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
Corpse Roads
Keaton Henson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of dying without you,
But I've come prepared
Resolved for my life to wear a funeral suit.
And don't lie, don't lie
Don't lie I know we're fixing to die
I'll smile and pretend and won't show to the crowd
And I'll go without
Punish myself for not knowing about
This lie, this lie
This lie that we're fixing to die
And don't lie, don't lie
Don't lie I know we're fixing to die.
And I'll be like this 'til the wounds leave the cries
And I won't give in, we'll be dead in the eyes
And I'ii see the dark things that you all try to hide
And I won't be the damnedest bit fucking surprised
No I won't be the damnedest bit fucking surprised
So let's not lie let's not lie,
Let's not lie I know we're fixing to die
So don't lie, lets not lie
So don't lie I know we're fixing to die
In "Corpse Roads," Keaton Henson sings about his fear of dying without his loved one. He admits to being scared of death but has come prepared to face it by dressing in a funeral suit. He implores his lover not to lie about their inevitable demise, and he won't pretend and put on a facade for others. He punishes himself for not knowing everything by accepting that they will die, and they will be dead in the eyes. Keaton talks about seeing the dark things that people hide and will not be the least bit surprised about them. He urges his partner not to lie and accept that they are indeed fixing to die.
The song is interpreted to be about the fear of dying alone, but the theme is more in-depth than that. It's about acknowledging one's mortality and the importance of being honest about that fact with loved ones. It is easier to live when we come to terms with death and prepare ourselves for it. The song's title, "Corpse Roads," makes reference to a folklore belief in England that in medieval times, the spirits of the dead traveled along specific paths to their resting places.
Line by Line Meaning
And I'm so damn scared,
I am overcome with fear,
Of dying without you,
Of the potential of you not being present when I die,
But I've come prepared
I have made arrangements for my own funeral,
Resolved for my life to wear a funeral suit.
I have accepted that death is inevitable and am prepared to face it.
And don't lie, don't lie
Do not try to deceive me,
Don't lie I know we're fixing to die
I know that death is approaching us soon.
And don't tell me how,
Please do not explain how I should react,
I'll smile and pretend and won't show to the crowd
I will hide my true feelings and portray a positive front to those around me.
And I'll go without
I will endure the pain and hardship without complaint,
Punish myself for not knowing about
I will blame myself for not understanding the inevitability of death.
This lie, this lie
The falsehood that we will not die,
This lie that we're fixing to die
The truth that our death is impending,
And I'll be like this 'til the wounds leave the cries
I will continue to grieve until my emotional wounds have healed,
And I won't give in, we'll be dead in the eyes
I will not succumb to the sadness and we will face death with dignity and resolve.
And I'ii see the dark things that you all try to hide
I will be aware of the inner turmoil and fear that others attempt to conceal.
And I won't be the damnedest bit fucking surprised
I will not be shocked by the truth of the situation.
No I won't be the damnedest bit fucking surprised
I am certain that I will not be taken aback by anything that happens.
So let's not lie let's not lie,
Let's be honest and forthcoming,
Let's not lie I know we're fixing to die
I know that we will soon meet our end.
So don't lie, lets not lie
There is no use in misleading one another,
So don't lie I know we're fixing to die.
It is time to accept the inevitability of our impending death.
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@uiin5525
And I'm so damn scared
Of dying without you,
But I've come prepared
Resolved for my life to wear a funeral suit.
And don't lie, don't lie,
Don't lie, I know we're fixing to die.
And don't tell me how,
I'll smile and pretend and won't show to the crowd,
And I'll go without
Punish myself for not knowing about
This lie, this lie,
This lie that we're fixing to die,
And don't lie, don't lie
Don't lie, I know we're fixing to die.
And I'll be like this 'til the long sleeper cry,
And I won't give in, we'll be dead in the eyes,
And I'll see the dark things that you all try to hide,
And I won't be the damnedest bit fucking surprised,
No, I won't be the damnedest bit fucking surprised.
So let's not lie, let's not lie,
Let's not lie, I know we're fixing to die,
Don't lie, let's not lie,
Let's not lie, I know we're fixing to die.
@stephaniehobbs5975
Recently watched in the flesh all over again can't believe I still cried 🤣😭 such a brilliant series and fantastic soundtracks To go with it
@juliagirlful
God I wish this was on spotify 😭😭
@Reiimin
In the Flesh brought me here and everything it's friking sad.
@barnyard0394
I KNOW ME TOO!! I CRIED SO BAD
@iLOVEpicklesBRO28
The scene before this song messed me up hard
@SavvyElric
*****
@Reiimin
Now that it's been cancelled, everything is even sadder than before ç__ç
@Reiimin
***** no, it's been cancelled :(
@gooshweed420
my hat is off to everyone responsible for "in the flesh" just plain good television and the music is inspiring.
@TheCheeseses
It is not just another zombie series.... unlike other zombie series "in the flesh" is about human emotion and life perspective instead of eat some brains and get shot in the head