There are multiple artists with this name:

1.) Tinashe Fazakerley (b… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists with this name:

1.) Tinashe Fazakerley (born April 4, 1984), now professionally known as Rationale is a Zimbabwe-born British singer-songwriter, formerly known as Tinashé. He is known for his soulful R&B and indie pop style with electric influences. His alias Tinashé, was known for his synthpop sound and his African influences.

Fazakerley was born in the Harare township of Highfield. At the age of 9, he and his three siblings moved to the United Kingdom in the Camberwell district of London, where his single mother was working as a nurse. Later, at the age of 11, he moved to the London borough of Hackney and music began to play a more significant role in his life as he learned to play the guitar. His influences were varying, ranging from Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Pat Metheny, Donnie Hathaway and Al Green, to Tupac Shakur, A Tribe Called Quest and the Notorious B.I.G.

In 2010, after releasing two EPs and three singles, Fazakerley released the album Saved under the stage name Tinashé, but it had limited success.He took a break from singing and went on to become a songwriter and producer, working with producer Mark Crew, while writing songs for blues artist Rag'n'Bone Man, among others. He also wrote songs for the Swiss version of The Voice talent show.

In 2015, he relaunched his career as Rationale, releasing songs such as "Fast Lane" and "Something for Nothing" on Soundcloud and Spotify. It was on these streaming platforms that he gained notable recognition, with a mention by Pharrell Williams on his Apple Music Beats1 radio show, OTHERtone, calling him someone who had "found the beauty in their voice". This elevated Fast Lane to No. 2 within its first week on the Spotify Global Viral Chart, reached No. 1 on Hype Machine, and amassed more than 1.3 million views on Soundcloud. Rationale also received praise from Justin Timberlake and Elton John. He became one of the first artists to be signed to Dan Smith of Bastille's new record label, Best Laid Plans. His debut self-titled album is due for release in 2017, under exclusive license to Warner Music UK.

2.) Chicago pop-punk allies Dan Lambton (vocals, Real Friends), Joe Taylor and Ryan Rumchaks (guitar/vocals and drums, respectively, of Knuckle Puck) have aligned for rationale. They released their debut ep, "confines" on December 9, 2015.

Tumbling Down
Rationale Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tell me you don't need sympathy
How can you live so cynically?
All of this shade you're giving me
Is killing me, killing me
I don't know what you're fighting for
Haven't you reached your pinnacle?
One of these days you're gonna cave
Into me, into me

I'll endeavour to keep you together
Every piece of you, piece of you
I'll give to you, I'll give to you
All of my love

Till your walls come tumbling, tumbling down
Tumbling, tumbling down (down)
Tumbling, tumbling down
I'm keeping faith, I know that they'll come
Tumbling, tumbling down
Tumbling, tumbling down (down)
Tumbling, tumbling down
I'm keeping faith, I know that they'll come

Tell me you don't need sympathy
Well, how can you live so cynically?
You'll never change, I can't walk away
It's killing me, did you know, it's killing me?
Pain in your eyes I can't ignore
All of your life invisible
I'll help you climb, I need you to try
I'll be there until you find peace in your mind

Tumbling, tumbling down
Tumbling, tumbling down (down)
Tumbling, tumbling down
I'm keeping faith, I know that they'll come
Tumbling, tumbling down
Tumbling, tumbling down (down)
Tumbling, tumbling down

Pressure on your shoulders weigh you down
You've got every reason, it's alright
Tell me you don't need no sympathy
Falling in, in and out of symmetry
I will endeavour to keep you together
No matter what you do or say those walls are coming down

Tumbling, tumbling down
Tumbling, tumbling down (down)
Tumbling, tumbling down
I'm keeping faith, I know that they'll come
Tumbling, tumbling down
Tumbling, tumbling down (down)
Tumbling, tumbling down
I'm keeping faith, I know that they'll come

(Down, down, down, down, down)
(Down) I'm keeping faith, I know that they'll come

Overall Meaning

In Rationale’s song “Tumbling Down,” the lyrics tell the story of someone who is emotionally shut off and guarded, refusing to show vulnerability or openness to others. The singer of the song, however, is committed to breaking down these walls and offering their love and support until the melancholic character can find peace within themselves. The repeated refrain of “Tumbling, tumbling down” serves as a promise that these walls around the character will eventually come down and true connection will be possible.

The opening lines of “Tell me you don’t need sympathy / How can you live so cynically?” capture the defensiveness of the guarded character, who is denying any potential emotional neediness or dependency. However, the singer of the song is persistent in their willingness to support this character at any cost. “I’ll give to you, I’ll give to you / All of my love” shows the depth of the singer’s commitment to unwaveringly support the guarded character until they feel safe to be vulnerable in return. “Pain in your eyes I can’t ignore / All of your life invisible” speaks to the profound sense of loneliness and invisibility the character is experiencing, despite their guardedness. The singer is committed to helping this character climb out of their invisible state and into a world of connection and peace within themselves.

While the lyrics may be interpreted as simply a love song, they offer a deep look at the human psyche and the need for connection even in the most guarded of individuals. The song speaks to the possibility of growth and transformation, even when it seems like walls around a person’s heart may never come down.

Line by Line Meaning

Tell me you don't need sympathy
Questioning whether or not the person needs empathy or understanding

How can you live so cynically?
Asking how they're able to live so negatively and pessimistically

All of this shade you're giving me
Acknowledging the negativity and insults being directed towards the singer

Is killing me, killing me
Expressing how the negativity from the other person is negatively affecting the artist's mental health

I don't know what you're fighting for
Confused about what the other person is trying to achieve

Haven't you reached your pinnacle?
Asking if the other person has reached their maximum potential or peak

One of these days you're gonna cave
Predicting that the other person will eventually break down

Into me, into me
Describing how the other person will turn to the artist for help

I'll endeavour to keep you together
Promising to try to keep the other person whole and unbroken

Every piece of you, piece of you
Emphasizing the commitment to take care of every aspect of the other person's life

I'll give to you, I'll give to you
Stating a willingness to devote their life to the other person

All of my love
Summing up the artist's feelings towards the other person

Till your walls come tumbling, tumbling down
Referring to the emotional walls that the other person has built up and how the singer intends to break them down

I'm keeping faith, I know that they'll come
Maintaining optimism and believing that the other person will eventually open up and heal

Pain in your eyes I can't ignore
Acknowledging the other person's suffering and distress

All of your life invisible
Noticing how the other person has been overlooked and ignored

I'll help you climb, I need you to try
Promising to support and guide the other person towards healing

I'll be there until you find peace in your mind
Committing to being there for the other person until they are mentally stable and at peace

Pressure on your shoulders weigh you down
Commenting on the stress and burden that the other person is experiencing

You've got every reason, it's alright
Assuring the other person that they have valid reasons to feel the way they do, and that it's okay to struggle

Falling in, in and out of symmetry
Describing the other person's unstable state of mind and emotions

No matter what you do or say those walls are coming down
Reassuring the other person that the artist will always try to break down their emotional walls, no matter how difficult it may be

Writer(s): Ajay Bhattacharyya, John Hill, Danny Parker, Tinashe Fazakerley

Contributed by Nathan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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