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.”
Once
Roo Panes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Find wonders for your love,
I sought the best of me,
But all I showed was what I couldn't be,
Your hush was a beauty I'd not seen,
Your kindness made a gentle wreck of me
Once hope found hope,
Your heart was my home,
The rest of me will roam into tomorrow, my love,
For tomorrow there's love, there's love
I climbed the highest heights where the sightless go to see,
Fixed fate with steely eyes told her it was not the time for me,
But some things that you give you can't retrieve,
And I wait for a day I'll never see
Once hope found hope,
And once I traveled winter with the sun
Your heart was my home,
The rest of me will roam into tomorrow, my love,
For tomorrow there's love, there's love
It was like the moon tide,
Always rise and then fall,
But now its dead and I'm done,
And I won't cry for you no more
I the lonely captive stand with only memories to hold my hand,
But I'd not change a single thing twas the best and worst of time,
Beneath the yellow clouded moon,
Where buried hopes rise from their tombs,
The whispers call to heaven above,
That you caught me up in the windy arms of love
That you caught me up in the windy arms of love
Oh you caught me up in the windy arms, the windy arms of love,
Oh you caught me up in the windy arms, the windy arms of love
Oh you caught me up in the windy arms, the windy arms of love
Oh you caught me up in the windy arms, the windy arms of love
The lyrics of Roo Panes’ song Once are a beautiful and introspective exploration of love, memory, and hope. The song opens with the lines “I tried to part the sea / Find wonders for your love” which immediately set the tone of the work. The singer is trying to do the impossible, to achieve the unachievable, for love. They continue on to say “Your hush was a beauty I’d not seen / Your kindness made a gentle wreck of me” which shows that they’ve found someone that has touched them in a way they never thought possible. However, the singer continues on to say later in the song that they are done with this love and that they won’t cry for their former partner anymore. It’s a bittersweet exploration of the contradictory nature of love and memory. The line “once hope found hope” is a beautiful way to describe the idea of finding joy and hope in even the darkest moments.
The song continues on to explore the idea that some things that you give you can’t retrieve. There are moments in love that we can’t get back and we must simply hold onto them tightly as memories. The lines “I the lonely captive stand with only memories to hold my hand” perfectly capture this feeling of loss and longing. However, the singer sees the beauty in these memories and wouldn’t change what they had for all the world. The line “twas the best and worst of times” is a beautiful summation of the complexities of what they’ve experienced.
Overall, Once is a beautiful and poignant exploration of the complexities of love and memory. It’s a song that speaks to the beauty of what we’ve experienced in our lives, even when those moments are over.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to part the sea
I attempted the impossible to prove my love for you
Find wonders for your love
I searched for incredible ways to show my love for you
I sought the best of me
I aimed to be my optimal self for you
But all I showed was what I couldn't be
Despite my efforts, I only demonstrated my shortcomings
Your hush was a beauty I'd not seen
The quiet moments we shared were wondrous to me
Your kindness made a gentle wreck of me
Your gentle nature had a profound impact on me, leaving me feeling vulnerable but cared for
Once hope found hope
There was a time when optimism led to further optimism
And once I traveled winter with the sun
I experienced contrasts and extremes in life
Your heart was my home
I felt safe and comfortable with you
The rest of me will roam into tomorrow, my love
The parts of me not tied to you will venture into the unknown future
For tomorrow there's love, there's love
There is always the possibility of finding love again
I climbed the highest heights where the sightless go to see
I attempted to see the world from a unique perspective
Fixed fate with steely eyes told her it was not the time for me
I refused to accept my predestined path, knowing it was not my time yet
But some things that you give you can't retrieve
Even if I wanted to, there are some things I cannot take back
And I wait for a day I'll never see
I hold onto hope for something that will never come to fruition
It was like the moon tide
Our relationship had its ups and downs
Always rise and then fall
The cycle of our relationship was continuous
But now its dead and I'm done
Our relationship has ended, and so have my efforts to revive it
And I won't cry for you no more
I have processed my emotions and moved on from my love for you
I the lonely captive stand with only memories to hold my hand
I am alone and only have memories of our time together to comfort me
But I'd not change a single thing twas the best and worst of time
Despite the highs and lows, I wouldn't have changed anything about our relationship
Beneath the yellow clouded moon
In a mysterious and uncertain atmosphere
Where buried hopes rise from their tombs
Where dreams and aspirations resurface after being buried deep inside
The whispers call to heaven above
There are faint sounds of hope and longing, reaching towards the sky
That you caught me up in the windy arms of love
You were the one who lifted me up and put me in a state of infatuation and affection
Oh you caught me up in the windy arms, the windy arms of love
Repeated emphasis on the idea that you swept me off my feet
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW DAVID PANES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@emmavidal5821
Traté de separarme del mar
Encuentra maravillas para tu amor Busqué lo mejor de mí
Pero todo lo que mostré fue lo que no podría ser
Tu silencio era una belleza que no había visto
Tu bondad me hizo naufragar
Una vez que la esperanza encontró esperanza
Y una vez que viajé en invierno con el sol
Tu corazón era mi hogar
El resto de mí vagaré hacia el mañana, mi amor
Para mañana hay amor, hay amor Subí a las alturas más altas donde los ciegos van a ver
El destino fijo con ojos de acero le dijo que no era el momento para mí
Pero algunas cosas que le das no pueden recuperar
Y espero un día que nunca veré Una vez que la esperanza encontró esperanza
Y una vez que viajé en invierno con el sol
Tu corazón era mi hogar
El resto de mí vagaré hacia el mañana, mi amor
Para mañana hay amor, ¡hay amor! Era como la marea de la luna Siempre levantarse y luego caer Pero ahora está muerto y listo
Y no voy a llorar por ti, no más
Yo, el cautivo solitario, solo con recuerdos para sostener mi mano Pero no cambiaría nada, era lo mejor y lo peor del tiempo
Debajo de la luna amarilla y nublada
Donde las esperanzas sepultadas se levantan de sus tumbas
Los susurros llaman al cielo arriba Que me atrapaste en los ventosos brazos del amor
Que me atrapaste en los ventosos brazos del amor
Oh, me atrapaste en los brazos ventosos, los brazos ventosos del amor
Oh, me atrapaste en los brazos ventosos, los brazos ventosos del amor
Oh, me atrapaste en los brazos ventosos, los brazos ventosos del amor
Oh, me atrapaste en los brazos ventosos, los brazos ventosos del amor
@tripsyya830
Intenté separar los mares, encontrar maravillas para tu amor
Busqué lo mejor de mí, pero todo lo que mostré fue lo que no pude ser
Tu silencio era una belleza que no había visto
Y tu amabilidad me hizo naufragar.
Una vez que la esperanza encontró esperanza
Y una vez que viajé en invierno con el sol.
Tu corazón era mi hogar; el resto de mí vagaré hacia el mañana
Mi amor, porque mañana hay amor, hay amor.
Subí a las alturas más altas, donde los ciegos van a ver.
Reparó el destino con ojos acerados y le dijo que no era el momento para mí.
Algunas cosas que usted le da no pueden recuperar, y espero un día que nunca veré.
Era como la marea lunar: siempre sube y baja.
Pero ahora está muerto y he terminado, y no lloraré más por ti.
Entonces yo, la cautiva solitaria, solo tengo recuerdos para sostener mi mano
Pero no intentaré cambiar nada; fue el mejor y el peor de los tiempos
Debajo de la luna amarilla y nublada donde las esperanzas sepultadas se elevan desde sus tumbas
Los susurros claman al cielo arriba, que me atrapaste en los ventosos brazos del amor.
Oh, me atrapaste en los brazos ventosos, los brazos ventosos del amor
Oh, me atrapaste en los brazos ventosos, los brazos ventosos del amor
Oh, me atrapaste en los brazos ventosos, los brazos ventosos del amor
Oh, me atrapaste en los brazos ventosos, los brazos ventosos del amor
@qywetr
Tu momento para respirar... ¡Gracias Abi!...
@Arigatousbox
OMG Abi!!!! que paz me hace escuchar esto! like si viniste por Abi asmr
@mariorojas4736
Si
@katherineceballos5684
Estoy aquí por Abi ^_^
@yaneily
Tu momento para respirar 💙
- Abi
@xDragnovith
Tu momento para respirar Abi :D!
@annakalten4060
Oh my gracious, I just found this artist today, and I can't stop finding gold in every song!
@ackchreat
+Anna Kalten Me too! This guy is rlly awesome
@rafaexplorer
me too! In 2017!
@ahelbhattacharyya7872
Anna Kalten Me too!!