After that band's demise in 1999, Ashcroft began his solo career, releasing Alone with Everybody in 2000, Human Conditions in 2002 and Keys to the World in 2006. He performed vocals for the track Lonely Soul on UNKLE's 1998 release Psyence Fiction and his voice can also be heard on the The Chemical Brothers' album Come With Us track The Test.
He is good friends with Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher and Coldplay's Chris Martin (whom Ashcroft thanks for 'letting me be myself again'), and occasionally plays as support at Oasis and Coldplay concerts, including the European and second UK legs of Coldplay's 'Twisted Logic Tour'. He recently described himself as 'the best support act you'll ever see'. The Oasis track "Cast No Shadow" is dedicated to him. Chris Martin introduced him as "the best singer in the world" when he performed "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (which Martin called "the best song in the world") with Coldplay at the London Live 8 concert in 2005. On his second album Human Conditions The Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson guest stars on the song Nature is the Law.
Ashcroft is married to Kate Radley, ex-Spiritualized keyboard player.
Bitter Sweet Symphony
Richard Ashcroft Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die
I′ll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
No change, I can't change, I can′t change, I can′t change
But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
But I′m a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
But tonight I′m on my knees, yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can′t change, I can't change, I can't change
But I′m here in my mold, I am here in my mold
And I′m a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Cause it′s a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, trying to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I′ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
No change, I can't change, I can′t change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
But I′m a million different people from one day to the next
I can′t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can′t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
The song Bitter Sweet Symphony by Richard Ashcroft is a powerful commentary on the struggle of life, and the ways in which we strive to find meaning and purpose. The opening lines of the song, "Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life, trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die," set the tone for the rest of the song. Ashcroft is pointing out the difficulties of simply existing in the world, and how much of our lives are consumed by the need to earn a living.
As the song continues, Ashcroft sings about the limitations that we all face, and how we struggle to break free from them. He sings, "No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change, but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold. But I'm a million different people from one day to the next, I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Here, he is expressing the idea that we are all trapped in our own patterns of behavior and ways of thinking, and that it can be incredibly difficult to break out of those molds.
The song ends on a note of hope, as Ashcroft sings about the power of music to heal and uplift us. He says, "I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now. But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now." In these lines, he is showing us that even though there are struggles and limitations in life, we can still find moments of transcendence and joy.
Overall, Bitter Sweet Symphony is a powerful and moving song that speaks to the human experience in a profound way.
Line by Line Meaning
Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony this life
Life is a combination of good and bad experiences that one has to face.
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die
One has to work hard to earn money while being enslaved to it, only to eventually face death.
I’ll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I can only show you the path I've walked on, my own experiences.
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
The path leads to places where all the people are interconnected, and where they may face challenges related to finances and personal struggles.
No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change
Despite the desire to change things, the situation remains unchanged.
But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
I am stuck in my own way of living and can't break free.
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next
Despite being stuck in my mold, my mood and emotions are constantly changing.
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Trying to break free from my way of living seems impossible, despite the desire to change.
Well I never pray
I do not have a habit of praying or seeking divine help.
But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah
However, today I feel lost and hopeless, and might be seeking help from a higher power.
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I crave for music or words that reflect my inner turmoil and pain.
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
Music has the power to heal and lift me out of my negative thoughts, making me feel liberated.
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
Despite the availability of music, no song or voice is resonating with my emotional state right now.
Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Life is a combination of sweet and sour experiences that one has to face.
Trying to make ends meet, trying to find some money then you die
One spends their life trying to earn and save money, only to eventually face death.
I'll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
I’ll take you down the path that I’m intimately familiar with, and which has shaped me into the person I am today.
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
The path leads to places where all people are connected, where people face hardships in life.
No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can’t change
Despite wanting change, sometimes it’s impossible.
But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
I'm stuck in my outlook and way of living.
But I’m a million different people from one day to the next
My emotions and moods are constantly fluctuating.
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can't break free from my way of living, no matter how much I wish I could.
Writer(s): Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Richard Paul Ashcroft
Contributed by Hailey P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@damienkearns3654
Richard, your appearance at the start of Sky Sports F1's coverage of the 2023 British Grand Prix from Silverstone was a thing of beauty. Brought a tear to my eyes and joy to my heart with your beautiful song. What are we without music??? Great music. Much love 💕🇮🇪
@leondbleondb
Tragic that there seems to be no video of it uploaded somewhere. At least where I can find.
@user-jn1sd6tw9u
Me encanta esta versión ❤
@dazzlinggems
What a gift to the world Richard Ashcroft is. Love this version!
@flaherty199
Me too. You can here the acoustic guitar and those sweet guitar fills. Can't wait for this album to drop🤘
@jawbone4454
People liking this dribble is the reason Ashcroft will forever stay mediocre.
@azadhill
Think fire pit on bottle of red night this album drops
@dazzlinggems
@@jawbone4454 lad it sounds like you need to listen on a better system or a good pair of head phones at least. The gravel in his voice and the pacing of the vocals is top notch
@dazzlinggems
@@flaherty199 and those low vocals :)
@cesarabadleonchavez140
Que canción sin duda una de las mejores