Faulkner began playing guitar at the age of 11-12 with session guitarist Bob "crazy guy" Cranham and also attended the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, where he spent 2 years gaining both diploma and the higher diploma award under the tutelage of Eric Roche.
His first band was a Green Day cover band, in which he played bass guitar. His experience on the stage grew as he formed Half a Guy, a funk rock group with a quirky edge, with fellow band mates Matt Buchanan, Dave Elvy and Nicola Crawshaw. Half a Guy recorded two demo CDs and managed 2 years before splitting. He then spent time recording and gigging under the name Newton Battenberg Faulkner, where he played the Lapagestock festival on the 11th June 2005.
Recent appearances on BBC Radio 2 as well as a publishing deal with Peermusic UK compelled the Independent on Sunday to tell its readers to "Watch this face". Faulkner performed at the 2006 South by Southwest music festival and at Guilfest 2007.
In 2006 he had a support slot for Steve Forbert at The Spitz in London, England.
Newton has recently been signed by [labelSony BMG records and on the 30th of July 2007 he released his debut album Hand Built By Robots. He supported James Morrison on his February UK tour as well as Paolo Nutini on his UK tour in April, and also John Mayer on his September dates in the United Kingdom. He also supported The John Butler Trio on a number of European dates.
In June 2007 Newton's second single Dream Catch Me was selected Jo Whiley's 'Pet Sound' on her daily Radio 1 show. This gave the track much exposure and was highly commented on by listeners to Jo's show.
Newton appeared twice at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2007 - once on the Friday on the Acoustic Stage and once on the Sunday on the Leftfield Stage. He appeared at V Festival 2007 in August where he played in the Virgin Mobile Sessions Tent - a venue much too small as people overflowed outside. He also appeared at the Connect Music Festival at the end of August 2007 on the Guitars and Other Machines stage
On July 29, Dream Catch Me entered the UK Singles Chart at number 16. The following week it had risen to number 7 with Hand Built By Robots entering the album charts at number 3. The song rose to #8 on 12 August, the album to number 1 on 26 August.
Eric Roche is undoubtedly one of Newton's biggest influences, both from a stylistic point of view (vis a vis the percussive use of the guitar's body) and through the use of tapping, uncommon tunings and inventive chord changes, such as in I Need Something and Ageing Superhero, from his debut album. This method of playing also shows heavily in the work of Jon Gomm and Pete Wailes, although with a slightly different feel in both.
U.F.O.
Newton Faulkner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had nothing to drink, I don't think,
Okay, well maybe a glass of wine,
But nothing that would loosen my mind,
To the point of seeing, what I'm seeing in the sky.
Woooah an alien bein'! My mind can't make sense of what I'm seein',
It's beginning to take control, So I better watch out for the anal probe.
Ufo, hello.
Ufo, hello.
Ufo, hello.
Ufo, hello.
They come in peace, we stay in war,
We like to get drunk and fight each other in bars,
And all I'm tryin' to say, is if you were to look,
From the outside looking in, where would you begin?
Ufo, hello.
Ufo, hello.
Ufo, hello.
Ufo, hello.
And I,
When I look into the sky and I see a strange light,
Everything is alright, everything is alright. X2
Ufo, (If you wanna take the time to say,) hello.
(I've been waitin' in a field to say,)
Ufo, (If you wanna take the time to say,) hello.
(I've been waitin' in line,) x2
Ufo, (If you wanna take the time to say,) hello.
(I've been waitin' in a field to say,)
Ufo, (If you wanna take the time to say,) hello.
I just wanna say hi.
The lyrics to Newton Faulkner's song "U.F.O." tell the story of the singer having a close encounter with unidentified flying objects. The song starts with the singer acknowledging that he has had nothing to drink, suggesting that what he is seeing in the sky is not a result of intoxication. The sight of an alien spaceship takes control of his mind, and the singer becomes paranoid and fearful of the possibilities of what might happen to him. He jokes about the idea of getting an anal probe by beings from another planet. The lyrics then shift to a more philosophical tone, as the singer contemplates the human race's tendency towards violence and war. He challenges listeners to consider how an outsider would view humanity's actions from an outside perspective before ending with a plea to the aliens to say hello.
The song seems to be exploring multiple ideas, ranging from humor to philosophy. On the one hand, it is a humorous take on the idea of aliens and the typical assumptions made about them. On the other hand, it delves into human nature and raises questions about how our species' behavior appears to those outside of our world. Overall, "U.F.O." is a lighthearted take on the mystery of the universe and our place in it.
Line by Line Meaning
It was late one night a little while ago,
The story begins in the past when something strange was witnessed.
I had nothing to drink, I don't think,
The witness claims they were sober.
Okay, well maybe a glass of wine,
The witness admits to having a small amount of alcohol.
But nothing that would loosen my mind,
Despite having a drink, the witness believes it did not alter their perception.
To the point of seeing, what I'm seeing in the sky.
The witness is not hallucinating even though they have had a drink.
Woooah an alien bein'! My mind can't make sense of what I'm seein',
The witness sees something in the sky they believe to be an alien, causing confusion.
It's beginning to take control, So I better watch out for the anal probe.
The witness is paranoid and jokingly fears being abducted by aliens.
We got,
The lyrics transition into a chorus.
Ufo, hello.
The chorus repeats the phrase 'Ufo, hello.' with no clear meaning.
They come in peace, we stay in war,
The witness muses over the idea that aliens come in peace while humans engage in wars.
We like to get drunk and fight each other in bars,
The witness highlights the violent tendencies of humans.
And all I'm tryin' to say, is if you were to look,
The witness encourages readers to consider an alternative perspective.
From the outside looking in, where would you begin?
If one were to view society as an outsider, where would they start?
And I,
The lyrics transition back into the chorus.
When I look into the sky and I see a strange light,
The witness reflects on the initial sighting of the unidentified object.
Everything is alright, everything is alright. X2
Despite seeing something unexplainable, the witness concludes that everything is fine.
Ufo, (If you wanna take the time to say,) hello.
The chorus repeats the phrase 'Ufo, hello.' with a small variation.
(I've been waitin' in a field to say,)
The singer jokingly suggests waiting outside in a field to greet aliens.
Ufo, (If you wanna take the time to say,) hello.
The chorus repeats the phrase 'Ufo, hello.' again.
I just wanna say hi.
The artist expresses a desire to communicate with extraterrestrial life.
Contributed by Ellie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tycho_m
He is easily the most underappreciated musician of today. He is unique!
@epandaface
Still true to this day
@AmbieBambie93
It's actually embarrasing that we don't always recognise talent, and let a GENIUS like Newton Faulker play on the streets. Although I think he loves it... <3
@Metalhead2234
Just saw him live yesterday... My god... he is AWESOME!
@lnzpillow
i can't help but nod my head along with this song...i love it. such a great song with some great licks
@Cathyelliott
I discovered NF on a road trip with some friends. great albums, good lyricist, great hooks.
@DeanAndSam
Dude you are awesome!!!! you deserve to make it big!
@xArwenx
The Album is excellent! and this song.. I must have played it over and over again 1000 times today at work lol amazing guy! love him!
@joewattguitarist
I love the way the percussive line and the melody intertwine.
@Huw312
I don't get how anyone can dislike Newton Faulkner, he seems awesome!