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.”
The Original
Roo Panes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because the audience never listened to her mermaid song,
That temptation was a sunny isle where all that lives is dead,
Don't choose its shadows to make your bed.
Behind that painted lady, there's a masterpiece,
Behind the painted lady, she's a masterpiece,
But she doesn't care to think so; no she hasn't got belief,
Singing, oh! Take me back to me, Oh! The original me,
Oh! Take me back to me, the original me.
And when the sun descends she'll be the swan song silhouette,
And even down the road she'll be the last to leave your head,
And you'll feel like your marooned upon that sunny isle instead,
Don't choose its shadows to make your bed.
Singing, oh! Take me back to you, Oh! The original you,
Oh! Take me back to you, the original you.
The song "The Original" by Roo Panes is a melancholic ballad about the struggle to stay true to oneself in a world that values conformity. The first verse describes a performer who has given up on playing her unique mermaid song and instead chooses to play something more generic that pleases the audience. The temptation that led her astray is likened to a "sunny isle where all that lives is dead," suggesting that sometimes following the path of least resistance may lead to a dead end.
The chorus is a plea to be taken back to one's true self - the original self - before compromises were made. The second verse shifts the focus to a painted lady, who is contrasted with the hidden masterpiece beneath the paint. The singer acknowledges that she doesn't see herself as a masterpiece and has lost her sense of belief in her own worth. The repetition of the chorus underscores the desire to recover a lost sense of self and the belief in its value.
The final verse suggests that even though the painted lady will be remembered as a swan song silhouette, the memory is not a true representation of who she is. The reference to being marooned on the sunny isle again implies the danger of being lured away from one's true self by shallow pleasures. Ultimately, the song is a reminder that it's important to resist the pressure to conform and to stay true to who we are, even when it's difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it seems she'll play the same old piece to play along,
She feels like she has to conform and play something familiar to please the audience.
Because the audience never listened to her mermaid song,
The audience didn't appreciate her unique and true talent, so she feels like she has to change to fit in.
That temptation was a sunny isle where all that lives is dead,
The temptation to conform and forget her true self was appealing but ultimately empty and lifeless.
Don't choose its shadows to make your bed.
Don't settle for a shallow imitation of life, you'll regret it.
Behind that painted lady, there's a masterpiece,
Despite outward appearances, there is something incredible and unique within her.
Behind the painted lady, she's a masterpiece,
The beauty within her is hidden by the way she presents herself to the world.
But she doesn't care to think so; no she hasn't got belief,
She doesn't have the confidence to see herself as the masterpiece she truly is.
That's what she's wearing over her face,
Her lack of belief and confidence is like a mask that she wears.
Singing, oh! Take me back to me, Oh! The original me,
She's longing to reconnect with her true self and her original, unique voice.
And when the sun descends she'll be the swan song silhouette,
As time passes, she sees herself as a fading silhouette, like the last song of a swan.
And even down the road she'll be the last to leave your head,
Her unique beauty and voice will stay with people long after she's gone.
And you'll feel like your marooned upon that sunny isle instead,
She doesn't want others to make the same mistake of getting trapped on that shallow, empty island.
Don't choose its shadows to make your bed.
Don't settle for a shallow imitation of life, you'll regret it.
Singing, oh! Take me back to you, Oh! The original you,
She's also urging others to find their true selves and not get trapped in the shadows and illusions of the world.
Oh! Take me back to you, the original you.
She wants to connect with others who are true to themselves and their unique voices.
Contributed by David D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ulkermehrali7332
Lyrics:
Well it seems she'll play the same old piece to play along,
Because the audience never listened to her mermaid song,
That temptation was a sunny isle where all that lives is dead,
Don't choose its shadows to make your bed.
Behind that painted lady, there's a masterpiece,
Behind the painted lady, she's a masterpiece,
But she doesn't care to think so; no she hasn't got belief,
That's what she's wearing over her face,
Singing, oh! Take me back to me, Oh! The original me,
Oh! Take me back to me, the original me.
And when the sun descends she'll be the swan song silhouette,
And even down the road she'll be the last to leave your head,
And you'll feel like your marooned upon that sunny isle instead,
Don't choose its shadows to make your bed.
Singing, oh! Take me back to you, Oh! The original you,
Oh! Take me back to you, the original you
@benveen7917
It would be an injustice to not tell you how incredible this is. Keep making music Roo, for it only gets better and better.
@roopanes
Check out my latest video for 'My Sweet Refuge' here: https://smarturl.it/MSRvideo
@KellySilva-nk3fr
I love your voice! Thanks... 💕
@jaclynciriello6337
How does this not have 1 million views?
It’s okay… the best hidden treasures live here ❤️
@GregPorterOPS44
It's amazing how an artist can get me singing to their song during the first time listening. Thanks, Roo.
@spencerallen5052
It's wonderful Roo, thank you!
@anjleeverma5090
Thank you for this beautiful, soothing music...
@262Aadi
My absolute favorite! Oh how I wish to see you perform live 🤞🏼Love from India!
@ckaiougames6143
Omg this's so amazing.
Me and my sister listen now and we cant stop.
perfect. we from Brazil.
simplesmente incrível!
@silvanagili4343
Bellissima canzone, una voce stupenda, affascinante...grazie roo.