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
Oliver Dalston Browning
Keaton Henson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was a captain of the sea, oh
He was a gentle man
With cracks and lines across his hands, oh
Iron waves crashed on his face,
Made him feel less alone, oh
With eyes so true, he could have cried, oh
She watched him cry on his knees
"Dear Ollie, please let me be," oh
Iron waves crashed on his face,
Made him feel less alone, oh
"Ollie," she said, "leave me be"
"Ollie," she said, "leave me be"
She left him, and he left everything
She left him, he left everything
She left him, he left everything
In Keaton Henson's song "Oliver Dalston Browning," the lyrics speak of two main characters: Oliver Dalston Browning (Ollie) and a woman who is engaged to be a bride. Ollie is described as a "captain of industry" and "captain of the sea," suggesting that he was once in a position of power and strength. However, the lyrics also paint him as a gentle man with "cracks and lines across his hands," suggesting that he has aged and perhaps lost some of that power. The woman he is in love with watched him cry on his knees, pleading with her to let him be.
The second half of the song repeats the phrase "She left him, he left everything," emphasizing the sadness and loss that both characters experienced. The "iron waves" that crash on Ollie's face throughout the song provide a metaphor for his pain and isolation, but also perhaps offer a sense of comfort or companionship in their unyielding presence.
Line by Line Meaning
He was a captain of industry
He was a person in a position of power and influence in the business world.
He was a captain of the sea, oh
He had a strong connection to the sea and had experience sailing or working on ships.
He was a gentle man
He had a kind and compassionate personality.
With cracks and lines across his hands, oh
He had worked with his hands and had physical signs of labor and hardship.
Iron waves crashed on his face,
The sea and its turbulent waves had a powerful effect on him, both physically and emotionally.
Made him feel less alone, oh
Being surrounded by the sea and its waves provided him with some solace and comfort.
She was engaged to be a bride
She was in a committed relationship and planning to get married.
With eyes so true, he could have cried, oh
She had sincere and genuine eyes that moved him emotionally.
She watched him cry on his knees
She witnessed him in a vulnerable and emotional state, likely due to his feelings for her.
"Dear Ollie, please let me be," oh
She asked him to leave her alone and not to pursue her any further.
"Ollie," she said, "leave me be"
She repeated her request for him to stay away from her and not to pursue their relationship.
She left him, and he left everything
After their relationship ended, he was so affected by the loss that he abandoned everything else in his life.
She left him, he left everything
Her departure had such a profound impact on him that he felt compelled to leave his entire life behind as well.
She left him, he left everything
The loss of their relationship was so devastating that it prompted him to give up on everything he had previously held dear.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Keaton Leslie Henson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Agatha Sá
Ele era um capitão de indústria
Ele era um capitão do mar, oh
Ele era um homem gentil
Com rachaduras e linhas através de suas mãos, oh
Ondas de ferro caíram sobre o seu rosto
Fizeram-no sentir-se menos só, oh
Ela estava comprometida para ser uma noiva
Com olhos tão verdadeiros, ele poderia ter chorado, oh
Ela o viu chorar de joelhos
"Querido Ollie, por favor, deixe-me ser", oh
Ondas de ferro caíram sobre o seu rosto
Fizeram-no sentir-se menos só, oh
"Ollie", disse ela, "deixe-me ser"
"Ollie", disse ela, "deixe-me ser"
Ela o deixou, ele deixou tudo
Ela o deixou, ele deixou tudo
Ela o deixou, ele deixou tudo
Alyssa Jade
I love how Keatons music is so emotional that you can just feel how he feels and if you're going through the same thing, you don't feel alone.and I hope one day he realizes how truly amazing he is.
YouDaveyTube
There are not many lyrics that broke my heart like this one did.
Paroxysm
so is this song about a "captain of the Sea", a gentle man who worked hard and fell in love, but she wasn't really feeling it, got engaged and told Ollie "leave me be," so he left to sail the seas, hence the "he left everything" ? because if thats the case... this song is pure gold. its simple but it weighs heavy.
Paroxysm
so aparently Oliver was an entrepreneur with good intent and provided alot for the community (according the the def of 'captain of industry' on google), making him a good man who was gentle, works hard, probably incredibly bright. and pretty much is just an all around great guy, who had his heartbroken.
everytime I try to disect and annote a keaton song I always find myself really taken aback. I mean, you'd think it was just about love and being sad at first, but really it's just not.
Fernanda Basso
I love this music for more than 10 years.. ocasionally i come back here to listen it again! breaks my heart every time.
The Cursing Photographer
this is just a great song to draw or write to.
Emma Danielle Davis
I completely agree! when I'm at an block and need inspiration, I always turn to Keaton's music
scribbyBibby \
It's been two years now.. I've completely isolated myself from everyone I've ever known, social media and even less In person. It's weird how much her leaving me has made me leave everything.
libby
I hope you're doing okay these days. You deserve happiness and the comfort of company. ❤️ take care x
scribbyBibby \
libby Hey, sorry for the late reply I hadn’t seen it till now. I’ve been kinda the same I guess. Some days are okay though. I still can’t find it in me to talk to old friends. And new ones are pretty hard to come by. So I’m kinda just stuck.
Thank you for your kind words btw. Really meant a lot. ♥️