Growing up in houses just two minutes away from each other in Swords, a working class town near Dublin airport, Stephen Garrigan and Mark Prendergast met aged eight, when they were the only boys in the school choir. Skip forward six years and they recruited Vinny May , also situated a stones throw away and together set about forming the first of myriad bands. The line-up for Kodaline was recently completed by the addition of bassist Jason Boland . The band's name, incidentally, means absolutely nothing. For the moment they wanted something they could take ownership of.
The band became a YouTube sensation with their music video for the song 'All I Want' which tells the heartbreaking beauty-and-the-beast type story. On October 4th 2013 Kodaline released another music video for this song called 'All I Want part 2" this again tells us about the man.
On June 17th 2013, Kodaline released their first studio album, In a Perfect World, with 11 tracks including 'All I Want', 'Pray', 'Love Like This' and 'High Hopes'. The oldest track on their album is 'High Hopes' which was based on a series of breakups that members of the band were facing during that time.
Teaching each other the principles of songcraft, the music they came up with some of which can be found on their self titled EP isn't wan or introspective or self-serving. Instead, it's bold, epic and stirring. Currently maintaining an air of understated mystery, Kodaline are soon set to unveil themselves to the world with these first four tracks recorded with Steve Harris (producer for Dave Matthews band, mixer for U2).
Singles have featured in a number of TV shows, including 'Remember the time' in Grey's Anatomy and 'All I Want' in "The Vampire Diaries". This song was also used ,very effectively, as the backing music in the 2012 Google Zeitgeist advert.
Kodaline have also been doing many tours recently and their last two in the UK were completely sold out. They enjoy being on the stage and are looking forwards to many festivals in the upcoming summer, such as T in the Park and the V festival.
To celebrate the beginning of 2014, Kodaline released an alternative video for their song 'One Day' on January 1st, 2014. Also, on the 15th of January, Kodaline received the EBBA for the people's choice award along with another award for the best Irish Act. This promising band has been acclaimed for their many talents and will surely continue to produce such heart-rendering music.
Kodaline have announced their second album: 'Coming Up For Air' which will be released in February 2015. A couple of the songs have already been made public. They are also going on another tour around various places in the world after it's release, starting in the amazing Glasgow Barrowlands. They will also be returning to America after their last tour was cancelled due to Jay's broken wrist.
Take Control
Kodaline Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
stay the same don't let them change you.
Take control who you
cause ain't nobody going to save you.
Take control of who you are
when the world is getting stranger.
Take control of who you are
stay the same don't let them change you.
to start again and open up your heart.
Take control of who you are,
take control of who you are
when you're looking in the mirror underneath the skies
you will see a little clearer.
Take control of who you are
when the world is getting stranger
take control of who you are
show the people what you are made of
and when it comes apart,
when it comes apart just start again
open up your heart take control of who you are.
And when it comes apart,
when it comes apart just start again open your heart.
Take control of who you are.
When it comes apart and
when it comes apart just start again open up your heart.
Take control of who you are.
The lyrics of Kodaline's "Take Control" urge listeners to take charge of their own identity and not let others define or change them. The song speaks to the struggle of maintaining one's sense of self amidst the chaos of the ever-changing world. The opening line, "Take control of who you are," sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics, emphasizing the importance of personal agency and self-determination. The refrain repeats several times, emphasizing the theme of self-control and autonomy. The chorus shifts slightly, acknowledging that sometimes things fall apart and one needs to start again, but even in those moments, it's important to open one's heart and take control of who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Take control of who you are
Empower yourself to be who you truly are.
stay the same don't let them change you.
Don't let others influence you to change who you are.
cause ain't nobody going to save you.
You have to be your own savior in this world.
when the world is getting stranger.
In times of chaos and confusion, stay grounded to your true self.
But when it comes apart, when it comes apart to start again and open up your heart.
When things fall apart, don't lose hope, start afresh with an open heart.
when you're looking in the mirror underneath the skies you will see a little clearer.
Reflect on yourself under the open skies to gain a clearer understanding of who you are.
show the people what you are made of
Be confident and showcase your true abilities to the world.
And when it comes apart just start again open your heart.
In times of adversity, start anew with a compassionate heart.
Contributed by London N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Violet
on All I Want
Just amazing and comforting