The members are Martin "Marty" Donald (guitar), Taliesyn "Tali" White (vocals, drums), and Mark "Marky" Monnone (bass) and in 2004 they acquired Mid State Orange's guitarist Louis Richter on second guitar. In the early 90's, they met Chris Crouch, who informally 'signed them' to his record label, Candle Records. Crouch consequently began releasing their records, and they began to play the Melbourne indie circuit, most notably the Punters Club and later expanded to other Australian venues such as Sydney's The Annandale Hotel or Brisbane's the Troubadour.
Shine on Me
Lucksmiths Lyrics
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To the church at the foot of the council flats that I pass when I walk home
And here I am with time on my hands and newsprint on my elbows
And she's all heart
But I'm all thumbs
And we're both just skin and bones
My life is changing
Sometimes it feels as though it changes with the weather
She laughs at that old saying ‘let a smile be your umbrella'
I tell her ‘the next time that it's raining I will hold it over you'
I like the way that she looks at me
I like every little bit of this
When she's here I'm always happy
And when she's not I'm happyish
Today it's raining
There is nowhere I would rather be than this room
Let's close the doors until the air hangs heavy with wet wool
I'm feeling reckless: let's have breakfast in the middle of the afternoon
She's all smiles
And I'm also
And we're always wonderful
The Lucksmiths' song "Shine on Me" is a tender exploration of a relationship that seems to be characterized by opposites. The song begins with a description of the view outside the window of the singer's friend, from which one can see a church located at the bottom of a council flat. The singer then proceeds to ruminate on his life, which he feels has been changing of late. He speaks of the winter passing, and the sun finally shining through. He quips that his friend laughs at the old saying that "a smile should be your umbrella", and in response, he promises to hold an actual umbrella for her the next time it rains.
What is most striking about the song is the way it captures the essence of two people who seem different yet perfect for each other. The singer states that he's always happy when his partner is around, and he's "happyish" when she's not. He likes every little bit of being with her and revels in her smiles. While he's all thumbs, she's all heart, and though they're both "just skin and bones," they complement each other perfectly. The change in the weather, the raging storm outside, and woolly air enveloping the couple just adds to the sense of coziness and intimacy that the song exudes.
Overall, the lyrics to "Shine on Me" are an insightful and poetic portrayal of the nuances and complexity of relationships. The song captures the feeling of being at home with someone, of finding comfort in companionship, and of embracing the changing seasons with joy.
Line by Line Meaning
If it's not raining you can see right down the hill from my friend's window
From my friend's window, you can see the whole hill if it's not raining.
To the church at the foot of the council flats that I pass when I walk home
I walk by council flats on my way home where there's a church at the foot.
And here I am with time on my hands and newsprint on my elbows
Newsprint papers are on my elbows right now, and I have extra time to spare.
And she's all heart
My partner is purely emotional-driven and empathetic to others.
But I'm all thumbs
I'm clumsy and fumble often.
And we're both just skin and bones
We're both thin and have minimal body mass.
My life is changing
My life is changing in different ways, often abruptly.
Sometimes it feels as though it changes with the weather
I can compare my life changes as the weather changes from time to time.
It was winter for a while but now the sun is shining through
Things were gloomy before, but it's much brighter now.
She laughs at that old saying ‘let a smile be your umbrella'
My partner finds humor in cliches, like 'let a smile be your umbrella.'
I tell her ‘the next time that it's raining I will hold it over you'
I'll take care of and keep my partner safe next time it rains.
I like the way that she looks at me
I enjoy the way my partner looks at me.
I like every little bit of this
I enjoy every aspect of our relationship.
When she's here I'm always happy
I feel delighted every time my partner is around.
And when she's not I'm happyish
Although I'm not as content without my partner, I'm still reasonably happy.
Today it's raining
It's raining outside today.
There is nowhere I would rather be than this room
I feel like this room is the best place for me to be right now.
Let's close the doors until the air hangs heavy with wet wool
Let's close the doors, so the air is full of moisture and wet wool scent.
I'm feeling reckless: let's have breakfast in the middle of the afternoon
I want to do something crazy and have breakfast at an odd time - in the middle of the afternoon.
She's all smiles
My partner is smiling a lot right now.
And I'm also
Similarly, I'm also happy, smiling along with my partner.
And we're always wonderful
Together we always feel great and wonderful.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBIN J HARRELL, MICHAEL J O'HARA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind