Blunt was educated at Elstree School, Woolhampton, then Harrow School (where he received his nickname 'Blunty'), and finally the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Before the release of his album, Blunt was a commissioned officer in the British Army, rose to the rank of Captain and served as a NATO peacekeeper in Kosovo. He was also on duty for the funeral of the Queen Mother on 9th April, 2002.
He is currently signed to Linda Perry's American label Custard, and became the first British artist to top the American singles chart in nearly a decade when his first single from Back to Bedlam, "You're Beautiful", reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006. The last British artist to do so had been Elton John in 1997 with the song Candle in the Wind.
His second album, All The Lost Souls, was released on 17th September 2007.
His third album, Some Kind of Trouble, was released on 8th November 2010.
Year active 2004- present
Miss America
James Blunt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To help you ease the pain?
Like the liquor in the bottle,
We watched you slip away
And I feel as if I know you
Through the bars of a song
Always surrounded but alone
You'll always be Miss America.
We watched you fly,
But nothing's free Miss America.
And as you fall apart
We just call it art.
Was it so hard to breathe?
Was the picture in the paper
Not the face you recognize?
Did the makeup never make up
For the pain behind your eyes?
'Cause I feel as if I know you
When you're on my silver screen
But I don't know the dark places that you've been.
But no goodbyes
You'll always be Miss America.
We watched you fly,
But nothing's free Miss America.
And as you fall apart
We just call it art.
Was it so hard to breathe?
Does another voice sing in Heaven's choir tonight,
To fill the silence left behind?
And I don't know what goes on in your mind
I'm sure it's enough to make my cry.
Someday we'll find you lived forever.
But no goodbyes
You'll always be Miss America.
We watched you fly,
But nothing's free Miss America.
And as you fall apart
We just call it art.
Was it so hard to breathe?
The song Miss America by James Blunt is a powerful tribute to a woman who was once a beauty queen but struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. The song begins with Blunt questioning if someone gave Miss America something to cope with her pain, “Like the liquor in the bottle, We watched you slip away”. The singer expresses that even though he does not personally know Miss America, he feels like he knows her through the lyrics of her songs. Miss America is portrayed as a lonely soul despite always being surrounded by people, conveying how her internal struggles isolated her from the rest of the world.
The chorus of the song repeats “But no goodbyes, You'll always be Miss America. We watched you fly, But nothing's free Miss America. And as you fall apart, We just call it art. Was it so hard to breathe?” The lyrics emphasize that despite her downfall, Miss America will always be remembered as a beauty queen who soared high. Blunt wonders if Miss America felt suffocated by the standards set on her as a beauty queen and if her drug abuse escalated because of her desperation to cope with the pressures society brings upon her.
Towards the end of the song, Blunt ends with a hopeful note stating, “Someday we'll find you lived forever”. Here, the singer alludes to the idea that even though Miss America’s physical form may be gone, at least her legacy will continue to thrive. Overall, the song Miss America is a poignant tribute to not just Miss America, but to anyone who faces difficulties and is forced to confront the realities of addiction and depression.
Line by Line Meaning
Did someone give you something
To help you ease the pain?
Did you try to numb the pain with something, be it alcohol or drugs?
Like the liquor in the bottle,
We watched you slip away
Just like how the liquor in a bottle slowly slips away, we saw you slipping away from us.
And I feel as if I know you
Through the bars of a song
Always surrounded but alone
I feel like I know you from the songs you've sung, but despite being always surrounded, you're alone.
But no goodbyes
You'll always be Miss America.
Even though you're gone, you'll always be remembered as Miss America.
We watched you fly,
But nothing's free Miss America.
We saw you succeed, but with success comes a heavy price, Miss America.
And as you fall apart
We just call it art.
Despite being broken, we still appreciate you, and consider it as art.
Was it so hard to breathe?
Did the pressure get too much that you found it hard to breathe?
Was the picture in the paper
Not the face you recognize?
Did the makeup never make up
For the pain behind your eyes?
Did the public version of you, the one in the papers, feel unrecognizable to you? Did you try to mask the pain behind the makeup?
'Cause I feel as if I know you
When you're on my silver screen
But I don't know the dark places that you've been.
I feel like I know you when you're on the silver screen, but I don't really know the demons you fight.
Does another voice sing in Heaven's choir tonight,
To fill the silence left behind?
Is there someone new that passed away, singing in heaven tonight?
And I don't know what goes on in your mind,
I'm sure it's enough to make me cry.
I don't know the pain you were going through and just the thought of it makes me emotional.
Someday we'll find you lived forever.
In some sense, since you've left us, you will live on forever in our hearts and memories.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Blunt, Steve Mac, Wayne Anthony Hector
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Owen Griffiths
I've never understood why so many people dislike James Blunt, I was told that I should be embarrassed that I like his stuff, I actually haven't found a song of his that I don#t like yet, I think he's great!
JamoCleasby
I'm 19 and a metalhead, but thanks to my Dad's incessant playing of this man I've grown to love his music! What an epic song, keep it up James!!! Can't wait for the new album :D
VANTABLACK_SUSSE
Bro you're 27 now
JamoCleasby
@VANTABLACK_SUSSE nope, still 19
นิภา รักศรี
I love James blunt ♥️
Thell Teller
His voice is a signature of music itself. Disarmingly beautiful and unique. Deep, daring, endearing !
Dan Mullen
This is a great track from a great album. It's not often you listen to a CD and enjoy every track, but James Blunt's "Moon Landing" doesn't contain any filler - it's full of really catchy songs and is probably my favourite of his four studio albums to date.
Teisha Elsie
I agree, its also more modern and engages different age groups.
michael varley
Hard to beat back to bedlam though
melissa burton
Yeah ur right I totally love ❤️ his songs they're songs that u can just listen 2 over and over again and not get tired of boredom 😒