Josh Pyke (born 18 December 1977 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian sin… Read Full Bio ↴Josh Pyke (born 18 December 1977 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian singer-songwriting musician. His albums include Memories & Dust (2007), Chimney's Afire (2008), Only Sparrows (2011).

It didn't take long before Josh's unique voice and song writing style, influenced by the likes of Elliott Smith, Evan Dando, and Sparklehorse, began to find favour amongst music tastemakers, critics and Triple J listeners. The first taste, the assured 'Kids Don't Sell Their Hopes So Fast', found high rotation on Triple J and soon 'Silver' and the gently sweeping 'Doldrums' followed to similar praise and airplay. These tracks are now available on the CD 'Recordings 2003-2005' through The Million records.

Josh signed to Ivy League Records in 2005 and shortly afterwards travelled to New York for some further writing, performing and demoing and upon return set about recording what was his debut release under his own name, a mini album entitled "Feeding The Wolves".

"Feeding the Wolves" signified a great deal more than a change in name: It revealed a huge step in the development of Josh as an artist and songwriter. The subject matter was as broad as titles like "Beg Your Pardon", "Private Education", "Middle Of The Hill" and "Goldmines" suggest, however it's Josh's lyrics that draw this collection of songs together into a complete package. He cleverly dissects human emotion and feelings and shows them for what they are: complex, abstract, fascinating.

There is hope in the opening track 'Beg Your Pardon' and in 'Fill You In' there is emptiness and longing. The first single, 'Middle Of The Hill', is a near-stream of consciousness of a suburban childhood - family affection coloured by those sometimes darker, sometimes trivial details that for some reason stay with you. 'Goldmines' a vision of a land, or maybe a talent, stripped of its riches - but here and there a flash of colour survives. A relationship that seems to be an ongoing test is at 'Private Education's' centre. The title track finishes it, with Josh quick to point out the Wolves are not those wanting a piece of you for whatever reason - but those uncontrollable, irrational, emotions inside yourself that you have to keep in check.

With production by the much-lauded Wayne Connolly (You Am I, Underground Lovers, Youth Group, just about any Australian act of note...), "Feeding The Wolves" had the artist now rightly known as Josh Pyke letting his talent flow without constraint. The words seem to tumble out of him: honest, evocative, and emotional all at once. The playing - again mostly all Josh - is one moment sweetly melodic, then turning urgent and insistent as needs be. This range of feelings, packaged so they bounce around inside your head like good songs do, and given so generously, go together to make "Feeding The Wolves" the sound of an artist beginning to realise an enormous potential.

In 2007 Josh released his first full-length album 'Memories and Dust'. Although the record features three of the stand-out tracks from 'Feeding the Wolves' there are a further 8 tracks of similar quality, including the title track, which was the first single taken from the new batch. The release is again through Ivy League Records.

Josh's second album Chimney's Afire was released 4 October 2008 and was recorded at Sydney's Linear Recording studios. The first single off the album was "The Lighthouse Song", and the second was called "Make You Happy".

Buttons
Josh Pyke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In my mind, not enough birds have died

in the shadow of this once cast stone

and i'm not well, but i am ill at ease

with all the buttons still left to sew

through needles eyes, see me sharper than i see myself..

so you should stitch me in to stop me from bleeding

and education can be fickle i think, sometimes the more you learn, the more you lose a sense of what you think you know

about all the buttons still left to sew

and i'm outside myself more and more these days

so you should stitch my skin skin to stop me from bleeding all over this fresh sing and i...

aknowledge all the corners, and all the freshly painted walls, that bear no former scars

since they're patched up and over now

but i was born of miners and im designed to chip away, tunnel in the dark..

but why must it always come down to some unseen contender?

i don't know

when hatchlings all we are, just battling the whitewash

birds above, sharks below..

though i feel empathy towards the ones who threaten me

i'd still leave them soft-shelled to the beaks of crows...

but every now and then a tempest blows, and the veneer I keep comes unsewn, but will you ever read me well?

I can only assume so.

and i'm bouyant like a flotsam man, now relegated by the waves to land.

they dry me like a brittle bone, paraded like a polished stone.

and that's what you ought to know.

i'd see them smashed on the reefs below.

Overall Meaning

The song "Buttons" by Josh Pyke is a contemplative and introspective piece that explores themes of inner turmoil, personal growth, and the passage of time. The opening lines, "In my mind, not enough birds have died / in the shadow of this once cast stone," sets the tone for the song's reflective and melancholic mood. Pyke addresses his own struggles, admitting that he is "not well," but still feels uneasy at the prospect of leaving many "buttons" left "to sew." The imagery evokes a sense of unfinished business and the urgency to tie up loose ends.

The song then references the idea that education can sometimes lead to a loss of personal perspective, and expresses a feeling of being outside oneself as Pyke reckons with his own past and parents’ pasts. The line “I was born of miners and I'm designed to chip away, tunnel in the dark,” invokes themes of hard work, family heritage, and a desire to persevere in the face of obstacles. The song segues into a moment of vulnerability as Pyke admits his own fragility and asks for help, declaring “so you should stitch me in to stop me from bleeding.”

A recurring motif throughout the song is that of birds, with Pyke employing various avian references as metaphors for personal struggles and challenges. The final lines of the song, “I'd see them smashed on the reefs below,” suggest a sense of inevitability and the futility of trying to hold onto things that are eventually lost or destroyed.

Overall, "Buttons" is a powerful and poetic lyrics that explores complex ideas of growth, mortality, and the human condition through vivid imagery and introspective introspection.

Line by Line Meaning

In my mind, not enough birds have died
I feel like there is a lack of balance in the world and too many birds remain alive

in the shadow of this once cast stone
in the lingering presence of this massive weight that remains with us

and i'm not well, but i am ill at ease
I'm not healthy, and also not comfortable with myself

with all the buttons still left to sew
with all the unfinished tasks and responsibilities that burden me

through needles eyes, see me sharper than i see myself..
others can see my flaws more clearly than I can

so you should stitch me in to stop me from bleeding
I need someone else to help me heal and prevent further harm

and education can be fickle i think, sometimes the more you learn, the more you lose a sense of what you think you know
I find that learning new things can be confusing and make me question my previous knowledge

about all the buttons still left to sew
regarding the unfinished tasks and responsibilities that burden me

and i'm outside myself more and more these days
I feel more separated from myself and my emotions lately

so you should stitch my skin skin to stop me from bleeding all over this fresh sing and i...
I need someone to metaphorically sew my wounds shut to prevent further damage to myself and others

aknowledge all the corners, and all the freshly painted walls, that bear no former scars
I notice the pristine and smooth appearance of my surroundings, free from physical damage

since they're patched up and over now
since they have already been repaired and covered up

but i was born of miners and im designed to chip away, tunnel in the dark..
I come from a line of people who worked hard and persevered through difficult circumstances

but why must it always come down to some unseen contender?
why does life always seem to involve some unknown and invisible opponent?

i don't know
I'm unsure and without an answer

when hatchlings all we are, just battling the whitewash
when we are born, we are like birds fighting against the overwhelming white waves

birds above, sharks below..
life is full of danger and risks, both from above and below

though i feel empathy towards the ones who threaten me
even when someone does me harm, I can understand and feel for their perspective

i'd still leave them soft-shelled to the beaks of crows...
I would still let their vulnerability be exposed and become prey to others

but every now and then a tempest blows, and the veneer I keep comes unsewn, but will you ever read me well?
occasionally, my facade crumbles, will you be able to see the real me?

I can only assume so.
I can only imagine that you would be able to understand me

and i'm bouyant like a flotsam man, now relegated by the waves to land.
I feel like I am drifting aimlessly but have been washed up on the shore of reality

they dry me like a brittle bone, paraded like a polished stone.
I'm left lifeless and fragile, like a dead bone on display

and that's what you ought to know.
and that's what you need to understand

i'd see them smashed on the reefs below.
I would enjoy watching my enemies fall and be destroyed

Contributed by Layla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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