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.
Now I Run
Shannon Noll Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no beginning
Everything that came before
Will come round again
And I look in the mirror
My fathers eyes look back at me
He gave me a road to choose
And I pray I'm strong enough
To walk in his shoes
And I hope that I become
Half the man he'd want me to be
Cos I feel you guiding me
Showin' me the way when I'm misdirected
I know your not here but I feel connected
[Chorus]
Cos everything that I am
Comes from a better man
And all that Ive said and done
Cant rewrite my history
Right there for all to see
Im just my fathers son
Taught me to walk, now I run
Now I run
Sometimes when I lose myself
In my weakness
I can feel the touch of his
Unmistakable hands
And they're pushing me forward
Back into the circle again
And I hope my son sees in me
The kind of man that he was to me
[Chorus]
And everything that I am
comes from a better man
And all that Ive said and Ive done
Cant rewrite my history
Right there for all to see
I'm just my fathers son
Taught me to walk, now I run
I run
The song "Now I Run" by Shannon Noll is a tribute to the singer's father, who seems to have had a great influence on the man Noll has become today. The opening lines of the song "Tell me how the circle ends/There's no beginning" suggest that Noll is contemplating the concept of life as a continuous cycle, where the past echoes into the present and the future. He acknowledges that "Everything that came before/Will come round again" indicating the significance of lineage in the singer's life. The verse "I look in the mirror/My father's eyes look back at me" underlines the genetic connection and the realization that he has inherited some traits from his father.
In the next verse, Noll talks about how his father gave him the freedom to choose his own path while acknowledging that he gave him a "road" to follow. The verse "And I hope that I become/Half the man he'd want me to be" is an expression of the singer's desire to make his father proud. He feels his father's presence in his life even though he is not physically present, and in that sense, he feels connected to him. The chorus "Everything that I am/Comes from a better man" emphasizes the importance of a father's influence in shaping his son's life, whether good or bad.
In the third verse, Noll acknowledges that there are moments when he feels weak and unsure of himself. Still, he senses his father's "unmistakable hands pushing him forward." The verse "And I hope my son sees in me/The kind of man that he was to me" confirms the role model status of Noll's father in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me how the circle ends
Asking how the cycle of life ends
There's no beginning
Life has always existed and has no clear starting point
Everything that came before will come round again
Life operates in cycles that repeat over time
And I look in the mirror
Reflecting on oneself
My father's eyes look back at me
Seeing one's father's influence in oneself
He gave me a road to choose
Father provided choices in life
He gave me freedom
Father allowed him to make his own choices and have independence
And I pray I'm strong enough to walk in his shoes
Hoping to be as strong and successful as his father
And I hope that I become half the man he'd want me to be
Striving to make his father proud and live up to his expectations
Cos I feel you guiding me
Feeling his father's influence even though he is no longer alive
Showin' me the way when I'm misdirected
Father's values help to guide him when he feels lost
I know your not here but I feel connected
Even though his father is gone, he still feels a strong connection to him
[Chorus]
Repeating the main message of the song
Sometimes when I lose myself in my weakness
Struggling with personal weaknesses and needing guidance
I can feel the touch of his unmistakable hands
Symbolic language for feeling his father's influence
And they're pushing me forward back into the circle again
Father's influence is helping him to stay on track in life
And I hope my son sees in me the kind of man that he was to me
Hoping to inspire his son in the same way his father inspired him
I'm just my father's son
Acknowledging that he is a product of his father's legacy
Taught me to walk, now I run
Father's guidance helped him develop and progress in life
I run
Emphasizing his personal agency and progress in life
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CHRIS PORTER, PETER GORDENO, SHANNON NOLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Feared Golem
Lost my father a week ago and its the hardest thing im going thru in my life i just turned 21 and he always loved shannon noll in the car singing along to this with him now all i can do is cry when i hear this
TheEnlightment🙏❤
Don't worry he is still with u, in your heart and soul ♥ ❤😘 he is very proud of u
Dale Henderson
My father passed away in hospital a week after a massive heart attack in 2017. He was a great role model to me, and I try to live the values he taught me. I miss you, Dad.
No. 5
EDIT: Little did I know that merely 2 weeks after posting this comment I’d lose my dad... and it’s a more horrible feeling than I thought.. fly high Dad.
Original
“And I hope my sons see me
The kind of man that he was to me"
Just beautiful ❤️
Tim Winnell
Sorry to hear mate my dad hasn't got long,dreading the day.
Opinionated Dyslexic
Damn that's rough mate. Hope you've healed as much as you could
Jamie Mott
Damn them feels. Just stumbled across this after losing my dad.
donna may
Played this at my dad's funeral,,,, beautiful song
Kirst Hamo
I have been to some of Shannon's Concerts and he sounds even better live than on a CD!
Kelisha Young
this song always brings a tear to my eye. makes me appreciate having my father around as he had a heart attack it 2001.