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.”
http://www.jacksavoretti.com/
Helpless
Jack Savoretti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These things I've done
I can't forget
I've come to win
But I lose it
Now look at me;
What you see is what you get
You better take your heart away from me
This is my love, helplessly fading
Doing everything I can to lose a little bit
Of myself tonight, hopelessly waiting
For the storm to lead me home
'Cause I can never walk away from a fight
All of my life, running on wild
Trying to escape it
This is my love, helplessly fading
Always waiting
Always waiting
I've come to say I'm sorry
(So sorry)
Far too many times to tell
It's never like in the stories
(Oh, I tried)
But I could not catch you when you fell
If you give yourself
I'll take everything you got
This is my love, helplessly fading
Doing everything I can to lose a little bit
Of myself tonight, hopelessly waiting
For the storm to lead me home
'Cuz I could never walk away from the fight
[?}
Trying to escape it
This is my love, helplessly fading
Always waiting
Always waiting
(Keep waiting keep, keep waiting)
Living in a love song, yeah
(Keep waiting keep, keep waiting)
Will it be the right one?
(Keep waiting keep, keep waiting)
Living in a love song, oooh oh
This is my love, helplessly fading
Doing everything I can to lose a little bit
Of myself tonight, hopelessly waiting
For the storm to lead me home
'Cuz I could never walk away from the fight
Trying to escape it
This is my love, helplessly fading
Always waiting
In Jack Savoretti's song Helpless, the lyrics are about reconciliation and trying to make amends for past mistakes in a relationship. The song begins with the singer admitting to his mistakes and how he's come to win but ultimately, he loses. He seems to be aware that he's hurting his partner and tells them to take their heart away from him. The chorus of the song is about how he's trying to resist giving into his love because he knows it's fading and he's trying to escape it. He's hoping for a sign or a way to be led back to the love that he lost.
The lyrics are poignant and beautifully written. They really hit home for anyone who's ever been in a relationship where apologies were needed but love still remained. The song is about the struggle of admitting to oneself that they are at fault and hurting others as a result. It's a very relatable message and conveyed through beautiful instrumentation and soaring vocals.
Overall, Helpless is an emotional ballad that touches on universal themes of love, regret, and redemption. It's a song that's sure to resonate with anyone who has struggled in a relationship or needed to apologize and make amends.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta face the music
I have to confront the consequences
These things I've done
Actions I've taken in the past
I can't forget
Still present in my mind
I've come to win
Initial intent to succeed
But I lose it
Failed to achieve my goal
Now look at me;
Present state of being
What you see is what you get
My true self, no illusions
You better take your heart away from me
I'll only let you down with my fading love
This is my love, helplessly fading
My love is slowly slipping away and I can't stop it
Doing everything I can to lose a little bit
Attempting to move on and forget
Of myself tonight, hopelessly waiting
Feeling helpless, waiting for a sign
For the storm to lead me home
Hoping for a resolution to my problems
'Cause I can never walk away from a fight
Determined to keep trying, despite the odds
All of my life, running on wild
Living a life filled with risk
Trying to escape it
Trying to run from my problems
Always waiting
Waiting for something to change
I've come to say I'm sorry
Apologizing yet again
(So sorry)
A sincere apology
Far too many times to tell
Numerous apologies in the past
It's never like in the stories
Real life is not like fairy tales
(Oh, I tried)
Attempting to make things better
But I could not catch you when you fell
Failed to support and help when needed
If you give yourself
If you allow yourself to be vulnerable with me
I'll take everything you got
I'll try my best to make it work
Living in a love song, yeah
Being in love feels like a song
Will it be the right one?
Wondering if this love will be the right one
Always waiting
Continuously waiting for love
(Keep waiting keep, keep waiting)
Endlessly waiting
This is my love, helplessly fading
My love is slipping out of my grasp
Trying to escape it
Attempting to run from my fading love
Writer(s): Jack Savoretti, Matty Benbrook
Contributed by Avery N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.