Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
You're All Around Me
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And night's cover has lifted without you
In my mind I am here alone suspended
With memories of you
In the streets I can hear the day beginning
Another day beginning without you
If you don't come back to me tomorrow
You're all around me everywhere
And in this city's lonely places
This crowded sea of faces
You're there
You're there
I tried so hard to keep our love together
Things that you could never ever know
And I'm resigned to loving you forever
I know I can't let go
You're all around me everywhere
And in this city's lonely places
This crowded sea of faces
You're there
You're there
In Scott Walker's song, "You're All Around Me," the singer is dealing with the aftermath of a breakup. The morning has come without the presence of their partner, leaving the singer feeling lonely and suspended in memories of their time together. As the day begins, it becomes clear that their former partner is truly gone, and there is a sense of desperation and uncertainty about what the future holds. The chorus repeats the sentiment that despite being physically gone, the singer's former partner is still present in their thoughts and surroundings, constantly reminding them of what they have lost.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the city as a place where new beginnings are possible, yet also a place where one can feel completely alone in a sea of unfamiliar faces. The pain of losing someone is felt acutely in such a crowded and impersonal environment, making it even more difficult to move on.
Overall, "You're All Around Me" is a melancholy ballad about the enduring power of love and the struggle to let go of the past. The singer is resigned to their fate, knowing that they may never fully recover from the loss they have suffered.
Line by Line Meaning
In the morning when everything has ended
As each day ends and the night takes over, the loneliness of being without you becomes apparent.
And night's cover has lifted without you
When the darkness clears and daylight arrives, the void of your absence becomes more prominent.
In my mind I am here alone suspended
You've left a lingering presence in my mind, and I'm left feeling suspended in the space between reality and memory.
With memories of you
The memories of our time together never fade, and they consume my thoughts and feelings throughout the day.
In the streets I can hear the day beginning
As the morning unfolds, the sounds of a new day begin to fill my senses, and all I can think of is the emptiness without you.
Another day beginning without you
Another day starts without you in my life, and the thought of it is unbearable.
If you don't come back to me tomorrow
I'm desperate for your return, and each new day without you means another day of uncertainty and frustration.
I don't know what I'll do
I feel completely lost without you and don't know how to move forward without you by my side.
You're all around me everywhere
Even though you're not physically here, I feel your presence everywhere I go.
And in this city's lonely places
Even in the most crowded places, I still feel alone without you.
This crowded sea of faces
The faces of strangers only serve to remind me of your absence.
You're there
You're always on my mind, no matter where I am or what I'm doing.
You're there
Your presence is so strong that I can't escape it, no matter how hard I try.
I tried so hard to keep our love together
I did everything I could to make things work between us, but it wasn't enough.
Things that you could never ever know
There are things that I wish I could tell you, but I know that it's too late and you'll never know.
And I'm resigned to loving you forever
I've accepted that I will always love you, no matter what happens in our future.
I know I can't let go
The hold you have on my heart is too strong for me to ever let go completely.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LESLEY DUNCAN, SCOTT ENGEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CEEBEEX HANTS
For me this is the absolute best recording by TWB. I wish it would be more widely recognised. Fabulous!!
Peter van der Leest
I totally agree!! We had the 45 back at home when I was a child. It was the flipside of The sun ain't gonna shine anymore, in Holland.
Klaus T
+CEEBEEX HANTS that´s right. absolut the best
Julie Robinson
Haven't heard this for ages, but it's still as good as ever, love it. Rest in peace Scott. ♥
wellandtruly joshed
Beautiful man beautiful voice ❤️ RIP Scott 💔 Your wonderful music will always be around me 😢
Graham Larkbey
I got this on the B-side of My Ship Is Coming In (I bought the single when it came out). Great track, deserves to be better known. RIP Scott.
Eytan Bloom
Very nice and very well orchestrated.
Tim OHeron
A young guy with such a 'Man" voice has always impressed me
Bertrand Coutens
Always wonderful voice and handsome man !!!!
Heather Moffett
Unique voice, Unique talent, the one and only. 🖤