Early life and pre-Idol
Noll was born in the Australian town of Orange, New South Wales and grew up in the small town of Condobolin in central western New South Wales. He is the third and youngest of three children to parents Sharon and Neil Noll and along with brothers Damian and Adam, spent the entire of their childhood and teenage years living on the family farm which ran sheep and cattle and grew cereal crops. During his school years, Noll enjoyed drama classes and performed in a number of school productions. Noll has since expressed a desire to continue his acting work.
During his adult years, Noll began working on other farms and properties shearing sheep amongst other tasks. It was during this time Noll and his brothers formed the band called "Cypress" (named for the fact that they rehearsed in a timber mill), of which Shannon provided vocals and played guitar. The band played numerous small gigs around the Australian outback, playing in country pubs gaining a solid live reputation. Although the majority of songs performed by the band were cover versions of popular songs, the group enjoyed writing original music and would often perform these originals as part of their set.
Noll's father, Neil, was tragically killed during a farming accident in 2001, which led to Shannon and his brothers to take over the running of the family farm. Following the death and two years of extreme drought, the brothers sold the farm and settled in Condobolin with their mother. Shannon often cites the death of his father as a major inspiration in his musical career, and has penned a song on his latest album Lift titled "Now I Run" in memorium of his late father.
Noll and his now wife, Rochelle Ogsten began their relationship in 1997 welcoming the arrival of sons Cody in 2001 and Blake in 2002. The pair wed in October 2004 and daughter Sienna arrived in 2006.
Letter To You
Shannon Noll Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been down this road a hundred times, still don't know what's round the bend
Tryin' to figure up from down, sometimes I don't know where to turn
I know one thing's for certain, one thing
I've had to learn
It was you, I had to work it out
Now you know it's true, I can't do without
But the pages are torn in two
I lost my head staring at your photograph
Cause it's hard to write a song for you
Standing at a crossroad, looking back this way again
I've met a thousand people but I'm back where I began
Living in a daydream where no one ever gets me down
Your face beyond description, your voice the sweetest sound
Now I'm sure what I want you to see
But it's hard to find the words to bring you closer to me
I sent my heart in a letter to you
But the pages are torn in two
I lost my head staring at a photograph
Cause it's hard to write a song for you
Impossible to to say to you
Gone are the rainy days
Without you I'd be lost and I'd just drift away
Come so far just to be with you
Now I'm not letting go no matter what you do
It was you, I had to work it out
Now you know it's true, I can't do without
I sent my heart in a letter to you
But the pages are torn in two
I lost my head staring at your photograph
Cause it's hard to write a song for you
I'll say it in a letter it makes me feel much better
But the pages, the pages, the pages are torn in two
Now I'm staring at your picture, it makes me love you deeper
And it's so hard to write a song for you
To tell you how I feel for you
The lyrics of Shannon Noll's song Letter To You reveal the struggles of the singer to articulate his deep feelings for someone. The lyrics capture the singer's ruminations about how he keeps coming back to the same spot where he can't decide what he wants and where he should go. He cannot see what's coming his way and he is stuck at a crossroad. However, one thing he knows for sure is that he can't let go of this special person in his life. He says that he had to work it out with this person, and he can't do without them.
The singer then delves into the nature of the relationship, where he admits that he can't find the right words to bring this person closer to him. He even sends his heart in a letter to this person, but the pages are torn in two, meaning he is still struggling to express himself fully. The song speaks of how the singer feels lost and adrift without this person. As the song winds up, he admits that he can't say what he wants to say to this person, but he knows that he needs them.
In conclusion, the song is a poignant expression of one's inability to fully articulate their emotions for someone. It speaks of the struggles of the heart and the mind when it comes to love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Staring out the window, here I go again
Starting to reminisce and long for someone while looking out the window
Been down this road a hundred times, still don't know what's round the bend
Having gone through the same routine over and over again without knowing what the future holds
Tryin' to figure up from down, sometimes I don't know where to turn
Feeling lost, confused and not knowing where to go or what to do
I know one thing's for certain, one thing
Acknowledging that there's only one thing that is definite
It was you, I had to work it out
Realizing that the person they long for is the only one that can complete them
Now you know it's true, I can't do without
Admitting that they cannot exist without that person
I sent my heart in a letter to you
Expressing their feelings through writing and sending it to the person they long for
But the pages are torn in two
The letter they sent is incomplete, unclear or has been destroyed
I lost my head staring at your photograph
Being so captivated by the person they long for that they lose focus and concentration
Cause it's hard to write a song for you
Finding it difficult to put into words the feelings they have for the person they long for
Standing at a crossroad, looking back this way again
Being at a point in life where decisions need to be made while remembering their past experiences
I've met a thousand people but I'm back where I began
Realizing that among all the people they've met, the one they long for is the only one that truly matters
Living in a daydream where no one ever gets me down
Spending time in our thoughts where everything is going well and there are no problems
Your face beyond description, your voice the sweetest sound
Having intense feelings for someone to the point where they find it impossible to describe them
Now I'm sure what I want you to see
Knowing what they want the person they long for to understand
But it's hard to find the words to bring you closer to me
Struggling to express their feelings in a way that makes the other person feel closer to them
Impossible to say to you
Feeling like certain feelings are impossible to explain to the person they long for
Gone are the rainy days
Having left behind the tough times since they found the person they long for
Without you I'd be lost and I'd just drift away
Realizing that they would be lost and aimless without the person they long for
Come so far just to be with you
Willing to come a long way and do anything for the person they long for
Now I'm not letting go no matter what you do
Being determined to hold on to the person they long for no matter the obstacles
I'll say it in a letter it makes me feel much better
Expressing their feelings through writing and feeling better after doing so
But the pages, the pages, the pages are torn in two
The letter they sent is incomplete, unclear or has been destroyed
Now I'm staring at your picture, it makes me love you deeper
Being more in love with the person they long for after looking at their picture
And it's so hard to write a song for you
Feeling like they cannot put into words the love they have for the person they long for
To tell you how I feel for you
Wanting to communicate their feelings to the person they long for
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM ELLIOTT GOULD, SHANNON NEIL NOLL, PAUL LANCASTER WILTSHIRE, VICTORIA NANCY WU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind