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.
Panic Attacks
Jamie Lawson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wounds that we broke are easily mended.
I wrote you a letter, but I never did send it.
About where I worked and how I resented
The way that I feel, and that you never felt it.
Oh, did you ...
Elderly bones are easily broken
I wrote you a poem I never had spoken.
And how you shine like a sun that is orange and golden.
You framed my sky ...
How much longer will it take?
How many more bones have to break?
For all the love we make
When the panic attacks.
A mess like this won't heal,
These bones no longer feel.
Nothing can conceal
What the panic attacks.
I never wanted love to be like this ...
The poems that I wrote, you never needed
The warnings you gave, I never heeded.
All those miracles in church, you still won't believe in.
But my heart is a stone, and it's constantly bleeding.
And my hands made like a cross
Just hands in like a cross
(not 100% on the two above lines)
How much longer will it take?
How many more bones have to break?
For all the love we make
When the panic attacks.
A mess like this won't heal,
These bones no longer feel.
Nothing can conceal,
What the panic attacks.
There is nothing left to fear,
Will you just leave me here?
It's cold and insincere,
While the panic attacks.
I need more than this.
I need more than this.
I need more than this.
I need more than this.
End
The opening lyrics of Jamie Lawson's song Panic Attacks describe the emotional turmoil of a failed relationship. The singer talks about how the wounds caused by the breakup are easily mended but the emotional pain caused by not being loved back is harder to heal. He mentions writing a letter that he never sent, expressing his feelings of resentment towards his partner for not reciprocating his love. He also wrote a poem that he never spoke about, talking about the love that was stolen from him and how his partner shone like a sun. The chorus of the song asks how much longer it will take for the singer to heal from the panic attacks caused by the emotional toll of the relationship.
The second verse talks about the singer's regret in not listening to his partner's warnings and not heeding the love that she gave him. He mentions his partner's disbelief in miracles despite her being a church-goer. He describes his heart like a stone that is constantly bleeding, further emphasizing the pain and suffering caused by the relationship. The chorus repeats, showing that the emotions are still raw and the pain has not subsided. The song ends with the singer's plea for more than just a cold and insincere relationship and an acknowledgment that he needs more than what he's receiving.
Line by Line Meaning
Wounds that we broke are easily mended.
The issues we had seemed big at the time, but now they seem insignificant and can be fixed.
I wrote you a letter, but I never did send it.
I had so much to say, but I couldn't bring myself to send the letter.
About where I worked and how I resented
I wanted to share my life with you, but I didn't because I was unhappy.
The way that I feel, and that you never felt it.
I wish you understood how I feel, but you don't seem to care.
Elderly bones are easily broken
People who are old are fragile and can get hurt easily.
I wrote you a poem I never had spoken.
I wrote a beautiful poem for you, but I never shared it with you.
About all the love and how it was stolen,
I had a lot of love to give, but it was never appreciated or reciprocated.
And how you shine like a sun that is orange and golden.
You are the brightest and most beautiful thing in my life.
You framed my sky ...
You made my world beautiful, but now it feels empty without you.
How much longer will it take?
I don't know how much more I can take of this pain and suffering.
How many more bones have to break?
How much more hurt and heartache do I have to endure?
For all the love we make
Despite it all, we still have a lot of love for each other.
When the panic attacks.
But when the anxiety and fear hits, it feels like everything falls apart.
A mess like this won't heal,
Our situation is chaotic and broken, and it doesn't seem like it will ever get better.
These bones no longer feel.
I'm so numb to everything, including the love I once felt for you.
Nothing can conceal
No amount of pretending or concealing can hide the truth of how broken things are.
What the panic attacks.
When anxiety hits, it's hard to keep up the facade and pretend everything is okay.
I never wanted love to be like this ...
I had high hopes for our love, but it's turned out to be a disappointment and painful experience.
The poems that I wrote, you never needed
I tried to express my love and affection, but it was never enough for you.
The warnings you gave, I never heeded.
You tried to warn me about how things would end up, but I didn't listen.
All those miracles in church, you still won't believe in.
Even with all the hopeful and positive messages, and maybe even supernatural experiences, you still don't believe in love or us.
But my heart is a stone, and it's constantly bleeding.
I've become numb and closed off, but I'm still in pain and hurting deep down.
And my hands made like a cross
My hands, desperate for a sign or help, are making the shape of a cross on my body.
Just hands in like a cross
I'm so lost and alone that even my hands, clasped together like in prayer, are the only comfort I have.
There is nothing left to fear,
I've experienced so much pain and hurt that nothing else scares me anymore.
Will you just leave me here?
Are you going to abandon me and leave me to deal with this mess by myself?
It's cold and insincere,
This situation feels unfeeling and harsh, without any warmth or kindness.
While the panic attacks.
Especially when anxiety hits, things feel even colder and more tense.
I need more than this.
I deserve better than this constant pain and chaos.
I need more than this.
I need more than just a love that causes me fear and anxiety.
I need more than this.
I need more than shattered bones and a broken spirit.
I need more than this.
I need more than a love that doesn't love me back.
Contributed by Brayden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JohnV
I love this song. Anyone know the chords or could do a tutorial?
HCCARTA
This song is too good...Beautiful thank you...
dj samcro
No doubt..yup
Shane Snyder
@NUTZmx Which ones? His artwork make rad tattoos!
30.09.13
the melodie make me sad