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.
Can't See Straight
Jamie Lawson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dancing in the moonlight with you
You keep me calm when I′m a certain disgrace
You keep me on my toes with your moves
And you pulled me inside out and outside in
Give my heart palpitations, keep my pulse racing
Yeah, you make my head spin with the things that you do
I feel dizzy when you tell me, you love me too
I can't see straight when I′m thinking ′bout you
You're making magic, got me under your spell
Girl, you got the music in you
I′m falling for you and I know you can tell
'Cause you′re reciprocating it too
You turned me upside down and downside up
Give me an education, how to fall in love
Oh, and I can't see straight when I′m thinking 'bout you
Yeah, you make my head spin with the things that you do
I feel dizzy when you tell me, you love me too
I can't see straight when I′m thinking ′bout you
Oh no, sing it to me now
And I'm head over heels and heels over head
You′re the only explanation for my discombobulation, baby
I can't see straight when I′m thinking 'bout you
Yeah, you make my head spin with the things that you do
I feel dizzy when you tell me, you love me too
I can′t see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
I feel dizzy when you tell me, you love me too
I can′t see straight when I′m thinking 'bout you
No, I can′t see straight when I'm thinking ′bout you
The lyrics of Jamie Lawson's song "Can't See Straight" is about being completely enamored and disorientated by a significant other. The song is a love letter to the person who keeps the singer grounded while also making him feel like his head is spinning. The first verses mention the different ways the singer is enchanted by their love interest, with lines about dancing under the stars, feeling calm in their presence, and the way their heart races when they're near. The chorus emphasizes how the singer loses all sense of perspective when they think about their love interest, expressing how they feel dizzy and unbalanced just by being around them. The song's bridge adds another layer to the singer's infatuation, saying that their head is both over heels and heels over head because of this person.
Overall, the lyrics of this song celebrate the disorientation of true love, with Jamie Lawson's words painting a picture of the effects of being without your bearings when in love with someone. This song is an excellent showcase of Lawson's ability to make accessible, emotionally resonant pop melodies that leave a lingering impression.
Line by Line Meaning
Shooting stars shining down on your face
The beauty of everything you do is like a breathtaking meteor shower that illuminates your face
Dancing in the moonlight with you
When I am with you, even the darkness of the night feels like an enchanting dance in the moonlight
You keep me calm when I'm a certain disgrace
You are the anchor that keeps me steady when I am struggling and helplessly spiraling toward chaos
You keep me on my toes with your moves
Your unpredictable and exciting actions keep me alert and constantly on edge, in a good way
And you pulled me inside out and outside in
Give my heart palpitations, keep my pulse racing
You turned my life upside down and inside out, causing my heart to race and skip a beat with every thought of you
Oh, and I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
Yeah, you make my head spin with the things that you do
I feel dizzy when you tell me, you love me too
I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
You have such a powerful effect on me, that even my senses betray me when I think of you. When you express your love for me, I am so overwhelmed that I lose all focus and clarity of mind.
You're making magic, got me under your spell
Girl, you got the music in you
You have entranced me with your charm and put me under your spell. You have an innate ability to create magic and inspire wonder in everyone you meet
I'm falling for you and I know you can tell
'Cause you're reciprocating it too
I am hopelessly and deeply in love with you, and I know from your actions and words that you feel the same way about me
You turned me upside down and downside up
Give me an education, how to fall in love
You have completely changed my perspective on life and taught me how to open my heart and truly fall in love
Oh no, sing it to me now
And I'm head over heels and heels over head
You're the only explanation for my discombobulation, baby
I am so deeply in love with you that everything else in my life is a blur. You are the only thing that makes sense and my love for you is the root of all my confusion
I feel dizzy when you tell me, you love me too
I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
No, I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
My overwhelming feelings of love for you are so intense that they completely consume me, rendering me helpless and unable to focus on anything else
Writer(s): Jamie Lawson, Edward Christopher Sheeran, John Mcdaid
Contributed by Xavier T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Gab-ws9hy
Shooting stars shining down on your face
Dancing under moonlight with you
You keep me calm when I'm a certain disgrace
You keep me on my toes with your moves
And you pulled me inside out and outside in
Give my heart palpitations, keep my pulse racing
Oh and I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
Yeah you make my head spin with the things that you do
I feel dizzy when you tell me you love me too
I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
You're making magic got me under your spell
Girl you got the music in you
I'm falling for you and I know you can tell
'Cause you're reciprocating it too
You turned me upside down and downside up
Give me an education, how to fall in love
Oh and I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
Yeah, you make my head spin with the things that you do
I feel dizzy when you tell me you love me too
I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
Oh no, sing it to me now
And I'm head over heels and heels over head
You're the only explanation for my discombobulation, baby
I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
Yeah you make my head spin with the things that you do
I feel dizzy when you tell me you love me too
I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
I feel dizzy when you tell me you love me too
I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
No, I can't see straight when I'm thinking 'bout you
*I didn' type this got it off the internet.
@janmarieharmony2788
Palpitations !!!!!! I got lots of them when listening to Jamie's music for the last several years....Love his style, voice, lyrics, songs, music...continued success for a long time to come
@taylorswan2921
I can't believe that this only has 154,000 views! This song is SO CATCHY. IT IS ALWAYS STUCK IN MY HEAD. I love it!
@TheSpringishere
I love the way Jamie sings and the way he writes songs. He is right up there with some of my favorite singers.
@natab2516
beautiful song! great lyrics! now you just have to come to Switzerland for a concert ;-)
@adityasaxena347
There are few musicians, saving the pop scene. Ed, jamie, passenger, I am glad to see finally real good music coming up.
@ladycjh
Jamie Lawson is the most beautiful songwriter ever.
@moongirlmama
Saw Jamie in Nashville (2015) and in Atlanta (2016). Wonderful talent, looking forward to enjoying the new albulm!
@sonylee9055
Great songwriter
We dont get performers like this in belfast Jamie lawson is brilliant
One in a million
@oredstudio9396
saw him on TV and immediately fell in love with this song!!! <3
@ricksnow733
I honestly think he is underrated