Born on born 9th January 1987 in Paisley, Scotland, his father is of Italian descent and his mother Glaswegian, although his father's family have been in Scotland for four generations. Nutini had no formal music training, and was expecting to follow his father into the family fish and chip shop business. He was first encouraged to sing by his music-loving grandfather and a teacher at his school who recognised his talent. He left school to work as a roadie and to sell T-shirts for Speedway and spent three years learning the music business, performing live, alone and with a band, and working as a studio hand at Glasgow's Park Lane Studio.
His big chance came when he attended a concert for David Sneddon's return to his home town of Paisley at the beginning of 2003. Sneddon was delayed, and as the winner of an impromptu pop quiz, Nutini was given the chance to perform a couple of songs on stage during the wait. The favourable reaction of the crowd impressed another member of the audience, who offered to become his manager.
A Daily Record journalist, John Dingwall, saw him performing at the Queen Margaret Union, and invited him to appear live on Radio Scotland. Still only seventeen, he moved to London, and performed regularly at the Bedford pub in Balham whilst still legally too young to drink alcohol himself. Other radio and live appearances followed, including two live acoustic spots on Radio London, The Hard Rock Cafe, and support slots for Amy Winehouse and KT Tunstall.
His debut album, These Streets, produced by Ken Nelson (Coldplay/Gomez), was released on 17th July 2006, and immediately entered the U.K. album charts at number three. Many of the songs on the album, including "Last Request" and "Rewind", were inspired by a turbulent relationship with a girlfriend, and "Jenny Don't Be Hasty" is a true story about encounters with an older woman.
On 29th May 2009 Nutini released his second studio album, Sunny Side Up, after the first single from that album, "Candy", was released on 18th May. In July, he appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, performing "Coming Up Easy". This was released as the second single from the album on 10th August.
Caledonia
Paolo Nutini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In these last few days, I've been afraid that I might drift away
And I've been tellin' old stories, singing old songs
That made me think about where I came from
That's the reason why I seem so far away today
Let me tell you that I love you
And I think about you all the time
But if I should become a stranger
You know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia you're the best friend I've ever had
Well I've been moved, and I've kept on movin'
And I've proved the points that I needed proovin'
Lost the friends I needed loosin'
Found others on the way
And I have kissed the ladies and left some cryin'
Stolen dreams...no, there's no denying
And I've Partied hard with coattails flyin'
Somewhere with the wind
Let me tell you that I love you
And I think about you all the time
Caledonia you're callin' me and now I'm goin' home
But if I should become a stranger
You know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia you're the best friend I've ever had
Let me tell you that I love you
And I think about you all the time
Caledonia you're callin' me and now I'm goin' home
And if I should become a stranger
You know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia you're the best friend I've ever had
Paolo Nutini's "Caledonia" is a song about a man who is contemplating the changes that have come over him in the last few days and fears that he might drift away. He reflects on his past and tells old stories while singing old songs that remind him of where he came from, and he feels far away from it. However, he has a sense of longing for something or someone he left behind, and he realizes it's his hometown "Caledonia" that is calling him home. He has been through a lot in his time, lost some friends but gained others, kissed ladies, and partied hard. Still, Caledonia has been his constant companion, the best friend he ever had. He tells her that even though he may become a stranger, it would make him more than sad, but he's coming home.
The song is exceptionally nostalgic and melancholic. The singer is struggling to find his place in the world, trying to reconcile his past and present. He has moved on, but his memories and emotions are still very much anchored in his hometown. His longing and love for Caledonia are evident in the lyrics, making it a deeply emotional and personal song. It's about coming to terms with who you are, where you came from, and the people who helped shape you as a person.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know if you can see, the changes that have come over me
I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I've been going through some changes recently.
In these last few days, I've been afraid that I might drift away
Lately, I've been worried that I might lose touch with who I am and where I come from.
And I've been tellin' old stories, singing old songs
To reconnect with my roots, I've been reminiscing and singing about my past.
That made me think about where I came from
These memories have helped me reflect on my origins and my identity.
That's the reason why I seem so far away today
I may seem distant right now because I'm processing all these thoughts and emotions.
Well I've been moved, and I've kept on movin'
Throughout my life, I've experienced many changes and kept moving forward.
And I've proved the points that I needed proovin'
I've faced challenges and proven to myself that I can overcome them.
Lost the friends I needed loosin'
I've let go of some friendships that weren't healthy for me.
Found others on the way
But I've also made new friendships along the way.
And I have kissed the ladies and left some cryin'
I've had my share of romances, but I've also hurt some people's feelings.
Stolen dreams...no, there's no denying
I've made some mistakes and done things I regret.
And I've Partied hard with coattails flyin'
I've had some wild times and lived life to the fullest.
Somewhere with the wind
I've been on adventures and gone where the wind takes me.
Let me tell you that I love you
But despite all these experiences, I want you to know that I love you.
And I think about you all the time
You're always on my mind, no matter where I am.
Caledonia you're callin' me and now I'm going home
Even though I've been away for a while, I feel drawn back to my hometown.
But if I should become a stranger
If I change too much or lose touch with my roots,
You know that it would make me more than sad
It would break my heart because my connection to my home is so important to me.
Caledonia you're the best friend I've ever had
My hometown, Caledonia, is like a dear friend to me and will always have a special place in my heart.
Contributed by Skyler C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@donna1420
My sister was his biggest fan. We had the piper play her into this at her funeral. Miss you always and forever Michelle ❤
@susanmurdoch2164
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🏴🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
@gilliancullen1409
Bless you darling ♥️
@Soarific
Rest easy beautiful soul.
@matthewcarroll9786
God bless ❤️❤️ this guy is a genius met him twice had a pint and spoke about Glasgow Celtic
@Charliebhoy58
Donna, God Bless, u should put your lovely Sister name on your post, too so people can say God Bless to her too. may her soul rest in eternal peace xx
@colinharris615
Whenever I’m away a while…it always feels like a piece of me is missing.
Glasgow boy for life 🏴
@emmaleishman5261
💙🤍
@johnbarnes3618
Love Scotland ,my Scotland Jersey didn't last long in the euros but I'll wear it with pride any time I wear it 👍.
Cork Ireland 🇮🇪
@davidmitchell2926
John barnes no diss bro but what the hell does cork eire have to do with scotland 🏴 don’t bring that here you’re either scots or eire... usually bullshit from the idiots amongst us.