Born in Oxford, England, Lewis grew up in a family of teachers with two brothers, an older brother named Tom and a twin brother named George. His passion for music began at the age of 13 when he started playing the guitar. However, it was only later, after joining his brothers' band, that he began singing. Lewis attended Bartholomew School in Eynsham and also worked as a 'dinner lady' at Cokethorpe School. At the age of 19, he moved to London to study at the London Centre of Contemporary Music.
Lewis initially started writing songs and performing under the moniker Rhys Lewis & the Relics. His talent caught the attention of Decca Records, which led to the release of his debut solo single, "Waking Up Without You," in late 2016. Over the next year, he released several successful singles, including "Be Your Man" and "Reason to Hate You," gaining millions of streams. Lewis embarked on tours with James TW and JP Cooper during this time.
In 2018, Lewis released his major-label debut, the Bad Timing EP, which further solidified his growing fan base. The EP showcased his soul and blues influences, with his distinctive singing style and guitar skills shining through. Lewis continued to release a string of successful singles in 2019, setting the stage for his debut album, Things I Chose to Remember, which was released in July 2020. The album stands out as it was recorded on analogue tape, a deliberate choice by Lewis to ensure meticulous attention to detail and clarity in the music.
Lewis draws inspiration from artists such as Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys, whose lyrics resonated with him as a songwriter. He also cites influences from Led Zeppelin and Bill Withers, particularly the latter's song "Lean On Me."
His songwriting covers various aspects of his life, addressing topics such as the portrayal of men in the media, mental health, and personal relationships. Many of his songs revolve around themes of heartbreak, including "When Was The Last Time," "Be Your Man," and "Hurting." Lewis finds performing his song "No Right To Love You" particularly challenging due to its connection to a personal heartbreak, as it evokes intense emotions and memories associated with the breakup.
Living In The City
Rhys Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been living in the city too long,
I've been given everything that I've got,
Been a sinner and a saint,
Crazy, and sane.
I've been living in the city too long.
But as quick as money comes, it all gone,
And like London in the rain,
The pleasures got pain,
I've been living in the city too long,
Too long!
And I'm just trying to find me
Some kind of life I've dreamed about.
And we're all tired and lonely,
Hoping to figure this all out.
There's a part of my soul,
That wants to let go,
Wants to just run away.
But the rest of my soul says I should stay,
I should stay!
I've been living in the city too long,
There's things that I've gained and I've lost,
But I can still count on one hand
The friends that I have,
I've been living in the city too long.
Never used to get the feeling missing out,
But there's so much going on it gets me down,
Because whichever way I turn,
It could be better or worse.
I've been living in the city too long,
Too long!
I'm just trying to find me
Some kind of life I've dreamed about,
And we're all tired and lonely,
Hoping to figure this all out.
There's a part of my soul that wants to let go,
Wants to just run away.
But the rest of my soul says I should say,
I should stay!
I've been living in the city too long,
I've been living in the city too long,
I've been living in the city too long,
I've been living in the city too long,
I've been living in the city too long.
I'm just trying to find me
Some kind of life I've dreamed about,
We're all tired and lonely
Hoping to figure this all out.
There's a part of my soul that wants to let go,
Wants to just run away.
But the rest of my soul, says I should stay!
"Living in the City" by Rhys Lewis is a ballad about the ups and downs of living in a metropolis. Lewis takes a look at the life he's built for himself in the implied London setting, which he describes as frenetic, competitive, and occasionally overwhelming. He sings about the glimmers of hope that keep him going, as well as the disillusionment he sometimes feels.
Throughout the song, Lewis explores the idea that there is part of him that feels trapped in the city and wants to escape, yet there is another part that recognises the painful reality of leaving. He acknowledges the dichotomy by describing himself as both a sinner and a saint, crazy and sane. Lewis feels as though he's lost something during his time in the city, lamenting the difficulty of finding quality friendships and the way in which money seems to slip away as quickly as it comes.
The chorus tells of his yearning to find the life he's dreamed of and of his struggle to navigate the complexities of his urban existence. Nevertheless, he perseveres as he concludes the song with the line, "But the rest of my soul, says I should stay!" echoing the internal conflict he experienced throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been living in the city too long,
I have spent too much time in the city and it's becoming overwhelming.
I've been given everything that I've got,
I have achieved everything I have on my own in the city.
Been a sinner and a saint,
I have experienced good and bad in the city.
Crazy, and sane.
I have had times of insanity and clarity in the city.
I've been working my fingers to the bone,
I have worked very hard in the city.
But as quick as money comes, it all gone,
I have spent my hard earned money too quickly in the city.
And like London in the rain,
The city can be overwhelming, just like being in the rain in London.
The pleasures got pain,
The enjoyable aspects of the city can lead to pain.
Too long!
It's been too long since I started living in the city.
And I'm just trying to find me Some kind of life I've dreamed about.
I am trying to search for the life I want in the city.
And we're all tired and lonely, Hoping to figure this all out.
We are all exhausted and alone, searching for answers in the city.
There's a part of my soul, That wants to let go, Wants to just run away.
A part of me wants to escape the city and leave everything behind.
But the rest of my soul says I should stay, I should stay!
However, the rest of me believes that I should stay in the city.
There's things that I've gained and I've lost, But I can still count on one hand The friends that I have,
Though I have lost and gained things in the city, I still only have a few close friends.
Never used to get the feeling missing out, But there's so much going on it gets me down,
I never used to feel like I was missing out on anything, but there is so much happening in the city that it depresses me.
Because whichever way I turn, It could be better or worse.
No matter which direction I take in the city, things could improve or get worse.
Writer(s): Rhys Lewis, Tobias Kuhn
Contributed by Adam D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
warriør and weirdø
I've been living in the city too long, I've been given everything that I've got, been a sinner and a saint,
Crazy, and sane. I've been living in the city too long.
I've been working my fingers to the bone, But as quick as money comes, it all gone, And like London in the rain, The pleasures got pain, I've been living in the city too long, Too long!
And I'm just trying to find me Some kind of life I've dreamed about. And we're all tired and lonely, Hoping to figure this all out. There's a part of my soul, That wants to let go, Wants to just run away. But the rest of my soul says I should stay, I should stay!
I've been living in the city too long, There's things that I've gained and I've lost, But I can still count on one hand The friends that I have, I've been living in the city too long. Never used to get the feeling missing out, But there's so much going on it gets me down, Because whichever way I turn, It could be better or worse. I've been living in the city too long, Too long!
I'm just trying to find me Some kind of life I've dreamed about, And we're all tired and lonely, Hoping to figure this all out. There's a part of my soul that wants to let go, Wants to just run away. But the rest of my soul says I should say, I should stay!
I've been living in the city too long, I've been living in the city too long, I've been living in the city too long, I've been living in the city too long, I've been living in the city too long.
I'm just trying to find me Some kind of life I've dreamed about, We're all tired and lonely Hoping to figure this all out. There's a part of my soul that wants to let go, Wants to just run away. But the rest of my soul, says I should stay!
Iuliana Sorina
"Living In The City"
I've been living in the city too long
I've been given everything that I've got
Been a sinner and a saint
Crazy, and sane
I've been living in the city too long
I've been working my fingers to the bone
But as quick as money comes, it all gone
And like London in the rain
The pleasures got pain
I've been living in the city too long
Too long
And I'm just trying to find me
Some kind of life I've dreamed about
And we're all tired and lonely
Hoping to figure this all out
There's a part of my soul
That wants to let go
Wants to just run away
But the rest of my soul says I should stay
I should stay
I've been living in the city too long
There's things that I've gained and I've lost
But I can still count on one hand
The friends that I have
I've been living in the city too long
Never used to get the feeling missing out
But there's so much going on it gets me down
Because whichever way I turn
It could be better or worse
I've been living in the city too long
Too long
I'm just trying to find me
Some kind of life I've dreamed about
And we're all tired and lonely
Hoping to figure this all out
There's a part of my soul that wants to let go
Wants to just run away
But the rest of my soul says I should stay
I should stay
warriør and weirdø
I've been living in the city too long, I've been given everything that I've got, been a sinner and a saint,
Crazy, and sane. I've been living in the city too long.
I've been working my fingers to the bone, But as quick as money comes, it all gone, And like London in the rain, The pleasures got pain, I've been living in the city too long, Too long!
And I'm just trying to find me Some kind of life I've dreamed about. And we're all tired and lonely, Hoping to figure this all out. There's a part of my soul, That wants to let go, Wants to just run away. But the rest of my soul says I should stay, I should stay!
I've been living in the city too long, There's things that I've gained and I've lost, But I can still count on one hand The friends that I have, I've been living in the city too long. Never used to get the feeling missing out, But there's so much going on it gets me down, Because whichever way I turn, It could be better or worse. I've been living in the city too long, Too long!
I'm just trying to find me Some kind of life I've dreamed about, And we're all tired and lonely, Hoping to figure this all out. There's a part of my soul that wants to let go, Wants to just run away. But the rest of my soul says I should say, I should stay!
I've been living in the city too long, I've been living in the city too long, I've been living in the city too long, I've been living in the city too long, I've been living in the city too long.
I'm just trying to find me Some kind of life I've dreamed about, We're all tired and lonely Hoping to figure this all out. There's a part of my soul that wants to let go, Wants to just run away. But the rest of my soul, says I should stay!
Hunter Fuller
warriør and weirdø arrow keys
David Smith
Anyone else here because they also heard this as bumper music on the Dennis Prager Show?
J R
Yep
hitty9
His music picker does a great job consistantly.......
Dennis is the best.
Sadia Khan
His voice is amazing😫💞
Nathalie Mendes
reapeting this song over and over, still love it <3
Gareth Lewis
Nathalie & Janet
Me to!
Jasmine Gu
I could easily relate this song to myself and some friends of mine. Working hard in a big city, away from hometown, can go back but don't wanna.
CF
It's absolute bullshit this doesn't have more views, you guys deserve way more than this