Josienne Clarke (born in Sussex in 1993) is a Scottish singer and songwrite… Read Full Bio ↴Josienne Clarke (born in Sussex in 1993) is a Scottish singer and songwriter. In 2018, the decade-long partnership with guitarist Ben Walker, recording as Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker, ended. She subsequently co-founded PicaPica with fellow folk singer Samantha Whates, guitarist/keyboardist Adam Beattie and bassist/producer Sonny Johns

Clarke’s musical awakening began at a young age, learning parts to sing along with her father as he played folk and ballad classics on his Spanish guitar. Growing up in a world of singing and playing, Clarke's authenticity and easy communication on stage owes much to these early experiences of performance and interaction. Later, she was drawn to other styles of music and studied classical singing. The influence of this can clearly be heard in the clarity of her voice and the attention to detail in her compositions. From the early choral music she learned in various choirs, to the guitar bands she would listen to with friends, via jazz and experiment, and never losing her love of the traditional music she learnt in her native Sussex, Clarke gathered ideas everywhere she listened. The sum of these many parts are expansive works of skill and beauty, executed with dexterity and charisma.

www.josienneclarke.co.uk

Seconds
Josienne Clarke Lyrics

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Seconds, turn to minutes
All the time
And nothing i say
Will make you change your mind.
Your heart is a fire, but there's nothing in it.
And nothing i say
Will make you change your mind
I can try and i can learn

I can plee and i can burn
But seconds turn to minutes
All the time
And nothing i say
Has made you change your mind
Swear in your heart
When your sleeves begin to thin out

And nothing i say
Has made you change your mind.

Overall Meaning

In Josienne Clarke's song "Seconds," the singer is pleading with someone to change their mind about something, but it seems as though their mind is already made up. The lyrics repeat the idea that "seconds turn to minutes all the time," emphasizing the urgency of the situation and how quickly time is passing. The singer recognizes that the other person's heart may be passionate, but they feel as though there's nothing in it. The lyrics "I can try and I can learn, I can plea and I can burn" suggest that they've exhausted all their efforts to convince the other person, but it hasn't worked. The final stanza seems to indicate that the other person has already made up their mind, regardless of what the singer says or does. Overall, the song conveys a sense of helplessness and desperation, as the singer tries to convince someone to change their mind, but realizes that time is running out and their arguments aren't making a difference.

Line by Line Meaning

Seconds, turn to minutes
Time passes quickly, and seconds quickly become minutes.

All the time
This happens repeatedly.

And nothing I say
No matter what I say or do,

Will make you change your mind
you won't change your mind.

Your heart is a fire, but there's nothing in it
You may seem passionate, but there's no substance behind it.

And nothing I say
No matter what I say or do,

Will make you change your mind
you won't change your mind.

I can try and I can learn
I can attempt to make changes and improve.

I can plea and I can burn
I will plead and become emotionally invested.

But seconds turn to minutes
Time passes quickly, and seconds quickly become minutes.

All the time
This happens repeatedly.