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"In all honesty, I'm more or less just a kid in my room," Jimmy Robbins modestly states. However, not many kids can boast teaching themselves how to play guitar at the age of 8, writing their first song at the age of 11, touring with their band before they've even learned to drive, or embarking on their own solo songwriting project before they've even finished high school.
18 year-old Jimmy Robbins is living proof that perseverance, determination, and believing in yourself are the key factors to making your dreams come true. The acoustic pop star started his one man project Too Sorry For Apologies and quickly gained a huge following. Using mostly Myspace to help him connect with and reach a broader fan base, it wasn't long before people started taking notice. Fans found it easy to relate to him and his lyrics about girls and deeper family issues.
Starting out with just demos on Myspace, Jimmy wrote and self-released his debut LP Sleep the Pain Away in 2005. He followed up that full length by writing and self-releasing the EP Too Sorry For Apologies in 2006, which also contained his now trademark acoustic pop hooks and charming vocals. The precocious and driven pop sensation was even able to get his EP up for sale on ITunes. While his resourcefulness at such a young age is impressive, it came out of necessity.
Jimmy was brought up having to face tragic circumstances, as his mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at the age of 47. By the time Jimmy began songwriting, she was past remembering him. "My mom is why I started playing music. I was horrible at communicating and the stuff with her I couldn't talk about. I wouldn't talk to anyone about when she didn't know me and stuff, so whenever it happened, I would write a song," he explains. Jimmy says songwriting made it easier to express himself. "Sometimes conversation is awkward and you have to say things that are maybe sort of secrets. It's kind of like the curtain in the Wizard of Oz;" he laughs, "you are a little braver behind it."
Jimmy's mother passed away 2 years ago, at the age of 55. While going through some dark patches around the time of her death, Jimmy found comfort in his music and still writes songs about her. His songs aren't only about family though, as even though he was faced with tragedy not typical of someone his age, he naturally still has the same problems of any other boy his age. In particular, girls. Loving girls, feeling broken hearted by, or just confused about girls in general. However, throughout anything he is faced with, he always stays productive. Jimmy is currently writing songs and getting ready to release his next full length record titled Breathe Again. The future is looking brighter than ever for the talented songwriter. "These days, I'm so happy it's annoying," he laughs.
Ghost Town
Jimmy Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so tired of dreaming without falling asleep
I am a ghost town and no one's visiting me
I'm on the fast track to never existing at all
It's like riding a plane only hoping to fall
I'm so sick of the clothes that seem to be wearing me
Out on the town, like I'm a heart on their sleeve
I'm on the fast track to never really learning to love
Chorus
So tell me,
Can a ghost fall in love with an angel?
I see heaven in your eyes, your grays and blues bring me back to life
Verse 2
I'm a rainstorm coming down hard over head
But everybody is safe in their beds
I'm on the fast track to never really counting at all
But you have been here with me all along
Chorus
Bridge
Hello stranger I'm a mess
All hands on deck set sails for nervous wreck
Cast away, Cast away
Chorus
The song "Ghost Town" by Jimmy Robbins is a hauntingly beautiful portrayal of feeling invisible and disconnected from the world around you. The lyrics of the song are poignant and convey a sense of isolation and longing for connection. The first verse starts by describing the feeling of restless dreaming without truly falling asleep, a metaphor for a lack of peace or rest in life. The singer then describes themselves as a ghost town, a place that is empty and void of visitors, just like they feel like no one is engaging with them in their life. The lines "I'm on the fast track to never really learning to love, it's like holding your breath just to spite your lungs" is a particularly powerful portrayal of a person's unwillingness to open up to love, instead choosing to remain closed off even if it means never truly living.
The second verse continues the theme of feeling unseen with the image of a rainstorm coming down hard over head, but with everyone safe in their beds, implying that the storm goes unnoticed. It is the chorus, though, that acts as a beacon of hope in the darkness. The singer asks if a ghost can fall in love with an angel, representing two opposite forces coming together. They describe seeing heaven in the other's eyes and how the grays and blues of their partner's eyes bring them back to life. It's a touching portrayal of how love can bring someone back from feeling invisible and disconnected from the world.
Overall, "Ghost Town" is a beautiful and emotive song that explores themes of loneliness, isolation and longing. The lyrics are poetic and deeply emotional, and the song has a haunting quality that lingers long after the music has stopped.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so tired of dreaming without falling asleep
I'm exhausted from constantly thinking and imagining without ever being able to rest.
I am a ghost town and no one's visiting me
I feel deserted and alone, like a ghost town that no one wants to visit.
I'm on the fast track to never existing at all
I feel like I'm quickly fading away and disappearing completely.
It's like riding a plane only hoping to fall
I feel like I'm just going through the motions of life, hoping for something to shake me up.
I'm so sick of the clothes that seem to be wearing me
I'm tired of feeling like my clothes are defining me instead of the other way around.
Out on the town, like I'm a heart on their sleeve
I feel exposed and vulnerable when I'm out in public, like everyone can see right through me.
I'm on the fast track to never really learning to love
I feel like I'm rushing through life without ever really taking the time to truly love and care for someone else.
It's like holding your breath just to spite your lungs
I feel like I'm purposely denying myself something that I need, just to prove a point.
So tell me,
The artist is asking for an answer or opinion from the listener.
Can a ghost fall in love with an angel?
The artist is questioning whether someone who feels invisible and neglected can find love with someone who feels pure and pristine.
I see heaven in your eyes, your grays and blues bring me back to life
The singer finds comfort and rejuvenation in the listener's eyes, which seem to contain both light and darkness.
I'm a rainstorm coming down hard over head
The artist feels like a storm that is overpowering and consuming them.
But everybody is safe in their beds
Despite how the singer is feeling, everyone around them seems to be unaffected and protected.
I'm on the fast track to never really counting at all
The singer feels like they're losing track of their life and their accomplishments, like nothing they do really matters.
But you have been here with me all along
Despite everything else, the listener has been by the singer's side through it all.
Hello stranger I'm a mess
The artist is introducing themselves as a mess to someone they don't know very well.
All hands on deck set sails for nervous wreck
The artist is highlighting their anxiety and nervousness, using a nautical metaphor.
Cast away, Cast away
The singer feels like they've been abandoned or left behind, like the main character in the book and movie 'Cast Away.'
Contributed by Parker V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.