Paolo Giovanni Nutini (b. 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. His infl… Read Full Bio ↴Paolo Giovanni Nutini (b. 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. His influences include David Bowie, Damien Rice, Oasis, The Beatles, U2, Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac.

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.

Last Request
Paolo Nutini Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Slow down, lie down
Remember it's just you and me
Don't sell out, bow out
Remember how this used to be

I just want you closer
Is that alright?
Baby let's get closer tonight

Grant my last request
And just let me hold you
Don't shrug your shoulders
Lay down beside me
Sure I can accept that we're going nowhere
But one last time, let's go there
Lay down beside me

Oh, I've found, that I'm bound
To wander down that one way road
Oh, and I realize all about your lies
But I'm no wiser than the fool that I was before

I just want you closer
Is that alright?
Baby let's get closer tonight

Grant my last request
And just let me hold you
Don't shrug your shoulders
Lay down beside me
Sure I can accept that we're going nowhere
But one last time let's go there
Ooh, lay down beside me

Oh, baby, baby, baby
Tell me how can, how can this be wrong?

Grant my last request
And just let me hold you
Don't shrug your shoulders
Lay down beside me
Sure I can accept that we're going nowhere
But one last time let's go there
Lay down beside me

Grant my last request
And just let me hold you
Don't shrug your shoulders, no
Lay down beside me
Sure I can accept that we're going nowhere
But one last time let's go there
Lay down beside me

Oh, oh, yeah, lay down beside me

One last time let's go there

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Paolo Nutini's song Last Request express a plea for intimacy and connection with someone who may have hurt or betrayed the singer in the past. The opening lines suggest a desire to slow down and recall the intimacy they used to share, reminding the other person not to sell out or abandon the relationship. The singer then asks to be closer to the other person, implying a need for physical and emotional closeness, despite knowing that they may not have a future together. The chorus asks the other person to grant the singer's last request, which is simply to be held close and to share an intimate moment together.

The second verse reveals that the singer knows the other person has lied to them in the past, but despite this, they are still drawn to them and not any wiser. The bridge of the song is a plea for understanding and connection, asking how can it be wrong to desire closeness and intimacy with someone they have cared for deeply.

Overall, the lyrics of Last Request seem to express a bittersweet longing for connection and closeness with someone who may have caused pain in the past. Through the use of powerful imagery and emotional words, Nutini manages to capture the complexity of human relationships and our innate desire for intimacy.

Line by Line Meaning

Slow down, lie down
Take it easy, relax

Remember it's just you and me
Let's cherish this moment and forget everything else

Don't sell out, bow out
Don't compromise your values, gracefully exit

Remember how this used to be
Let's reminisce and relive the past

I just want you closer Is that alright? Baby let's get closer tonight
I want to be physically and emotionally closer to you, can we make that happen?

Grant my last request And just let me hold you Don't shrug your shoulders Lay down beside me Sure I can accept that we're going nowhere But one last time, let's go there
Grant me the favor of holding me close, don't resist it, let's enjoy each other's company tonight because this may be our last chance

Oh, I've found, that I'm bound To wander down that one way road
I realized that I'm stuck on a path with no way back

Oh, and I realize all about your lies But I'm no wiser than the fool that I was before
I know the truth about your deceitful ways, but I still can't resist you

Oh, baby, baby, baby Tell me how can, how can this be wrong?
I know what we're doing is frowned upon, but it feels so right to me

Grant my last request And just let me hold you Don't shrug your shoulders, no Lay down beside me Sure I can accept that we're going nowhere But one last time, let's go there Lay down beside me Oh, oh, yeah, lay down beside me One last time, let's go there
I'm begging you, one last time, hold me close, don't push me away, let's make this a night to remember

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paolo Giovanni Nutini, Jim Duguid, Matt Benbrook, Annunzio Paolo Mantovani, Stephen Collins Foster, Nikolai Andrej Rimsky-Korsakoff

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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