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/
The Proposal
Jack Savoretti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see memories when I cry
I hear songs in the key of silence
I'm not ready yet to die
Every breath I laugh out loud
Like a poet with no rhyme
It means nothing to me now
Oh this crazy superstition
You'll find love just you wait your turn
I ain't got no time for intuition
Let's build this bridge together watch it burn
Looking back at my sweet life
In an empty dirty glass
I can see the men in white
Telling tales about the past
Such a dangerous game to play
Only way to be
Ask me nicely I might stay
Will you run away with me
Oh this crazy superstition
You'll find love just you wait your turn
I ain't got no time for intuition
Let's build this bridge together watch it burn
Living in your absence
I see memories of when I cried
I hear songs in the key of silence
I'm not ready yet to die
Oh this crazy superstition
You'll find love just you wait your turn
I ain't got no time for intuition
Let's build this bridge together watch it burn
Let's build this bridge together watch it burn
Let's build this bridge together watch it burn
The song "The Proposal" by Jack Savoretti speaks of a person's readiness for love and relationships, and their reflections on past experiences. The first verse presents a sense of longing for past memories, where the person sees memories whenever they cry in absence. The use of the word 'silence' in "songs in the key of silence" suggests that the person has stopped searching for happiness and has resigned to life's struggles. However, the lines "I'm not ready yet to die" and "It'll mean everything in time" suggest a glimmer of hope in the future, that even though the poet feels lost now, he knows that something meaningful will come eventually.
The second verse emphasizes how the person has come to accept the absurdity of love as "a crazy superstition" and doesn't have time for "intuition," which may suggest that someone has hurt him in the past, and he's trying to be more pragmatic now. The bridge of the song calls for building a bridge together, even though it's bound to burn, and for the poet to ask him nicely before he stays. It's interesting to note that the song mentions a "dangerous game to play," which could be a veiled reference to the risk of giving love another chance.
Line by Line Meaning
Living in your absence
Being away from you is difficult for me
I see memories when I cry
My tears bring back past experiences with you
I hear songs in the key of silence
In the stillness, my mind is filled with thoughts of you
I'm not ready yet to die
I still have much to experience and accomplish in life
Every breath I laugh out loud
I am living life to the fullest and finding joy in the simple things
Like a poet with no rhyme
My experiences may seem random and disconnected, but they hold meaning to me
It means nothing to me now
My current situation or experience may not hold value, but it will serve a purpose in the future
It'll mean everything in time
The significance of my current situation or experience will become clear to me eventually
Oh this crazy superstition
Referring to the belief that love will find you when the time is right
You'll find love just you wait your turn
Love will come to you when it is meant to
I ain't got no time for intuition
I don't have time to wait for fate; I want to take control of my life and make things happen
Let's build this bridge together watch it burn
Let's work together to create something meaningful, even if it may not last forever
Looking back at my sweet life
Reflecting on past experiences and memories
In an empty dirty glass
Seeing things clearly, without any distortion or illusions
I can see the men in white
Recalling conversations with therapists or other professionals
Telling tales about the past
Discussing and analyzing past experiences and their impact on current behavior
Such a dangerous game to play
Reflecting on the risks and uncertainties of delving deep into one's past
Only way to be
Acknowledging the importance of self-reflection and introspection for personal growth
Ask me nicely I might stay
Indicating the need for persuasion and convincing to commit to something
Will you run away with me
Asking someone to join in on an adventure or risk-taking activity
Contributed by Vivian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Joelma Gallo
Eu amo esse grande cantor.Deus abençoe 🙏🏻❣️
Alba4112
Wonderful, wonderful! Saw him at the Montreux Jazz Festival last weekend and since then I'm hooked.
SONIC FOXX MUSIC
"LET'S BUILD THIS BRIDGE TOGETHER...AND WATCH IT BURN"
Jack definitely sounding like The Boss more and more...that line even sounds like Mr Springsteen singing..............................................GREAT SONG Jack.
Supporto e ArtCounseling
What a wonderful song makes me go to my Childhood....Eagles - America - and others...<3
Robert Wilson
Superb, just seen live on the One Show, UK BBC. Now looking to buy some music !! Love it..
Bill Howie
Sounds very like the Eagles