The Brisbane-born Shane Nicholson is an accomplished singer-songwriter with… Read Full Bio ↴The Brisbane-born Shane Nicholson is an accomplished singer-songwriter with four critically acclaimed albums under his name - "It's A Movie", "Faith & Science'", "Familiar Ghosts" and "Bad Machines" - and a best-selling duet album, "Rattlin' Bones", with wife Kasey Chambers under the name Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson. He also released 2 EPs and an album with his former band Pretty Violet Stain, who broke up in 2001. Bad Machines received an ARIA Country Album of the Year nomination and six CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia nominations in the awards held in Tamworth on 28 January 2012. On 28 January 2012, Nicholson won the APRA Song of the Year Golden Guitar Award for his song, "Bad Machines". Also in 2012 Nicholson won the APRA Country Work of the Year award for "Famous Last Words". In September that year his latest collaboration with his wife, the album Wreck & Ruin was released, receiving 5 Golden Guitar nominations, ultimately winning the couple the award for "Group/Duo of the Year" in January 2013.

In recent years, Nicholson has also moved into music production, working on albums for artists such as Angie Hart (Frente), Catherine Britt, Beccy Cole, Sarah Humphreys, Nikki Jensen, Israel Cannan, and the Quarry Mountain Dead Rats. Nicholson was named Producer of the Year at the 2013 Country Music Awards of Australia.

Let's Get Started
Shane Nicholson Lyrics

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In a room with a single light at the center of the universe
You watch a b-grade black and white as your mind works in reverse

If you're feeling brave, let's get started now
Lose our way and the dream will lead us round

Every day is a crash test spinning the world on a fingertip
Offer you a mother's love or a knuckle and a broken lip

So if you're feeling brave, let's get started now
Lose our way and the dream will lead us round

Learn to swim in the fishbowl while you're waiting on a call
And wonder why it takes so long to get nowhere at all

When everyday is a cool faced captain spinning the world on a fingertip
Take you on a glory ride or take you down with the ship

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shane Nicholson's song Let's Get Started create a sense of confusion and uncertainty, as if the singer is stuck in a strange limbo between reality and fantasy. The room with a single light at the center of the universe represents a void, a lack of direction or purpose. The b-grade black and white film playing on a loop further emphasises this sense of emptiness, as the singer's mind works in reverse, unable to make sense of their surroundings.

In the face of this confusion, the chorus encourages the listener to be brave and start moving forward, even if they risk losing their way. The dream mentioned here may refer to a sense of hope or ambition that lies beyond the darkness of the room. The crash test and the mention of a mother's love contrast with the suggestion of violence and conflict, underscoring the unpredictability of life.

The song continues to explore this uncertainty, with the suggestion that the singer is waiting for something that never comes. The image of learning to swim in a fishbowl also highlights the sense of being trapped or limited in their options. The cool faced captain may represent the forces that are holding them back, tempting them with the promise of glory or leading them to disaster. Overall, the lyrics of this song convey a powerful message about resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

In a room with a single light at the center of the universe
You find yourself in the middle of nowhere with one light source being the center of attention.

You watch a b-grade black and white as your mind works in reverse
You're watching a low-grade film that makes you feel dizzy and disoriented.

If you're feeling brave, let's get started now
If you're ready to take risks and face your fears, let's begin now.

Lose our way and the dream will lead us round
If we deviate from the usual path, our aspirations will guide us forward.

Every day is a crash test, spinning the world on a fingertip
Every day seems like an experiment where the world rotates on a finger being tested.

Offer you a mother's love, or a knuckle and a broken lip
You have a choice to choose between love or violence.

Learn to swim in the fishbowl while you're waiting on a call
You're stuck in a small space trying to find comfort while waiting for an event to take place.

And wonder why it takes so long to get nowhere at all
You wonder why it's taking you so long to reach your destination, even though you're not making any progress.

When everyday is a cool faced captain spinning the world on a fingertip
Every day seems like a mystery where a composed captain is testing you.

Take you on a glory ride or take you down with the ship
They can either make you feel elated by taking you on an adventure or take you down with them.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHANE ANTHONY NICHOLSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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