Nitin attended Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School and studied law at Liverpool University for a short time. He then went to London, where he met Sanjeev Bhaskar. The pair became friends and created a comedy double act, The Secret Asians, together. The show sought to turn absurdly dated Asian stereotypes on their heads. It led to a contract with BBC radio and eventually grew into the award-winning BBC TV sketch show Goodness Gracious Me.
During that time he met up with an old school friend, acid jazz keyboards-player James Taylor. He joined Taylor for a 40-date tour in as part of The James Taylor Quartet. It introduced him to the jazz club scene and provoked him into forming his own band, The Jazztones. He moved on to join forces with tabla master Talvin Singh to form the Tihai Trio and, after that collaboration ended in 1993, released his debut album, Spirit Dance on his own label. Shortly afterwards, he signed with Outcaste Records.
Sawhney's music is intensely political, commonly approaching themes of multiculturalism, empowerment, identity, immigration, poverty, and spirituality. He is active as an artist in residence for five different performing arts organisations in Europe and Asia, and along with George Martin is a patron for the British Governments Access-to-Music Program which brings music education to the inner-city students.
Sawhney's skills include classical and jazz piano and flamenco guitar. He has released six studio albums, as well as countless remixes and collaborations. After releasing Beyond Skin on London's Outcaste Records in 1999, he was signed by V2 to do six albums. His first album with the Virgin subsidiary, the millennial/apocalyptical Prophesy, in 2001 won a MOBO Award and a BBC Radio 3 Music Award.
Sawhney's music is influenced by his roots in India, utilising and featuring Urdu and Hindi lyrics, Qawwali singing, tablas and other instruments from the subcontinent, and Raga phrasings in music which is often primarily meant for the dance floor.
Sawhney's work in production and arrangement has led to his working in film and television scores. He has scored television ads for Sephora and Nike, as well as more than 25 films from his London-based Spirit Dance Studios. He was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Film and TV Composition in 2004 for his music on Channel Four's film, Second Generation. From there, he has begun to see acceptance from the "classical" community, and in 2004 he was commissioned by the city of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Britten Symphonia to compose new performance works. London's Royal National Theatre invited him to write, direct, and score a work to be opened in 2005.
For photographs and additional information visit Nitin's official site, www.NitinSawhney.com
Biscuits
Nitin Sawhney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
4 more years of this shit and I'll be on 16 grand
pushing the trolley, doing the rounds
4 more years of this shit and I'll be one of these clowns
in my office
on the fifth floor
biscuits for breakfast
biscuits for breakfast, cup of tea for the man
4 years on in this game and I'm on 16 grand
I want chocolate, gimme some cake
gimme so much more than I think I can take
in my office
on the fifth floor
biscuits for breakfast
biscuits for breakfast
over a barrel, or over my trolley
over the desk it's all the same
pushing the message don't hate the player hate the game
s'all the same
in my office
on the fifth floor
I can see the world go round beneath me
biscuits for breakfast
I can see my world pan out before me
I can see my world pan out before me
I can see my world pan out before me
I can see my world pan out before me
I can see my world pan out before me
The song "Biscuits" by Nitin Sawhney is a commentary on the monotony and struggles of the daily life of a working-class person in contemporary society. The repetition of "biscuits for breakfast, cup of tea for the man" highlights the bland routine that the singer has grown accustomed to. The lyrics "4 more years of this shit and I'll be on 16 grand" refers to the lack of upward mobility and financial stability that a person in this position faces. The line "pushing the trolley, doing the rounds" refers to the work of a deliveryman or a warehouse worker, which can be a demeaning and thankless job. The singer observes that he could end up like "one of these clowns", meaning he could become just another faceless person struggling in the same job for years without making progress.
The second half of the song features similar themes, but with a hint of rebellion. The desire for chocolate and cake represents a craving for something different and more exciting than the mundane routine that the singer has been living. The lyric "gimme so much more than I think I can take" shows a longing for a life that is unpredictable and exciting, even if it means taking risks. The bridge "over the desk it's all the same, pushing the message don't hate the player hate the game" speaks to the idea that the system is rigged against the working class and that they are forced to play by unjust rules.
Overall, "Biscuits" is a poignant commentary on the struggles of life for a working-class person in modern society. The repetition of the title and the central lyrics that repeat throughout the song create a sense of monotony and a lack of progression, while the desire for something more creates a sense of longing and a desire for change.
Line by Line Meaning
Biscuits for breakfast, cup of tea for the man
Starting the day with a mundane routine of biscuits and tea, a reflection of a monotonous and unfulfilling life.
4 more years of this shit and I'll be on 16 grand
Expressing a feeling of hopelessness and being stuck in a dead-end job with no prospects of growth or improvement.
pushing the trolley, doing the rounds
Conveying a sense of being trapped in a repetitive, unexciting job with no sense of purpose or fulfillment.
4 more years of this shit and I'll be one of these clowns
Feeling like a puppet of the system, stuck in a never-ending cycle of monotony and mediocrity.
in my office on the fifth floor, biscuits for breakfast
Reinforcing the theme of a dull, dry, and unfulfilling work routine which leaves the artist feeling unappreciated and undervalued.
I want chocolate, gimme some cake, gimme so much more than I think I can take
Yearning for something more meaningful and exciting in life, something that can break the monotonous cycle of routine and offer a sense of adventure and novelty.
over a barrel, or over my trolley, over the desk it's all the same
Expressing a sense of despair and hopelessness, describing the feeling of being trapped and having no escape from the daily grind.
pushing the message don't hate the player hate the game, s'all the same
A reminder to not blame individuals for the systemic problems and failures of the existing social structure and to focus on changing the system and creating something better for everyone.
I can see the world go round beneath me, biscuits for breakfast
Feeling trapped and disconnected from the world, with nothing but a routine work-life that offers no sense of meaning or purpose.
I can see my world pan out before me
Frustration and a longing for more, as the artist envisions a life that offers something more meaningful and fulfilling than the current monotony.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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