November 2015 saw th… Read Full Bio ↴New album TOON TOWN LULLABY released July 2020.
November 2015 saw the release of ALL THE HITS LIVE, an album recorded earlier that year at Perth's Astor Theatre. James released a brand new album THIRTEEN in March 2012, containing the singles English Girls, Capsize and Whatcha Gonna Do About It?
James Reyne came to recognition to the Australian public as lead singer of classic Australian band Australian Crawl in the 1970's. They had a number of hits including "Reckless", "Boys Light Up", "Beautiful People", "Shutdown", "Errol", "Oh No Not You Again" and "Downhearted"
After the band split in 1986, James spent some time in the United States and Europe, returning to Australia in 1987.
His first solo album, "JAMES REYNE" (1987) went triple platinum and included three top 10 singles: "Fall Of Rome", "Hammerhead" and "Motors Too Fast". Other singles from this album included "Always The Way" and "Ript It Up".
In the following years James released more solo albums, "HARD REYNE" (1989) which contaimed the Top 40 singles "House Of Cards", "One More River" and "Trouble In Paradise".
In 1991 James returned with his most successful Australian album "ELECTRIC DIGGER DANDY"(1991), which effortlessly mirrored the success of the first. This album contained the smash hits "Slave", "Any Day Above Ground" and "Some People'", plus a reworking of the Aussie Crawl song "Reckless".
James joined country music star James Blundell and recorded the classic Dingoes song "WAY OUT WEST" which exploded into the number 1 position on the Australian charts in 1992.
He next joined Daryl Braithwaite, Jef Scott and Simon Hussey on the very successful album "THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS" in 1993 which included the top 40 hits "Motor City", "Sweet Love" and "Daddy's Gonna Make You A Star".
James then returned to Los Angeles to record with renowned producer Stewart Levine, arriving back in 1994 with the critically acclaimed CD "THE WHIFF OF BEDLAM". The album was a departure in sound for James and featured a more organic sound, complete with brass section. The album spawned the hits "Red Light Avenue", "Day In The Sun" and the final single "It's Only Natural" in 1995.
While touring the album in Australia and overseas during this period, James released the energetic and profilic double Live album titled LIVE IN RIO, recorded in Brazil. A single "Oh No Not You Again" was featured from this CD.
Throughout his career James has appeared in several and varied theatrical, film and television productions and concert events, the more visible of these including "Return To Eden", "Tina; What's Love Got To Do With It?", television drama "State Coroner" and "The Little Shop Of Horrors" (1996)
While signing to Roadshow Music in 1997, James headed into the studio with famed producer and produced a single "Brand New Emperor's Clothes", to be featured on a forthcoming album.
In 1999 James recorded and released the CD "DESIGN FOR LIVING" with friends and brothers Scott and Brett Kingman. Arguably the most critically applauded album of his career, it further cemented his position as a unique, witty, thoughtful and challenging songwriter and singer. This album featured the singles "Wonderful Today", "Not Waving, Drowning" and the classic live favourite "Reno".
2004 saw the completion of "SPEEDBOATS FOR BREAKFAST", released on Liberation Records. It was a self funded project and saw James break free of the record company restrictions and allowed to him to be in control creatively. Radio-only singles "Bug" and "Rainbows Dead End" were featured on this CD.
Rainbows Dead End Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFaXnfZbBAs
As part of the Liberation Blue Accoustic series, James released two highly successgful accoustic albums in recent times. …"AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON"" which allowed James to revisit many of the above titles with little more than a lone acoustic guitar underpinning the most distinctive voice of his generation.
More reworkings of his solo and Australian Crawl material were sounded on "GHOST SHIP" released in 2007.
2007 saw the release of James 8th Studio album. "EVERY MAN A KING" closing a 30-year circle since James first led Australian Crawl into the front line of the Oz rock boom. His eye and pen grew sharper through a platinum-lined solo career, but never have his wit and poignancy been on more consistently solid musical ground than they are here. Stand-out tracks include "Little Man You've Had a Busy Day", "Light In The Tunnel" and "The Postman".
Following a live DVD release in late 2007, titled "One Night In Melbourne", a CD/DVD of the show was available in 2009. The show was filmed and recorded at Melbourne's Palais Theatre and saw James perform 30 songs from his vast catalogue.
One project, titled JAMES REYNE SINGS THE KING has James performing and re-interpreting 14 classic Elvis Presley songs. The album TCB was released in April 2010. A dedicated website has been set up to support the project. http://www.jamesreyneTCB.com
A new album, Thirteen was released in March 2012.
Lay Your Weary Head Down
James Reyne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quietly reading a line
A military man in his seaside weekender
He sings to his old Valentine
Chorus ~
Better not go near the water
Better stop fooling around
Deep in your corner
Lay your weary head down
A military man he lives in the valley
For richer or poorer
For better or worse
He walks alone through curtains of Sallies
On carpets of Pattersons' Curse
Chorus
Long ago when your ship sailed the Suez
You cracked as you loaded a round
Long ago all the young men saluted
Lay your weary head down
Lay your weary head down
Lay it down
Chorus +
Lay your weary head down
Lay your weary head down
The lyrics of James Reyne’s song “Lay Your Weary Head Down” deal with the themes of regret, longing, and the passage of time. The singer is a military man, possibly retired, spending his days in his seaside weekender, reading a book and singing to his old Valentine. He seems to be reminiscing about his past, and the soldier's life he left behind. The chorus warns him from chasing illusions, such as waterfalls, and urges him to lay his weary head down, possibly meaning to release the weight of his past burden and accept his present reality. In the second verse, the lyrics describe the soldier’s current life, living alone in the valley either for richer or poorer, for better or worse. He walks amidst carpets of Pattersons' Curse and curtains of Sallies, two types of plants that can symbolize beauty, but also poison and danger.
The third verse takes an even deeper dive into the soldier’s past. It mentions Suez, a city in Egypt that was a strategic location during the Suez Crisis of 1956. The crisis involved an international conflict over control of the Suez Canal. The soldier seems to have taken part in this conflict, as the lyrics mention how he cracked as he loaded a round. This suggests he suffered from mental stress, which was not uncommon for soldiers during wartime. The final lines of the song urge the singer once again to lay his weary head down, as if to say it’s time to let go of his past and find peace. Overall, the song touches on themes familiar to many people; the difficulty of moving on from past mistakes and hardships, and the importance of finding a way to make peace with oneself in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
He sits in the shade of the old Jacaranda
He is relaxing under the cool shade of a beautiful Jacaranda tree.
Quietly reading a line
He is enjoying a peaceful moment, reading a book or a piece of writing.
A military man in his seaside weekender
He is a former military person who now owns a vacation home by the sea.
He sings to his old Valentine
He sings a romantic song to his longtime partner, who he calls his Valentine.
Better not go near the water
It is not safe to be close to the water.
Better stop fooling around
Stop messing around and being reckless.
Chasing your waterfalls
Trying to achieve an impossible dream or goal.
Deep in your corner
Retreat into a private, comfortable space.
Lay your weary head down
Relax and let go of your worries and exhaustion.
A military man he lives in the valley
He lives in a valley and is a former member of the military.
For richer or poorer
He is committed to his partner through both good and bad financial situations.
For better or worse
He is committed to his partner through both good and bad times in their relationship.
He walks alone through curtains of Sallies
He takes solitary walks through fields of tall plants that may be Willowherbs or Kangaroo Paws.
On carpets of Pattersons' Curse
He walks on flowering plants that grow in large fields and are known for their purple or blue color.
Long ago when your ship sailed the Suez
In the past, when you were on a ship sailing through the Suez Canal.
You cracked as you loaded a round
You experienced a mental breakdown while handling dangerous firearms or other weaponry.
Long ago all the young men saluted
In the past, all young men greeted each other with a salute.
Lay your weary head down (x3)
Relax and let go of your worries and exhaustion.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JAMES MICHAEL REYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind