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/
When We Were Lovers
Jack Savoretti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Calling you up just to say your name
We felt like lovers
We felt like lovers
Reaching for your hand when you pulled away
Everytime I'd leave you'd beg me to stay
We felt like lovers
We'd sail through love and war
We'd fight for everything and more
To save the night, the night was all we saw
That's what the darkness is for
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers, when we were lovers, when we were lovers, when we were lovers?
Two hearts beating in stereo
We never needed maps to tell us where to go
We followed the stars
But they took us too far
We'd sail through love and war
We'd fight for everything and more
To save the night, the night was all we sew
That's what the darkness is for
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers, when we were lovers, when we were lovers, when we were lovers?
Giving it all was everything we were giving
Living for each other was why we were living
When we were lovers, when we were lovers (living life under covers)
Here we are slowly falling apart
Every broken promise is a broken heart
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers, when were lovers, when we were lovers, when we were lovers?
Giving it all was everything we were giving
Living for each other was why we were living
When we were lovers, when we were lovers (living life under covers)
It felt like love, love
Felt like love, oh
Oh, oh, yeah
"When We Were Lovers" by Jack Savoretti is a beautifully crafted love song that reminisces about the past while lamenting the present reality. The singer recalls happier times with his partner, describing the passion and intensity of their love for each other. The song's chorus repeats the phrase "We felt like lovers," emphasizing the deep connection they shared. He remembers dancing in the pouring rain, calling out her name, and the feeling of being completely in sync with each other. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the relationship has fallen apart. The couple has grown apart, broken promises and shattered hearts litter the path that they walked once.
The song's lyrical structure has a particular focus on time which we can see from the repetition of the phrase, "Look at the time and the time that it's taken," which shows that time has taken its toll on their once happy and loving relationship. As much as the couple appears to have lost the fire of their love when they were lovers, they are stuck together, trying to figure their way out. The song's message is that no matter how passionate and intense love can be, time and other factors can bring a change. It is a reminder that while love can be a beautiful and powerful emotion, it is not always enough to maintain a lasting relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember dancing in the pouring rain
I recall a time when we danced together in heavy rain
Calling you up just to say your name
I would telephone you just to speak your name
We felt like lovers
We experienced feelings of being in a romantic relationship
We felt like lovers
We experienced feelings of being in a romantic relationship
Reaching for your hand when you pulled away
I would try to hold your hand when you withdrew from me
Everytime I'd leave you'd beg me to stay
Whenever I would depart, you would plead with me to stay
We felt like lovers
We experienced feelings of being in a romantic relationship
Living life under covers
We lived a private life away from everyone else
We'd sail through love and war
We went through the ups and downs of a relationship
We'd fight for everything and more
We would struggle and put forth extra effort for our love
To save the night, the night was all we saw
We tried to keep the passion alive, and all we focused on was our love
That's what the darkness is for
The hard times in the relationship were meant to strengthen our bond
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Reflecting on how much time has passed and how we've changed
Is this love like the love we were making
Questioning if our present love is the same as our past love
When we were lovers, when we were lovers, when we were lovers, when we were lovers?
Wondering what our love once was
Two hearts beating in stereo
Our hearts were in sync with each other
We never needed maps to tell us where to go
We didn't need guidance to know where we were heading in life
We followed the stars
We followed our dreams and aspirations
But they took us too far
Our dreams may have taken us too far away from each other
Giving it all was everything we were giving
We put all of our effort into our relationship
Living for each other was why we were living
We lived for each other's happiness and well-being
When we were lovers, when we were lovers (living life under covers)
When we were in love, we kept our relationship private from others
Here we are slowly falling apart
We are gradually breaking apart from each other
Every broken promise is a broken heart
Every time we break a promise, it damages our love
Felt like love, love
We felt an intense and genuine emotion of love
Felt like love, oh
We felt an intense and genuine emotion of love
Oh, oh, yeah
An expression of endearing and nostalgic emotion
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Fintage House Publishing
Written by: GIOVANNI EDGAR CHARLES GALLETT SAVORETTI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SOFIA KATSIKANDARAKI
I remember dancing in the pouring rain
Calling you up just to say your name
We felt like lovers
We felt like lovers
Reaching for your hand when you pull away
Everytime I'd leave you'd beg me to stay
We felt like lovers
Living life under covers
We'd sail through love and war
We'd fight for everything and more
To save the night, the night was always sore
That's what the darkness is for
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
Two hearts beating in stereo
Never needed maps to tell us where to go
We followed the stars but they took us too far
We'd sail through love and war
We'd fight for everything and more
To save the night, the night was always sore
That's what the darkness is for
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
Giving it all was everything we were giving
Living for eachother was why we were living
When we were lovers
We were lovers living life under covers
Here we are slowly falling apart
Every broken promise is a broken heart
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
Giving it all was everything we were giving
Living for eachother was why we were living
When we were lovers
We were lovers living life under covers
It felt like love, love, felt like love, love
Oooh oooh, yeah
Silvia Scati
[Verse 1]
I remember dancing in the pouring rain
Calling you up just to say your name
We felt like lovers
We felt like lovers
Reaching for your hand when you pull away
Everytime I'd leave you'd beg me to stay
We felt like lovers
Living life under covers
[Pre-Chorus1]
We'd sail through love and war
We'd fight for everything and more
To save the night, the night was all we saw
That's what the darkness is for
[Chorus2]
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
[Verse 2]
Two hearts beating in stereo
Never needed maps to tell us where to go
We followed the stars, but they took us too far
[Pre-Chorus1]
We'd sail through love and war
We'd fight for everything and more
To save the night, the night was all we see
That's what the darkness is for
[Chorus2]
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
[Bridge5]
Giving it all was everything we were giving
Living for eachother was why we were living
When we were lovers
We were lovers living life under covers
Here we are slowly falling apart
Every broken promise is a broken heart
[Chorus2]
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
[Bridge5]
Giving it all was everything we were giving
Living for eachother was why we were living
When we were lovers
We were lovers living life under covers
It felt like love, love, felt like love, love
Oooh oooh, yeah
RichieDee123
Love:
The beautifully synchronized dance, followed by the inadvertent misstep.
The umbrella that shelters you, before the wind tears it away.
The embracing warmth in the bed, replaced by the coldness of the empty sheets.
The affectionate, loving words whispered in secret, twisted to the anger and malice spoken in public.
The laughter of the inside joke, followed by the punctured silence when one person isn't there to hear the punchline.
The sound of their heartbeat in the calming moments of bliss, until the final beep on the monitor, as the machine is switched off.
When you are lovers, it's amazing.
When life hits you hard and what you love disappears, try to understand that it is only an experience to test if your heart can take the blow and that you can learn from it.
Dureshnee Kuppan
Jack Savoretti.....your music touches my SOUL......your voice, the words in your songs gives me goosebumps. You are phenomenal.
Halyna Bilohryva
100% i feel the same
Janet Lapworth.LI.George
I just love,love this song memories
AndyBenitez
Hi Janet
SOFIA KATSIKANDARAKI
I remember dancing in the pouring rain
Calling you up just to say your name
We felt like lovers
We felt like lovers
Reaching for your hand when you pull away
Everytime I'd leave you'd beg me to stay
We felt like lovers
Living life under covers
We'd sail through love and war
We'd fight for everything and more
To save the night, the night was always sore
That's what the darkness is for
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
Two hearts beating in stereo
Never needed maps to tell us where to go
We followed the stars but they took us too far
We'd sail through love and war
We'd fight for everything and more
To save the night, the night was always sore
That's what the darkness is for
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
Giving it all was everything we were giving
Living for eachother was why we were living
When we were lovers
We were lovers living life under covers
Here we are slowly falling apart
Every broken promise is a broken heart
Look at the time and the time that it's taken
Is this love like the love we were making
When we were lovers
We were lovers, we were lovers, we were lovers
Giving it all was everything we were giving
Living for eachother was why we were living
When we were lovers
We were lovers living life under covers
It felt like love, love, felt like love, love
Oooh oooh, yeah
Mari Ribeiro
Apaixonada por esse cantor, tomara que venha ao Brasil. Cada musica mais bonita que a outra.. Obrigada Antena 1 por tocar me apresentar.
kerrfal
Just discovered! Listening to his previous songs and...WOW! He CATAPULTed me in a new musical journey! 💪🏼
Rocky
I have all his albums. Do yourself a favour and don't miss buying any of them!
Twosie76
I listened to one song and went out to buy 4 of his albums straight away!
Líllian Lima
Jack Savoretti é um cantor extraordinário. 🎵🎼🎧🎶🎻🎸🎤🎵
Amo de paixão ❤❤❤❤