A musician and lyricist of uncommon and mature gift, and one blessed with a gloriously fluid and expressive voice, Lawson was born and raised in Plymouth in what was he says a resolutely non-musical household. “No-one sang or played anything. We didn’t have any records. My dad would listen to Radio 2 a bit but that was the extent of it. And this was back in the days before the station got really good. There was nothing in what I heard that spoke directly to me.” Then the elder of his two brothers hit adolescence and things began to change: “He got me into The Smiths, The Housemartins, the Jackson 5 ...” A disparate trio of early influences, you might think, but Jamie says not really. “They’re all very big on melody. And Morrissey and the young Michael Jackson both have a real passion to the way they sing.”
Aged eight, he asked for and received his first guitar. Early on in secondary school, he was invited to join his first band. “We were quite a dedicated little bunch, rehearsing every lunchtime when the rest of the class was out playing football. It was pretty much all covers, of course ... R.E.M., the Chilli Peppers, some Hendrix. By the time I was 15 we had quite a wide repertoire of other people’s badly-done songs.” He was writing material of his own too, “all of it terrible to start with, of course. I’d be 17 at least before I came up with anything good.” And he was singing, though mainly in unconscious impersonation of Michael Stipe. “My own voice took a while to find. I had to stop trying to replicate someone else’s tricks.”
When he did properly uncover it, that voice proved to be something very special indeed. No one who has heard him sing live would disagree (and in addition to his own regular schedule of gigging, he has played with artists including The Frames, Martha Wainwright and Damien Rice, as well as having been chosen as opening act for outdoor gigs by both Van Morrison and Katie Melua). Even-keeled, even undemonstrative offstage, he comes alive in front of an audience and in the service of his songs. “American Music Club’s Mark Eitzel has been a big influence, in the sense that he sings with his whole body and puts so much into his performance. The difference is that my voice is sweeter and more pure.”
There was a brief and half-hearted attempt at following a different career path. But unhappy and unfulfilled in his earliest weeks at Art College, Lawson sought the advice of a counsellor who then asked him, ‘So what do you want to do with your life?’ “And when I said that I wanted to be a singer she told me, ‘Then go and do it!’ which totally surprised me but which was absolutely the right thing to say. I met that woman just once and for five minutes. I don’t even know her name. But she showed me what I had to do.” And via a geographically circuitous route that has taken in Dublin, Cornwall and now London and during which both his song writing skills and stagecraft have increased by leaps and bounds, he has done it.
Lawson is not just a singer but also an exceptionally blessed and affecting one. His voice and songs have proven to work equally beautifully and well whether in a tiny indoor venue like London’s 12 Bar Club or outdoors before 10,000 people. “And the simple fact is that I love to sing,” he says. “I love the intimacy of live performance. I love drawing people into my mood. I love bringing them to where I am.”
Alan Jackson.
The Times
London.
Ahead of Myself
Jamie Lawson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But isn't this grand?
Don't wanna make a fool of myself
Is it already planned?
There you go making promises
You're never gonna keep
Don't wanna get ahead of myself
I'm already in too deep
Don't wanna get ahead of myself
But isn't this swell?
Don't wanna make a fool of myself
Like a clown I just fell
There you go making promises
You really shouldn't say
Don't wanna get ahead of myself
I think I just found the way
If you dig a little deeper
Way down into your soul
You may find a way to sweep her off her feet
Let the evening come and go
Don't wanna get ahead of myself
But isn't she fine?
Don't wanna make a fool of myself
Like she's already mine
There you go making promises
You never should've thought
Don't wanna get ahead of myself
I think that I've just been caught
Oh if you dig a little deeper
Way way way way down into your soul
You may find a way to sweep her off her feet
Oh let the evening come and go
Didn't wanna get ahead of myself
I think I just did
Didn't wanna make a fool of myself
Like a love-struck idiot kid
There I go making promises
I never could've kept
Didn't wanna get ahead of myself
And then I learned
If you dig a little deeper
Way way way way down into your soul
Oh you may find
A way to sweep her off her feet
Let the evening let the evening come and go
If you dig a little deeper
Way way way way down into your soul
Oh you may find
A way to sweep her off her feet
Oh let the evening let the evening come and go
I get ahead of myself
I get ahead of myself
You may find
I get ahead of myself
The song is about being unsure if the relationship is going to work out or not. The singer is hesitant to get too excited and commit too much, but can't help feeling hopeful about how things are going. The first stanza talks about not wanting to get too ahead of himself, but feeling like the situation is grand. He's worried about making a fool of himself and is unsure if the promises that his partner is making will actually pan out. The second stanza continues with this same theme, but this time the singer is practically giddy about how everything is going. He's still worried about making a fool of himself and is hesitant to believe the promises his partner is making. In the third stanza, the singer advises his partner to look deep within themselves to find the courage to sweep him off his feet. In the final stanza, the singer realizes that he has gone against his own advice and has gotten ahead of himself.
Overall, the song is about the joy and excitement that come with a new relationship, but also about the fear and doubt that can accompany it too. The singer is unsure if his partner is really serious or if he's just getting his hopes up, but he can't help feeling optimistic. At the end of the day, it's a song about being vulnerable and taking risks in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wanna get ahead of myself
I don't want to make assumptions or plans too soon
But isn't this grand?
But isn't this amazing and impressive?
Don't wanna make a fool of myself
I don't want to do something embarrassing or stupid
Is it already planned?
Has this already been arranged or decided?
There you go making promises
You're making commitments that you won't be able to keep
You're never gonna keep
You won't follow through on the promises you made
I'm already in too deep
I'm already too emotionally invested
But isn't this swell?
But isn't this great and wonderful?
Like a clown I just fell
I feel embarrassed and foolish
You really shouldn't say
You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep
I think I just found the way
I think I just discovered how to succeed or win her over
If you dig a little deeper
If you explore more or try harder
Way down into your soul
Deep into your true feelings and emotions
Let the evening come and go
Let things happen naturally, without forcing them
Like she's already mine
As if I already have her, as my girlfriend or partner
You never should've thought
You shouldn't have made those false hopes or promises
I think that I've just been caught
I think that I've fallen in love or trapped by my feelings
I think I just did
I believe that I have indeed moved too fast or made assumptions
Like a love-struck idiot kid
As if I'm a silly and naive teenager, in love for the first time
I never could've kept
I wouldn't be able to keep the promises I made
And then I learned
Eventually, I gained an understanding or insight
Oh you may find
You might discover
I get ahead of myself
I rush into things without thinking them through
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMIE LAWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Terry Blackwell
this song gives me goosebumps.
Geoffrey Stevens
This is a brilliant song... catchy, upbeat, smooth and undoubtedly raising the oxytocin levels of anybody who thinks, no, feels, they are in love with the right person. It's also true that absolutely everyone can sing along with "ba-da, ba-da, ba-da-da". An amazingly simple little piece of scat!
Alexandria Jochems
His songs are amazing!
Renie Kerry
I can't remember where I was in my life when I first started listening to this but after so many years later, I still remember the words and delivery. What a trip back 😍
Jonah Harris
I love this song!! make more please!!!!
vevohoeyo
Bloody good song this on so many levels
maddie
Amazing song 💫
Imogen Grace
Favourite song at the moment for sure!!
Monica Holcomb
This is the kind of music I've been longing to hear more of... 🎶 ❤
Matthew Hymer
This song is amazing and I genuinely feel guilty that I had never heard of him prior to finding out he was supporting Ed in Newcastle. Beautiful voice, gorgeous songs! Keep it going Jamie! Love your work.