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.

Without your love
Jimmy Barnes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

WHEN YOU WORK IN THE CITY
BUT YOUR HEART IS SOMEWHERE ELSE
YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR FEELINGS
GOTTA KEEP THEM TO YOUR SELF
NOWHERE TO GO WHEN YOU JUST BRAKE DOWM AND CRY
EVERTHING REMINDS YOU JUST HOW FAR AWAY YOU ARE

I SWEAR I WOULD DIE

WITHOUT YOUR KISS
KEEP ME WARM INSIDE
WITHOUT YOUR LOVE
I WOULD NOT BE AROUND
IT'S YOUR LOVE
KEEPS MY BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND

WELL I HIT THIS TOWN
FOUND A PLACE TO PUT MY BAGS
THERE'S A RED LIGHT FLASHING
LIKE A BECON GONNA DRIVE ME MAD
AND A MAN OUTSIDE IS FLAGING DOWN PASSING CARS
AND IT ALL JUST HELP REMIND ME JUST HOW FAR AWAY YOU ARE

WITHOUT YOUR LOVE
I SWEAR I WOULD DIE
WITHOUT YOUR KISS
KEEP ME WARM INSIDE
WITHOUT YOUR LOVE
I WOULD NOT BE AROUND
IT'S YOUR LOVE
KEEPS MY BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND

I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE BABY

WITHOUT YOUR LOVE
I SWEAR I WOULD DIE
WITHOUT YOUR KISS
KEEP ME WARM INSIDE
AND WITHOUT YOUR LOVE
I WOULD NOT BE AROUND
IT'S YOUR LOVE
KEEPS MY BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND

WITHOUT YOUR LOVE

I WONT BE AROUND
BABY I SWEAR I WONT BE AROUND

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jimmy Barnes' song "Without Your Love" express the feeling of being physically present in one place while emotionally being somewhere else. The singer of the song is working in the city, but his heart is elsewhere, and he has to keep his feelings to himself. The sense of isolation is palpable as the singer has nowhere to go when he breaks down and cries.

The chorus of the song highlights the importance of love to the singer's wellbeing. He swears that he would die without his lover's kiss and that her love keeps him grounded. The verse about hitting a new town and feeling lost emphasizes the sense of displacement that the singer is struggling with, and the red light flashing like a beacon emphasizes the sense of anxiety and urgency he is feeling.

In short, the song is about the emotional distance between two people and how love can be a lifeline connecting them. Barnes' raspy vocals and the powerful backing instrumentation give the lyrics an emotional resonance that conveys the sense of yearning and longing that the song is about.

Line by Line Meaning

WHEN YOU WORK IN THE CITY
When you spend your days in the busy city

BUT YOUR HEART IS SOMEWHERE ELSE
But your heart belongs somewhere else

YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR FEELINGS
You must conceal your emotions

GOTTA KEEP THEM TO YOUR SELF
You must keep them to yourself

NOWHERE TO GO WHEN YOU JUST BRAKE DOWN AND CRY
Nowhere to run when you're overwhelmed with sadness

EVERTHING REMINDS YOU JUST HOW FAR AWAY YOU ARE
Everything reminds you of how distant you are from where your heart is

I SWEAR I WOULD DIE
I truly believe I would not survive

WITHOUT YOUR KISS
Without the touch of your lips

KEEP ME WARM INSIDE
You bring warmth to my soul

WITHOUT YOUR LOVE
Without the love we share

I WOULD NOT BE AROUND
I wouldn't be here anymore