As a musician Henson usually sings and plays guitar. Henson suffers from serious stage fright and, as a result, he rarely plays concerts. His art show "Hithermost" took place at the Pertwee, Anderson & Gold gallery in London in January 2013 and "sold quickly". He has also released a wordless graphic novel called "Gloaming", published by Pocko, which is "essentially a field guide to a spirit world beyond our reality".
Keaton Henson was born in 1988 in London, England. He is the son of actor Nicky Henson and ballet dancer Marguerite Porter.
Originally Henson was an illustrator. He designed the artwork for various albums including Dananananaykroyd's Hey Everyone! and Enter Shikari's Take to the Skies. Henson recorded songs in his apartment in London, initially purely for his own consumption. He gave a recording of one of the songs as a gift for his best friend, and was encouraged to put music online. In November 2010 his debut album Dear was released on Motive Sounds Recordings, in a limited edition which he made by hand himself. In 2011 he released a single, "Metaphors", on Porchlight Records. He also recorded "Don't Be Afraid" for the Tormented soundtrack.
Henson's breakthrough came when Zane Lowe played "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are" on BBC Radio 1 for the first time on Wednesday 7 September 2011, saying: "That piece of music right there is one of the most special pieces of music I've heard in a very very long time". The play received a rapturous reaction from listeners.
Henson formed his own Oak Ten Records and officially re-released his debut album Dear in 2012. It went on to sell over 7,000 copies and gained a cult following. The album was well critically acclaimed: the BBC said "Keaton Henson isn't a show-off, but with talent like this, he has every right to be", and on Metacritic the album received a score of 70 out of 100. The album, which never charted, spawned three singles – "Charon", "Small Hands" and "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are" – all of which were accompanied by music videos. The video for "Charon" was shortlisted for a UK MVA award in Best Budget Indie/Rock Category. "Small Hands" won Best Music Video at Rushes Soho Shorts 2012.
Henson released The Lucky EP in July 2012.
Henson's music ("Charon", "Corpse Roads", "To Your Health", "10AM Gare du Nord", "You") has been featured in the BBC Three zombie drama In the Flesh.
In November 2012, Henson designed a t-shirt for the Yellow Bird Project to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
"Keaton Henson spends his time alone, writing songs and sometimes drawing, he doesn't like to talk about himself."
Visit www.keatonhenson.com
Charon
Keaton Henson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm on my own
And time transcends, oh!
And it seems I speak
Like waters leak
And I'm losing friends, oh!
There'll be coins on my eyes
To pay Charon
Before I let you near my son
And I don't feel well
Oh, couldn't you tell,
From the way I touch my face?
My thoughts are low
And I cannot grow
In this small space, oh!
But there'll be coins on my eyes
There'll be coins on my eyes
To pay Charon,
Before I let you near my son
And I ain't no,
And I ain't no,
And I ain't no Hercules
I ain't no Hercules
The lyrics to Keaton Henson's song Charon express a sense of isolation, vulnerability, and melancholy. The repeated phrase "And it seems" suggests an ongoing feeling of uncertainty and instability. The singer acknowledges that time is passing ("time transcends"), perhaps indicating a feeling of being stuck or stagnant. The imagery of speaking "like waters leak" suggests a lack of control, as well as a sense of emotional overflow. The line "And I'm losing friends" provides further evidence of the singer's alienation.
The chorus of the song contains the repeated phrase "There'll be coins on my eyes to pay Charon." In Greek mythology, Charon is the ferryman who transports the souls of the dead across the river Styx. The coins on the eyes of the deceased were meant to pay for the journey. By referencing this myth, the song suggests that the singer feels like they are already dead or disconnected from life in some way. The line "Before I let you near my son" could be interpreted as a fear of letting someone get too close and causing harm, or as a refusal to let others influence the singer's child.
The final stanza of the song includes the lines "And I don't feel well / Oh, couldn't you tell, / from the way I touch my face?" This suggests that the singer is struggling with some kind of physical or mental health issue. The phrase "My thoughts are low" could also indicate depression or anxiety. The closing line "I ain't no Hercules" suggests that the singer may feel inadequate or powerless, lacking the strength of the famous hero.
Line by Line Meaning
And It seems as though
The singer feels alone, like there is no one there for them.
I'm on my own
They are alone, with no one to support them.
And time transcends, oh!
Time seems to pass by quickly, almost like it's not real.
And it seems I speak
The artist believes that they talk too much, and that it's driving people away.
Like waters leak
Their words flow out of them uncontrollably and easily.
And I'm losing friends, oh!
As a result, the singer is losing friends and pushing people away.
And there'll be coins on my eyes
The singer is planning to die soon, and they will have coins on their eyes to pay the ferryman for passage across the river Styx.
To pay Charon
Charon is the ferryman of the dead, and the coins will be used to pay him for passage across the river Styx.
Before I let you near my son
The artist will not let anyone near their son until they have ensured their own passage safely to the Underworld.
And I don't feel well
The artist is not feeling well, both physically and emotionally.
Oh, couldn't you tell,
They are hoping that someone can tell that something is wrong with them.
From the way I touch my face?
One way the artist expresses their discomfort is through touching their face.
My thoughts are low
The singer is feeling emotionally drained and struggling with low thoughts.
And I cannot grow
The singer is feeling stuck and unable to grow or make progress.
In this small space, oh!
They feel confined and limited by their current situation.
And I ain't no,
The artist is not someone who is powerful or strong.
And I ain't no,
They reiterate that they are not a hero or powerful figure like Hercules.
And I ain't no Hercules
They are not a legendary hero, and they feel small and powerless.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Keaton Leslie Henson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dillpickle4784
And it seems as though
I'm on my own
And time transcends, oh
And it seems I speak
Like waters leak
And I'm losing friends, oh
And there'll be coins on my eyes
There'll be coins on my eyes
To pay Charon
Before I let you near my son
And I don't feel well
Oh, couldn't you tell,
From the way I touch my face?
And my thoughts are low
And I cannot grow
In this small space, oh
But there'll be coins on my eyes
There'll be coins on my eyes
To pay Charon
Before I let you near my son
And I ain't no
And I ain't no
And I ain't no Hercules
And I ain't no Hercules
And I ain't no Hercules
And I ain't no Hercules
@mikespidle9770
A lot of people write songs about being sad. Keaton Henson songs are what sadness sounds like.
@Leeland0917
charon is the gate keeper to the underworld in greek mythology. in order to get there you pay charon "coins" for passage on his boat. But once you are in you can not get out. only few have made it in and out alive and Hercules is one of them who made it in and out of Hades alive. He is saying he is not strong enough to come out alive. Im summarizing so all this might not be entirely accurate but this is the basis of what he is saying. hope that helps.
@maffeffect3
Orpheus did too. He charmed Hades and Persephone with his music, so he could bring his wife back from the dead, but lost her forever when he looked back to make sure she was following him. Sisyphos used his trickery and the gods didn't like that at all and made him suffer for eternity, when he died the second time. Moral of the story, no mortal can cheat death, not even the most talented and cunning. And the gods are cunts.
@emmiepowers4117
7 years. Hope you’re doing okay
@heraffuptheshitshaft
It doesn't actually have to do with Charon as much as it has to do with the statement that he will be dead before you get a chance to get close
@TheDjer73
@@heraffuptheshitshaft he knows my story well and we've never even met. 😂
@astralpriestess20
I always feel that in his songs his loneliness is palpable, but instead of being empty it's comforting somehow. Like there is immense beauty + understanding in it, too. and this song is one of his best, and the music video brought me to tears. ...
@astralpriestess20
***** really really pretty. Thank you for the suggestion
@stachiano
you couldn't have said it any better; my sentiments exactly
@iLOVEpicklesBRO28
It's beautiful- this song is suicidal depression if I've ever heard it.