Jimmy Barnes (b. 1956) is an Australian rock singer.

Barnes was born… Read Full Bio ↴Jimmy Barnes (b. 1956) is an Australian rock singer.

Barnes was born James Dixon Swan on the 28th April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Australia with his family when he was six years old.

He first came to public attention as the lead singer with popular Australian pub-rock band Cold Chisel, which he joined in 1973 and with whom he recorded seven albums between 1978 and 1983. When the band split up in 1983 he launched a solo career almost immediately; his first album, Bodyswerve, entered the Australian charts at number one. It was the first of a remarkable run of top charting albums for Barnes, as each of his first six solo albums entered the charts at number one, a feat that no other Australian artist is likely to match.

In 1986 Barnes recorded two singles with INXS, duetting with that band's singer Michael Hutchence on a cover of The Easybeats' "Good Times", and "Laying Down the Law", which was co-written by Barnes with INXS members Andrew Farriss and Hutchence. "Good Times" was used as the theme song for the Australia Made series of concerts that toured the country in the summer of 1986-1987. Both songs later appeared on the soundtrack of the 1980s teen vampire film The Lost Boys.

Following Hutchence's death in 1997, Barnes appeared live on stage with INXS at shows throughout Australia between 1999 and 2001.

His album Double Happiness, released in July 2005, reaffirmed his popularity, entering the ARIAnet albums chart at number one, his seventh album to do so. Barnes was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on the 23rd October 2005 for his solo career efforts. Coupled with Cold Chisel's previous induction, Barnes is the only artist to be entered into the Hall of Fame twice.

Barnes is also the father of singer David Campbell, who recently starred in the Australian production of the musical Sunset Boulevard, and was a contestant on the Australian television programme Dancing with the Stars. The two perform the duet "Wichita Lineman" on Double Happiness.

Guilty
Jimmy Barnes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yes, baby, I been drinkin'
And I shouldn't come by I know
But I found myself in trouble
And I had nowhere else to go

Got some whiskey from the barman
Got some cocaine from a friend
I just had to keep on movin'

'Til I was back in your arms again

Guilty, baby I'm guilty
And I'll be guilty the rest of my life
How come I never do what I'm supposed to do
How come nothin' that I try to do ever turns out right?

You know, you know how it is with me baby
You know, I just can't stand myself

And it takes a whole lot of medicine
For me to pretend that I'm somebody else

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jimmy Barnes's song Guilty reflect the internal battle of a man who is struggling to overcome his vices and be the person he desires to be. The opening lines of "Yes, baby, I been drinkin'/And I shouldn't come by, I know" reveal the singer's acknowledgment of his mistake, coming to visit his lover while under the influence of alcohol. He is aware that his actions are wrong, but he feels powerless to resist his urges. His desperation to be reunited with his lover is apparent in the lines "But I found myself in trouble/And I had nowhere else to go," indicating that he has tried everything within his power to shake off his dependency on drugs and alcohol, but nothing seems to work.

The lines "Got some whiskey from the barman/Got some cocaine from a friend/I just had to keep on movin'/Til I was back in your arms again" showcase the singer's determination to return to the comfort of his lover's embrace, regardless of the destructive choices he's making to get there. Despite his best intentions, he acknowledges that he has let his lover down, and he is guilty for the rest of his life, as reflected by the lines "Guilty, baby, I'm guilty/And I'll be guilty the rest of my life."

The final lines, "And it takes a whole lot of medicine/For me to pretend that I'm somebody else," emphasize the singer's inability to overcome his addiction without external help. He is not content with who he is and would rather assume a different persona, but even that requires a lot of effort. The song's lyrics capture the pain, regret, and powerlessness that come with addiction, along with the guilt that follows.

Line by Line Meaning

Yes, baby, I been drinkin'
Admitting to consuming an alcoholic beverage

And I shouldn't come by I know
Acknowledging that visiting is not a good idea

But I found myself in trouble
Admitting to being in difficult circumstances

And I had nowhere else to go
Explaining why he came to visit

Got some whiskey from the barman
Purchased an alcoholic beverage from the bartender

Got some cocaine from a friend
Obtained cocaine from a friend

I just had to keep on movin'
Explaining the need to keep moving

'Til I was back in your arms again
Stating the ultimate goal of returning to the person's embrace

Guilty, baby I'm guilty
Confessing to wrongdoing

And I'll be guilty the rest of my life
Accepting responsibility for actions

How come I never do what I'm supposed to do
Expressing frustration with inability to meet expectations

How come nothin' that I try to do ever turns out right?
Questioning why attempts to do better never yield proper results

You know, you know how it is with me baby
Acknowledging that the person is familiar with behavior

You know, I just can't stand myself
Describing self-loathing face by the singer

And it takes a whole lot of medicine
Describing what it would take to feel differently

For me to pretend that I'm somebody else
Explaining the necessity of altering one's persona for relief

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADRIAN NEWMAN, JOHAN BANG-JOHANSEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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