By the time he reached eleventh grade, he decided school was not for him and left. He spent a little over a year living dangerously and upsetting all those close to him until he met a girl who would then change his life. "It was a really tumultuous romantic relationship that lasted on and off for a few years," he says. "Then it just sort of fizzled out. I started writing songs the first time I figured out how to pinpoint that feeling of loss. I guess I was just waiting to make music until I had something to say. From then on, I realized I could write songs that really meant something to me."
The result was One By One, which Francis recorded at a friend's recording studio and released in August 2007 on Aeronaut Records. It didn't sell much, but it earned positive reviews from critics who compared Francis to a young Townes Van Zandt. The attention led to a record deal with Atlantic Records, which is releasing Before Nightfall.
Written over the summer of 2008 and recorded in March 2009, Before Nightfall is a snapshot of where Francis is now. "When people listen to the album, I want them to feel happy," he says. "I feel uplifted when I hear these songs; they don't bring me down. I hope people will be able to relate to them and feel as though whatever is going on in their lives is going to be okay."
!! There is other Robert Francis, author of cd: The Sitting Bull Suite
Do What I Can
Robert Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were so pretty and we were so young, windows rolled down, singing old songs.
We'd come back to my room, the sun peaking in,
You'd put on your clothes and say, "Babe, oh I think I, I think I might like you."
Listen to the shadows, hanging pictures, we were drifters.
We'd get too close and then you'd drift away from the one thing, hanging in the silence,
Oh, our love was just too violent.
And you'd start screaming with my head in your hands.
I remember the time I said, "Babe, I can't be your man.
But I'll do what I can."
And I always knew your bite was bigger than your bark.
I remember the nights I used to watch you sleep in the dark.
I had a good heart.
The opening lines of Robert Francis's song, Do What I Can, reflect on memories of better days - days when the only thing the singer had to worry about was finding new things to explore. Back then, he was young and in love, and it seemed like the future was bright. He fondly remembers the frivolous and carefree times when he would drive around with his girlfriend, windows rolled down, singing to old songs. He recollects the moment when they would make love, the sun peering through the curtains of his room, and his love telling him that she might like him. However, as the song progresses, we see that things were far from perfect.
There were missteps and mistakes, and the couple had their fair share of arguments. The shadows they cast seemed to follow them around, and despite their efforts to cling together, their love was too unstable, too violent. The girl would scream with frustration with her hands clenched around the singer's head. It was clear that her bite was bigger than her bark, and the singer knew that he couldn't be the man that she wanted him to be. But despite everything, he tries to do what he can to make things work, and he always remembers the nights he spent watching her sleep in the dark.
As the song progresses, we see a young couple grappling with the complexities of love. They are trying to understand the passion and the pain that comes along with being in a relationship. The song is a testament to the beauty of youth and to the harsh realities of growing up. Robert Francis's words perfectly capture the emotions that come with trying to navigate a romantic relationship, and the listener is left with a sense of nostalgic longing, wishing they too could go back to a time when nothing else mattered except the one they loved.
Line by Line Meaning
I still think 'bout the days, driving around, with nothing to do, but find all the things we'd never found.
Reflecting on the old days with nothing to do except explore new things that we had never seen before.
You were so pretty and we were so young, windows rolled down, singing old songs.
In the prime of youth, singing classic melodies with the windows down and admiring the beauty of one's companion.
We'd come back to my room, the sun peaking in, You'd put on your clothes and say, "Babe, oh I think I, I think I might like you."
Returning to a room with sunlight streaming in and experiencing a moment of realization where one declares their newfound affection for the other.
Listen to the shadows, hanging pictures, we were drifters.
Paying attention to the surroundings, hanging up memories and trinkets, while feeling like wanderers without a real destination.
We'd get too close and then you'd drift away from the one thing, hanging in the silence, Oh, our love was just too violent.
Approaching each other too closely only to then pull away, the absence filling the air with tension as the relationship was too much to handle.
And you'd start screaming with my head in your hands.
Outbursts of emotions resulted in screams with the other person's head in their own hands as a result of the intensity of the situation.
I remember the time I said, "Babe, I can't be your man. But I'll do what I can."
Realizing the inability to fulfill a certain role in the relationship, but still doing everything in one's power to help and support the other person.
And I always knew your bite was bigger than your bark.
One knows from the start that there was more to the other person than what meets the eye by sensing an underlying strength or intensity.
I remember the nights I used to watch you sleep in the dark.
Recalling the nights where one would watch over the other as they sleep in the peaceful atmosphere of the night.
I had a good heart.
A sense of confidence and self-awareness of holding a pure heart despite past experiences and heartbreaks.
Contributed by Kaelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheresaM89
He has such a beautiful voice. =] Very good song too!
Margot
I still think 'bout the days, driving around, with nothing to do, but find all the things we'd never found
You were so pretty and we were so young, windows rolled down, singing old songs
We'd come back to my room, the sun peaking in
You'd put on your clothes and say, "Babe, oh I think I, I think I might like you."
Listen to the shadows, hanging pictures, we were drifters
We'd get too close and then you'd drift away from the one thing, hanging in the silence
Oh, our love was just too violent
And you'd start screaming with my head in your hands
I remember the time I said, "Babe, I can't be your man
But I'll do what I can."
And I always knew your bite was bigger than your bark
I remember the nights I used to watch you sleep in the dark
I had a good heart
Jeanne Chn
Fall in love with this. It's just incredible...
TinyBlackHeart
1:58 reminds me of Peter Griffen. the rest of this song is absolutely amazing though.
ToiSource
so beautiful, it makes me crying I remeber.. B <3
david Perquin
Bonheur
Jonathan Octave
@ToiSource perfect song ;)
Jonathan Octave
@shaddyproducts hahaha