With his husky voice, a head full of catchy tunes and a story to tell, Jack… Read Full Bio ↴With his husky voice, a head full of catchy tunes and a story to tell, Jack Savoretti would seem to have everything it takes.

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/

Without
Jack Savoretti Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I get home
And you're lying there
Crying in the bedroom
I know I've let you down
And the makeup
I didn't notice
Running down your face
Showing my mistakes

I'm always angry
I live with pain
You're going crazy
'Cause I don't know how to explain

And we both know
It's plain to see
You're better off without me

Fill your glass up 'til it overflows
You just wanna talk
I don't wanna know
Like a street dog
Who's never had a home
I don't know how to live here
I don't know how to not feel alone
You give me so much love
I give you trouble
All that you've gone and built
I only turn to rubble

Now we both know
It's plain to see
You're better off without me

Woah
Hey
My, oh, my

I don't know, I don't know why
You and I, we can't survive
I don't know, I don't know why
You and I, we can't

You give me so much love
I give you heartache
I know you're not giving up
'Cause giving up is not your way

But we both know
It's plain to see
You're better off without me

And we both know

It's plain to see
You're better off without me

Overall Meaning

The song Without by Jack Savoretti is a tale of an individual who knows that he has messed up in his relationship, causing his significant other to be devastated and crying. The individual admits that he is always angry, and they both know that the relationship is now unhealthy. The partner who he has hurt is better off without him, even though she gives him so much love, and all he gives in return is trouble. He compares himself to a street dog who has never had a home, suggesting that he is lost and unable to understand how to be in a loving relationship.

The lyrics call to mind the image of a person who has struggled to confront their emotional issues and is taking their emotional baggage out on their partner. It is evident that the person wants to change, and he knows how much his actions have hurt the person he cares about, but he simply does not know how to do so. The partner's pain is not something he can understand, and while she is still giving him her love, he recognizes that it is not something he deserves. The song's constant refrain that the partner is better off without him is indicative of the singer's understanding that he is a burden and not an asset in the relationship.

The song's straightforward lyrics, combined with the accompanying music, create a melancholy and reflective mood. The music video incorporates visuals that show someone who appears to be lost and conflicted, further emphasizing the singer's sense of being a stray dog who cannot find his place in the world. Overall, Without is a sonically and emotionally impactful song, with lyrics that are relatable to anyone who has experienced a difficult relationship or struggled with personal issues in their life.

Line by Line Meaning

When I get home
Jack Savoretti is referring to the moment he arrives home after being away.

And you're lying there
He sees his partner lying in bed when he gets home.

Crying in the bedroom
His partner is crying in the bedroom, which indicates there is a problem between them.

I know I've let you down
Jack Savoretti understands that he has disappointed his partner in some way.

And the makeup
He sees the makeup on his partner's face after realizing that he has let her down.

I didn't notice
He overlooked the makeup on her face, which indicates he was not paying attention to her needs.

Running down your face
The makeup is running down her face as a result of her crying.

Showing my mistakes
The makeup running down her face is evidence of the mistakes Jack Savoretti has made in their relationship.

I'm always angry
Jack Savoretti acknowledges that he is often angry.

I live with pain
He is suggesting that he is dealing with some sort of emotional pain.

You're going crazy
His partner is struggling to cope with their current situation.

'Cause I don't know how to explain
Jack Savoretti admits that he does not know how to communicate his feelings or explain the situation to his partner.

And we both know
Both Jack Savoretti and his partner are aware that there is a problem between them.

It's plain to see
The issue between them is clear and evident.

You're better off without me
He is suggesting that his partner would be happier without him in her life.

Fill your glass up 'til it overflows
Jack Savoretti is telling his partner to drink as much as she wants.

You just wanna talk
His partner wants to discuss their issues and communicate with him.

I don't wanna know
Jack Savoretti does not want to hear what his partner has to say because he cannot deal with it.

Like a street dog
He feels lost and abandoned, like a stray dog on the streets.

Who's never had a home
He suggests that he has never felt like he belonged anywhere.

I don't know how to live here
He feels like he does not know how to exist in this relationship.

I don't know how to not feel alone
Jack Savoretti is unable to escape his loneliness, even when he is with his partner.

You give me so much love
His partner provides him with a lot of love and support.

I give you trouble
In return, Jack Savoretti causes his partner a lot of problems and heartache.

All that you've gone and built
His partner has worked hard to build their relationship.

I only turn to rubble
Jack Savoretti destroys everything his partner has worked hard to create.

Woah Hey My, oh, my
These lines do not have a specific meaning, but are likely musical interludes.

I don't know, I don't know why
Jack Savoretti is unsure why their relationship is not working.

You and I, we can't survive
Their relationship is not sustainable.

You give me so much love
His partner provides him with a lot of love and support.

I give you heartache
Jack Savoretti causes his partner a lot of emotional pain and stress.

I know you're not giving up
He acknowledges that his partner is not willing to give up on their relationship.

'Cause giving up is not your way
He knows that his partner is strong and determined, and will not give up easily.

And we both know
Both Jack Savoretti and his partner are aware that there is a problem between them.

It's plain to see
The issue between them is clear and evident.

You're better off without me
He is suggesting that his partner would be happier without him in her life.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jack Savoretti, Jake Gosling

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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01Dreamers4:43

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03Dr. Frankenstein3:38

04Once Upon A Street3:42

PT4M42S

08Between The Minds3:49

09Soldier's Eyes3:09

10Lovely Fool3:26

11Chemical Courage4:31

12Killing Man5:38

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Kirsten Logan

3y↑7

Haunting beautiful!
Can’t stop listening to this song , absolutely beautiful lyrics ♥️
The acoustic version is my favorite.

I've been walking in this road
Time passing me by
Letting go of what I couldn't hold
Finding places to hide
I've been watching you closely
Every move that you make
And all the things you've showed to me
Are getting harder to take
I wish that we could begin from the start
I pray that I could be brave enough
To show you how easily I fall apart
I can't let you know
That I can't let it show
'Cause I'd rather be without than be without you
I guess I feel like a stranger
When it comes down to love
I'm too aware of the danger
That it can bring upon us
I wish that we could begin from the start
I pray that I could be brave enough
To show you how easily I fall apart
I can't let you know
That I can't let it show
'Cause I'd rather be without than be without you
I wish that we could begin from the start
I pray that I could be brave enough
To show you how easily I fall apart
I can't let you know
I wish that we could begin from the start
I pray that I could be brave enough
To find out if you'd ever give me your heart
'Cause you don't let me know
You don't let it show
And I want you to know
That I'd rather be without than without you

I've been walking in this road
Time passing me by
Letting go of what I couldn't hold
Finding places to hide
I've been watching you closely
Every move that you make
And all the things you've showed to me
Are getting harder to take
I wish that we could begin from the start
I pray that I could be brave enough
To show you how easily I fall apart
I can't let you know
That I can't let it show
'Cause I'd rather be without than be without you
I guess I feel like a stranger
When it comes down to love
I'm too aware of the danger
That it can bring upon us
I wish that we could begin from the start
I pray that I could be brave enough
To show you how easily I fall apart
I can't let you know
That I can't let it show
'Cause I'd rather be without than be without you
I wish that we could begin from the start
I pray that I could be brave enough
To show you how easily I fall apart
I can't let you know
I wish that we could begin from the start
I pray that I could be brave enough
To find out if you'd ever give me your heart
'Cause you don't let me know
You don't let it show
And I want you to know
That I'd rather be without than without you

♥️