Bruntnell's family is originally from Wales; his family moved to New Zealand when his father was sent to work at the British High Commission in Wellington for four years. The family returned to the UK when Bruntnell was one year old and settled in Kingston upon Thames. Later, Bruntnell also lived in Vancouver, Canada for a time.
In the early 1990s, Bruntnell formed the band Milkwood, although he soon reverted to solo work and recordings with Matt Backer and Felix Harper as The Peter Bruntnell Combination.
Bruntnell's debut album, "Cannibal", was released in 1995 under the name The Peter Bruntnell Combination. He recorded his second album (and first solo album), "Camelot in Smithereens" in 1997, before moving to the Slow River label for his 1999 album "Normal for Bridgwater". The album was highly recommended by VH1's Bill Flanagan and by Rolling Stone's John Luerssen, and such recommendations helped to establish Bruntnell with American audiences. The "Normal for Bridgwater" album was recorded with the help of musicians from Son Volt, a band with whom Bruntnell has toured regularly in the United States.
In 2013, Loose Music released Brutnell's "Retrospective" album, featuring music from all of his albums to date. The album was preceded by a single and accompanying video of a re-recording of the song "Played Out", featuring Rumer.
Bruntnell is a charismatic performer known for saying very little, but one with a strong presence. With his band, the trio is a combination of Crazy Horse and Bruntnell's country-rock is much heavier than might be anticipated.
Downtown
Peter Bruntnell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Losing it all and hanging around
For the heart of the crowd
Downtown everyone
Is learning how
To have some fun
Downtown
It's time to dial them in
Now you've got them in a spin
And you see their eyes begin
To open wide
When I see you play
I'm not ashamed to say
Makes me want to turn away
And sick inside
Because I've never seen
Anyone so proud
Getting it on
With his trousers down
What's it all about
When she's standing there
And you catch her eye
It's already said
It's just a matter of time
It's just a matter of time
It's just a matter of time
Peter Bruntnell's song "Downtown" is a nostalgic track speaking to the carefree spirit of youth in rebellion, where the exhilarating and hot pursuit of something- be it love or adventure- is the most important thing. The lyrics describe the singer as someone who is not afraid of risking it all; losing everything and hanging out with the crowd in search of authentic experiences. The chorus is a call to action, with the singer urging everyone downtown to learn how to have fun. In the second verse, the singer is the performer, and the lyrics describe the feeling of watching someone talented play effortlessly and powerfully to a crowd, while the singer is unable to emulate them, feeling sickened and wanting to turn away in shame.
Moreover, the lyrics emphasize how proud and confident the singer is, even putting his trousers down, which is a metaphorical nod to the idea of baring himself open and raw to others. The last lines of the song, "When she's standing there and you catch her eye, it's already said, it's just a matter of time," speaks to the idea of the inevitable passion and desire that come with youthful rebellion and the pursuit of adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
Didn't mind falling down
I was willing to suffer disappointments and failures.
Losing it all and hanging around
Even though I lost everything, I didn't leave downtown, I stayed here.
For the heart of the crowd
I did it because of the audience's reaction.
Downtown everyone
People downtown specifically.
Is learning how
They are figuring out how.
To have some fun
To enjoy oneself.
Downtown
In the center of the city, where everything happens.
It's time to dial them in
It's time to focus on them.
Now you've got them in a spin
Now they are excited and enthusiastic.
And you see their eyes begin
You can observe the look in their eyes.
To open wide
The eyes are widening, showing interest.
When I see you play
When I witness your performance.
I'm not ashamed to say
I have no shame in expressing myself.
Makes me want to turn away
It makes me want to look away because of the intensity of the performance.
And sick inside
It causes me to feel uneasy.
Because I've never seen
Since I've never seen this before.
Anyone so proud
Anyone who is so full of pride in their work.
Getting it on
Performing with fervor.
With his trousers down
Performing in a candid manner.
What's it all about
What is the true meaning behind this?
When she's standing there
When she is present.
And you catch her eye
When you make eye contact with her.
It's already said
It's already been expressed in nonverbal communication.
It's just a matter of time
It's only a brief moment away.
It's just a matter of time
It's only a brief moment away.
It's just a matter of time
It's only a brief moment away.
Contributed by Grayson K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.