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.
This Is Love
Jamie Lawson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I won't let go
I am on your side
We're so far gone
And we can't turn round
I am on your side
Can I leave you alone so long?
I turn to find you gone
Oh don't say it again
Say it again, say it again
Oh don't say it again
Say it again, don't say it again
If I sleep right here
For a hundred years
Will your kiss wake me up?
If my heart won't beat
'cause of love's retreat
Will your kiss wake me up?
'cause I left you alone so long
Turned and I found you gone
Your uninvited, unrequited love
And oh don't say it again
Say it again, say it again
Oh don't say it again
Say it again, say it again
Won't you say it again
Say it again, say it again
Won't you say it again
Say it again, say it again
Won't you say it again
Say it again, say it again
Won't you say it again
Say it again, say it again
Say it again
Say it again
Say it again
This is love
This is love
The lyrics of Jamie Lawson's song This Is Love explore the complexities of a relationship that has experienced its fair share of misunderstandings, difficulties, and challenges. The first verse presents a scenario where the singer acknowledges the difficulties and challenges of their relationship and their willingness to stay by their partner's side. The lyrics "I can't hold on, but I won't let go" suggest a sense of ambiguity and ambivalence in the singer's feelings towards the relationship. Despite the challenges they have faced, the singer assures their partner that they are on their side.
The chorus of the song is a plea for the partner not to reiterate the unrequited love they feel. The repetition of "say it again" adds emphasis to the point where the singer just wants to move on from this phase of their relationship. The second half of the song sees the singer asking a series of hypothetical questions regarding the strength of their partner's love. The lyrics "If my heart won't beat 'cause of love's retreat, will your kiss wake me up?" suggest a desire to keep the relationship alive, even when it is hanging by a thread.
Overall, the lyrics of Jamie Lawson's song This Is Love express a deep sense of affection and commitment to a partner, despite the difficulties and challenges encountered.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I can't hold on
I am struggling to keep this relationship together
But I won't let go
But I am not giving up
I am on your side
I am still rooting for us
We're so far gone
We have come too far to give up now
And we can't turn round
We cannot go back in time
I am on your side
I am still rooting for us
Can I leave you alone so long?
Did I neglect our relationship for too long?
I turn to find you gone
I realize you have left me
Your uninvited, unrequited love
Your love was not welcomed or reciprocated
Oh don't say it again
Please don't remind me of the painful truth
Say it again, say it again
I don't want to hear it
If I sleep right here
If I stay and do nothing
For a hundred years
For an indefinite amount of time
Will your kiss wake me up?
Will your love bring me back to life?
If my heart won't beat
If I stop feeling love
'cause of love's retreat
Because love has escaped me
Will your kiss wake me up?
Will your love bring me back to life?
'cause I left you alone so long
Because I neglected our relationship for too long
Turned and I found you gone
I realized you have left me
Your uninvited, unrequited love
Your love was not welcomed or reciprocated
Won't you say it again
Please repeat what you said
This is love
Despite the heartbreak, this love is still true
Contributed by Henry F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@justeli8953
I've always thought Jamie left out a final verse which would make this song complete.
Please let me fill it in, from my own life experience (this song is my life, down to the 3
kids and the cancer)
10 years up and gone.
Guess I haven't moved on.
I wasn't expecting that.
Still hear your voice in my head.
And feel your warmth in our bed.
I wasn't expecting that.
So now it's my turn to rest.
Is that your head on my chest?
I wasn't expecting that.
Paul Whitfield.
@paulwhitfield2504
+Caz B
Caz, this has been my life.From the viewpoint of your father.
It's broken me... and also made me strong enough enough to carry on...
Jamie missed a last verse.
It's been over five years, and I guess I'm still here.
I wasn't expecting that.
Thought I'd follow you on, quite soon after you'd gone.
I sort of expected that.
I know now love is a lifelong thing, seems we're all just passing through.
Hope your waiting somewhere for me... 'cause I'm still missing you.
Your still here in my head, I feel your warmth in our bed.
I wasn't expecting that.
So now it's my turn to rest? Is that your head on my chest?
I wasn't expecting that.
Respect. Paul.
@MarvinLiverpool
I loved her cheeky grin,
To me happiness she'd bring,
Together battles we'd win,
Liking her wasn't a sin, Knowing her was a gift, Even though it was swift,
Your lovely spirit lifted me up like a lift,
My grief I can't shift, She past away,
I miss her everyday,
For her soul to reach Heaven to God I pray,
R.I.P darling until I head your way, I wished you a farewell,
That's da day I fell,
It was my personal hell,
I was locked in a cell
@iyangbahtiar
It was only a smile
But my heart it went wild
I wasn't expecting that
Just a delicate kiss
Anyone could've missed
I wasn't expecting that
Did I misread the sign?
Your hand slipped into mine
I wasn't expecting that
You spent the night in my bed
You woke up and you said
"Well, I wasn't expecting that!"
I thought love wasn't meant to last
I thought you were just passing through
If I ever get the nerve to ask
What did I get right to deserve somebody like you?
I wasn't expecting that
It was only a word
It was almost misheard
I wasn't expecting that
But it came without fear
A month turned into a year
I wasn't expecting that
I thought love wasn't meant to last
Honey, I thought you were just passing through
If I ever get the nerve to ask
What did I get right to deserve somebody like you?
I wasn't expecting that
Oh and isn't it strange
How a life can be changed
In the flicker of the sweetest smile
We were married in spring
You know I wouldn't change a thing
Without that innocent kiss
What a life I'd have missed
If you'd not took a chance
On a little romance
When I wasn't expecting that
Time doesn't take long
Three kids up and gone
I wasn't expecting that
When the nurses they came
Said, "It's come back again"
I wasn't expecting that
Then you closed your eyes
You took my heart by surprise
I wasn't expecting that
@genefoad
It was a pleasure to have been part of this video. Thrilled to see it has so many views and touched so many people . (I was the husband of the elder couple)
@kashnimago2096
Gene Foad Loved the video, Sir:) Thank you for making it special :)
@Australianbutterfly
It's such a beautiful and moving mini movie. Loved it !!
@jennifermaree6343
Wow, it certainly has and I'm sure that it's been spread throughout our world and my dad used to say, " you never know what's around the corner".Great video and lyrics and awesome you were part of its creation.
@kimm9766
Great job Gene xx
@thanosthemadtitan1273
I m sure you weren't expecting that :) wink wink
@VIPeR010icoN
Let's be honest, this song wasn't recommended.. you searched for it
@Coopdog0108
yes
@jakewoods2893
I hate to break it to you but it was recommended for me
@Coopdog0108
@@jakewoods2893 wow songs don't get recommended alot so ok