from the blue (from the blue)
Calling me back to you (back to you)
Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me back to you (back to you)
Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me back to you (back to you)
"Back to Me" by Jack Savoretti is a song about the struggles of being lost at sea, both literally and metaphorically. The lyrics are a representation of someone who feels like they are drowning in their troubles and are struggling to find their way back to safety. They are in the middle of the ocean with no one around, and are dancing with their ghosts. The ghosts represent their past, which is haunting them at this moment. They are feeling isolated and disconnected from the world, with no hope of finding their way back.
However, despite feeling lost, the singer finds a lighthouse calling to them. The lighthouse serves as a beacon of hope, giving them the direction they need to find their way back to safety. The lighthouse represents an undying love that serves as a guiding light to lead the person back to the person they love. The singer recognizes that it is harder than they initially thought to navigate the waters, but they keep coming back, back to that person they love.
Overall, "Back to Me" is a beautifully written song with a deep meaning. It is a song about finding hope and guidance when everything seems lost. It is a reminder that there is always a way back to the people and things we love, even in our darkest hours.
Line by Line Meaning
These crazy waters, I'm living in
The unpredictable and risky situations I find myself in
Got me feeling like I'm sinking like a stone
I'm struggling and it feels like I'm going under
Far from the shore, far from everyone
I'm isolated and alone
Feels like I'm sailing this ship on my own
I'm facing challenges without any support
In the middle of the night I'm dancing with my ghost
I'm haunted by my past and emotions at night
Where the sun don't shine and we never know where to go
In dark situations, we feel lost and unsure of our direction
But now I know, there's a lighthouse calling me
I've discovered a guiding light and a way out
From the edge of every cliff dived to the bottom of the sea
No matter how deep or risky the situation, the light is still present
Pulling me from the blue (from the blue)
Saving me from my distress and depression
Calling me back to you (back to you)
Guiding me towards a person or place that represents safety and comfort
These shifting tides are out of my control (out of my control)
I can't control the changes around me
But they can't keep me away from you (away from you)
I won't let these changes separate me from my comfort and safety
It's harder than you now, harder than you think
It's more difficult than you realize
Easier to drift, easier to sink
It's easier to give up than to keep trying
But I keep on coming back, back to you
I persistently seek out the source of my comfort and safety
Shine, shine your light on me
I need your guidance and support
(whatever the weather, baby I'm still looking for you)
No matter the difficulty, I'll keep pursuing the source of my comfort
(whatever the weather, baby, I'm still loving you)
My love for you remains constant despite the hardships
(even in the rain, you shine on)
Even in difficult times, you are still there for me
Oh, there's a lighthouse calling me
I have found a source of guidance and safety
Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me back to you (back to you)
The light is persistently calling me towards safety and comfort
Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me back to you (back to you)
I can't ignore the call towards safety and comfort
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Guillermo Varillas Kortabarria, Jack Savoretti
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind