Panes, who plays mandolin and guitar, is accompanied by Georgie Harris (Viola), Joanne Sy (Cello), Sean Hatton (Drums) and Deborah Panes (Vocals).
Panes is a British songwriter with a guitar to his chest and a heart swelling with hopes and dreams. A common on-paper pitch, perhaps, and one sold a thousand times before. But Dorset-born Panes has something special to offer those willing to wait a while for their favourite songs to settle into place.
Panes’ debut album, ‘Little Giant’, isn’t a collection operating at the vanguard of a cutting-edge, ultimately transient scene worthy of clicks for the next few months. It’s not an album that sets out to trick its audience in any way – what you hear is succinct, honest songwriting, from a place of deep personal expression, resonating with universal truths and values. It’s an embracing set, a welcoming one, which represents everything that its maker has worked towards since first picking up a guitar and exploring his innermost thoughts and feelings through song. No follower of fashion, Panes walks to his own beat.
It’s a strange admission for any artist, but nevertheless: “I’ve never really listened to much music,” says Panes. “Influences from other artists, they’re not really that important. I find that my music comes to me from situations I find myself in – those situations can come to me as songs. In terms of first picking up an instrument, my granny was a classical pianist – we’d go to her house, hear her play, and run around in circles. And my mum used to be in a travelling theatre company, so I was encouraged towards culture, towards the arts. But I always thought: if I want to listen to music, I’ll just write it.”
Don’t mistake confidence for arrogance – such statements come from a sincere place, as Panes’ upbringing in Wimborne, once home to novelist Thomas Hardy, proved more inspirational to his writing than any sessions in the company of a parent’s record collection. The natural beauty of Dorset’s open spaces – and those of the Lake District, a place he loves to visit – have become woven into the fabric of his craft. The peace, the silent solitude: it’s here that Panes feels more alive with ideas than he does in the hubbub of his adopted home of London. There’s a pastoral warmth to ‘Little Giant’ that couldn’t have manifested had its roots been laid within urban limits.
The comfort of home, of a tight and supportive family, punctuates proceedings throughout Panes’ debut LP – which is perhaps inevitable, as the collection was recorded there. Beside producer Rupert Coulson – a man with numerous soundtrack credits, as well as experience of working on records by Portishead, Robbie Williams and Oasis – Panes and his band captured the classic 12-string guitar sounds, rippling percussion and sweeping strings that decorate ‘Little Giant’ in, says the singer, “the music room, down at our house – just a small, wooden-floored room. I thought, why not keep the recording close to where I write the songs?”
He continues: “I’m a really big fan of the idea that you don’t need all the stuff you find in a big studio – it’s about how you use the things you do have. Rupert had a lot of imagination, and got a good grasp of the room and harnessed it. I love working in places that have an atmosphere, and I think it’s good to have that extra, background noise on a record. I’m sure there’s an ambulance on the album, actually.”
He was, briefly, the face of a Burberry campaign, something he describes as “random”. “I was on tour,” he says, “and I got a phone call asking me to do it. I just grabbed the opportunity that was in front of me. I went in a musician, and came out a musician. It’s a short episode in my life, but one that’s had some quite big repercussions.” Indeed, a Google search pulls up many attractively composed black-and-white photographs of Panes sporting fine threads – but it’s music that surges strongest in his veins, above all other passions.
And now that you’ve separated your senses from social media for a while, closed your chattering inbox, just what does ‘Little Giant’ offer above more garden variety singer-songwriter recordings? A little patience provides the answers: this is material that truly connects on an emotional level, its gentle rhythms and compelling cadences topped by vocals that can’t be faked, that come characterised by a complete lack of artifice and affectation. His is a deep voice, one that sounds aged beyond its years, perhaps. And yet, it’s telling of timeless stories, endless ache and forever love. It asks that we all find the right way to see the world around us.
One number that specifically addresses the need for optimism is the single ‘Tiger Striped Sky’. Says Panes: “It’s about the idea where we can look at any situation ahead of us in two ways: either it’s challenging, and off-putting, or you can say that you love a challenge. It’s about the idea that you chose your context, and if you put yourself into a negative context, you’re going to come out with stripes on you.”
The title track is about addressing one’s own shortcomings in order to better themselves. “It’s accepting that you have to realise your own vulnerabilities in order to become stronger,” says Panes. “That’s why there’s the line, ‘Have the heart of a giant / But know you’re a man.’ You have to take things step by step. It’s also got that message of hope, as well.”
These songs are, says Panes, “personal, and vulnerable – but expansive, too. Because I don’t want it to just be about me. Here’s a bit of me, to help you understand a bit of you. I think positivity and hope are things worth giving to people, and I think that the album does transmit a lot of hope.”
Home From Home
Roo Panes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And its all come so easy like the heavens are wishing me well
And those dawning eyes brought forth my own sunrise
Well its been a long time since the beat of my heart was a friend
It's been a long time since i felt I was breathing again
In you I found my home from home
Left all that i knew for a love that I know
So fresh air open ways, mild nights wild days
Wandering in wonder, pondering what wandering we'll do
See I don't care about what, when or where
CosIi'm starting to realize the question worth asking is who?
I'm starting to realize the question worth answering is you
In you i found my home from home,
I left all that i knew for a love that i know,
And that grip you prized me from I was already trying to lose
It was holding me to hold me back from you.
I guess it's funny, this two-fold irony
I guess it's funny, this two-fold irony
Greatest victory through my own defeat
Greatest victory through my own defeat
The opening stanza of Roo Panes's song "Home From Home" sets the scene for a story of self-discovery and finding a sense of belonging in another person. The bright young sun suggests a new day, a fresh start, and the way it looks to the singer is as though the heavens are on his side, wishing him well. The "dawning eyes" signify a new awakening, a rebirth perhaps, with the realization that the beat of his heart can finally be seen as a friend again—a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. The use of personification—"the beat of my heart was a friend"—shows the emotional weight that the singer has been carrying all this while, wandering through life without a real sense of purpose.
However, in the person he has found, the singer has finally discovered his "home from home." He left everything he knew for a love that he now knows, a decision that he made consciously, as though the person he found brought a sense of grounding and stability to his life. The lyrics' change in pace reflects this newfound awareness of his place in the world. He goes from "wandering in wonder" and "pondering what wandering we'll do" to not caring about "what, when, or where" but, instead, focusing on the "who." He realizes that the question that matters is the person he has found or, rather, the relationship he now shares.
The chorus repeats the idea that this person is his "home from home," solidifying the idea that the person he has found has become an anchor in his life, a stability that he has been craving for. The final two lines of the song—"Greatest victory through my own defeat / Greatest victory through my own defeat"—encapsulate the overarching theme of the song, which is that sometimes what we view as a defeat is, in fact, a victory because it eventually leads us to where we were meant to be.
Line by Line Meaning
Bright young sun, looks like the morning's come
It appears like a brand new day with an optimistic morning sun
And it's all come so easy like the heavens are wishing me well
Everything is happening smoothly, as if the universe is favoring my wellbeing.
And those dawning eyes brought forth my own sunrise
The eyes of a loved one have inspired me and rekindled my spirit.
Well, it's been a long time since the beat of my heart was a friend
It's been a while since my heart felt at peace and in harmony with myself.
It's been a long time since I felt I was breathing again
It's been too long since I felt alive and fully present in the moment.
In you I found my home from home
Being with you feels like being at home, and I feel safe and content.
Left all that I knew for a love that I know
I have left behind everything I knew to pursue this love that I am certain of.
So fresh air, open ways, mild nights, wild days
I am enjoying the freedom of being able to roam, with clear skies and endless possibilities.
Wandering in wonder, pondering what wandering we'll do
I am wandering, curious about where our wandering might take us.
See, I don't care about what, when or where
I am not concerned about specifics, as long as I am with you.
'Cause I'm starting to realize the question worth asking is who?
I understand that the most essential question is not where or when, but who I am with.
I'm starting to realize the question worth answering is you
You are the answer to the question that has been on my mind.
And that grip you prized me from I was already trying to lose
The hold that you released me from was one that I was already attempting to break free from.
It was holding me to hold me back from you
It was preventing me from being with you, and keeping me from true happiness.
I guess it's funny, this two-fold irony
It's strange how things have turned out, with an unexpected twist.
Greatest victory through my own defeat
The most significant win of my life came out of my personal loss and failure.
Contributed by Elijah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pudingparth
Bright young sun, it looks like the morning's come,
And its all come so easy like the heavens are wishing me well.
And those dawning eyes brought forth my own sunrise,
Well it's been a long time since the beat of my heart was a friend,
It's been a long time since I felt I was breathing again.
In you I found my home from home,
Left all that I knew for a love that I know.
So fresh air, open ways, mild nights, wild days, wondering in wonder, pondering what wandering we'll do.
I guess I don't care about what? When? Or where? Because I'm starting to realise the question worth asking is, who?
I'm starting to realise the question worth answering is you.
In you I found my home from home,
Left all that I knew for a love that I know
And that grip you prized me from I was already trying to lose.
It was holding me, to hold me back from you!
I guess its funny, this two-fold irony; I guess its funny, this two-fold irony,
My greatest victory was my own defeat, greatest victory in my own defeat.
@efratcybulkiewicz5897
+Laurence Tremblay
Bright young sun, it looks like the morning's come,
And its all come so easy like the heavens are wishing me well.
And those dawning eyes brought forth my own sunrise,
Well it's been a long time since the beat of my heart was a friend,
It's been a long time since I felt I was breathing again.
In you I found my home from home,
Left all that I knew for a love that I know.
So fresh air, open ways, mild nights, wild days, wondering in wonder, pondering what wandering we'll do.
I guess I don't care about what? When? Or where? Because I'm starting to realise the question worth asking is, who?
I'm starting to realise the question worth answering is you.
In you I found my home from home,
Left all that I knew for a love that I know
And that grip you prized me from I was already trying to lose.
It was holding me, to hold me back from you!
I guess its funny, this two-fold irony; I guess its funny, this two-fold irony,
My greatest victory was my own defeat, greatest victory in my own defeat.
@bc-qg1dx
Bright young sun, looks like the morning's come
And it's all come so easy like the heavens are wishing me well
And those darkening eyes brought forth my own sunrise
Well it's been a long time since the beat of my heart was a friend
Well it's been a long time since I thought I was breathin' again
In you I've found my home from home
I left all that I knew for a love that I know
Some fresh air, open breeze, mod nice, white and these
Wondering in wonder, wondering what pondering we'll do
See I don't care about what when or where because I'm starting to realize the question worth asking is you
Oh I'm startin' to realize the question worth answerin' is you
In you I've found my home from home
I left all that I knew for a love that I know
And that grip you prized me from
I was already trying to lose
It was holding me, to hold me back from you!
Guess it's funny, this twofold irony
Guess it's funny, this twofold irony
Greatest victory through my own defeat
Greatest victory through my own defeat
@2992Phoenix
"In you I found my home from home" This man makes some incredible music.
@OpheliaFalling
"Well it's been a long time since the beat of my heart was a friend"
That speaks to me a lot.
@valentincarp9568
This video is just so incredibly perfect.......
@emilykluzak1142
That little girl is like the cutest thing ive ever seen in my whole entire life. Outstanding performance.
@perlala.2446
He needs to come to Mexico, i love his music. This song is absolutely amazing
@AlexSG14
Roo Panes's songs are the only songs that gives me goosebumps for the second time, third and much more time.
@JakeEvans1
This is one of the best videos on Youtube. Thanks Roo.
@too2easy13
Totally agree. :)
@lindalee1051
Love it . Five Bedrooms brought me here.
@fry5544
💖 I love Five Bedrooms so much!!! 💖