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.”
Water Over Fire
Roo Panes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I have done enough to lose a truest friend
And I thought you'd never look me in the eye,
Because of all that I have done within your sight
But then I read your face and your lips were spelling grace
and it's alright, it's alright, it's alright
and we were face to face as their tears put out the flames
and it's alright it's alright it's alright
like water on fire
you're like water over fire
like water on fire
Ooooh oooh
Oooh Oooh ooh
Well heat is not the only kind of haze
More than just the sun the sun was lengthening the days
i lost ground when i turned away my face
but i could feel your gravity and i am longing for you ways
cause when i read your face i saw your lips were spelling grace
andit's alright it's alright it's alright
we were face to face as their tears put out the flames
and it's alright it's alright it's alright
you're like water over fire
like water on fire
you're like water over fire
like water on fire
Oooooh oooh
Ooooh oooh ooh
You're like water over fire
Like water on fire
You're like water over fire
Like water on fire
The song "Water over Fire" by Roo Panes talks about the relationship between two friends who have had their issues but are now reconciling. The opening lines suggest a feeling of regret and an acceptance of the possibility that the friendship may not be salvaged. The singer admits to having done something that has cost them a true friend. However, in the following lines, the friend surprises the singer by showing them grace, forgiveness, and a willingness to heal the broken relationship.
The chorus "You're like water over fire, like water on fire" suggests that the friend is the perfect antidote to the singer's fiery personality. They bring a calming influence and prevent the singer's fire from becoming destructive. The second verse explores the idea of a "haze" created by heat, and suggests that the friend is more than just a source of relief from the singer's anxieties. They are a stabilizing force that helps them see more clearly, and towards whom they are devoted.
Overall, the song suggests that friendship is a precious thing that can be lost but also regained if both parties are willing to forgive and move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I fear I never look on you again,
I am afraid that I may not have the chance to see you again.
That I have done enough to lose a truest friend
I fear that my actions have caused me to lose a dear friend.
And I thought you'd never look me in the eye,
I believed that you would not be able to face me.
Because of all that I have done within your sight
This is due to the fact of all the regretful things I have done in front of you.
But then I read your face and your lips were spelling grace
However, when I looked at your face, I saw forgiveness and kindness in your expression and heard understanding and mercy in the words from your lips.
and it's alright, it's alright, it's alright
This helps me to feel reassured and at peace with the situation.
and we were face to face as their tears put out the flames
When we were together, our shared emotions and connection were able to overcome any conflicts and challenges that arose.
you're like water over fire
You have a calming and soothing effect on me, like water extinguishing a flame.
like water on fire
Your presence brings balance and harmony, uplifting me and quelling my anxieties and fears like water on a burning flame.
Ooooh oooh
Vocalization of the emotions and feelings such as longing, love, peace, and harmony that the words evoke.
Oooh Oooh ooh
Reiteration of the same vocalization of the emotions and feelings as the previous line.
Well heat is not the only kind of haze
Heat, as in passion and emotions, is not the only thing that can cloud one's judgment and perception.
More than just the sun the sun was lengthening the days
The days were becoming longer, perhaps indicating a growing sense of understanding and clarity.
i lost ground when i turned away my face
I recognize that I made a mistake by turning away and realize that it caused me to lose momentum or progress in our relationship.
but i could feel your gravity and i am longing for you ways
However, I feel the pull and influence of your presence, and I desire to be close to you and experience your ways.
cause when i read your face i saw your lips were spelling grace
When I look at your face and listen to your words, I perceive kindness, forgiveness, and love.
andit's alright it's alright it's alright
This realization brings me peace and helps me to feel reassured.
we were face to face as their tears put out the flames
Our connection and understanding were able to overcome any conflicts, as we cried tears of forgiveness and love together.
you're like water over fire
You bring a sense of balance and harmony to my life, like water extinguishing a flame.
like water on fire
Your influence is calming and refreshing, putting out the negativity and turmoil in my life, like water on a burning flame.
Oooooh oooh
Vocalization of the emotions and feelings such as longing, love, peace, and harmony that the words evoke.
Ooooh oooh ooh
Reiteration of the same vocalization of the emotions and feelings as the previous line.
You're like water over fire
This serves as a repeating and reinforcing statement, emphasizing the sense of balance and harmony that the other person brings to the singer's life.
Like water on fire
Reiteration of the same idea, emphasizing the refreshing and calming influence that the other person has on the artist, quelling any negativity and turmoil like water on a burning flame.
You're like water over fire
The repeating statement, an expression of admiration and appreciation, serves to bring the song to a close on a positive note.
Like water on fire
Final reiteration of the idea, emphasizing the positive impact that the other person has on the singer's life, bringing balance and harmony like water on a burning flame.
Writer(s): Andrew Panes
Contributed by Alaina G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sandra Dunkel
on Know Me Well
Beautiful song.... beautiful voice :-)