Sheppard's international hit single Geronimo was the Brisbane band's battle-cry, a super-sophisticated stadium pop anthem shot through with all the mixed emotions of being young. With this, the six-piece, formed around siblings George, Amy and Emma Sheppard, launched their debut album Bombs Away.
The Sheppard story starts two and half thousand miles from Brisbane in the tropical Pacific paradise of Papua New Guinea, where the family moved with their lawyer father. Music was in the air from day one: while dad blasted Cat Stevens in the house to get them out of bed in the mornings, mum sent them for lessons in piano and music theory. But their biggest influence was a music teacher at their Port Moresby school, Baruka Tau-Matagu, keyboard player of the legendary Aboriginal group Yothu Yindu and top session man for the likes of Janet Jackson and Madonna. From Tau the Sheppards picked up their love of harmony.
Sheppard came about by accident, back in Australia, in fact, when middle child Amy was studying for a music diploma and felt that one of her songs (working title *Cheese on Toast*) lacked a certain something. Brother George, then a drama student in Sydney, helped out on harmonies, and the pair realised they could write together. They added young composer and producer Jay Bovino, fresh from Sydney band Vienna Circus, and in the space of two months the trio Bovino / Sheppard / Sheppard had written 30 tracks. Brisbane musicians Michael Butler and Dean Gordon joined them on guitar and drums, with younger sister Emma on bass guitar. After trying out various producers, they finally hit upon one - Stuart Stuart of Analogue Heart Records - who let them be themselves. "With Geronimo," says Amy, "we kind of knew it was a hit. We wrote it in about two hours - there were so many hooks, and so many more hooks we could have added and didn’t.”
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2013, Sheppard were nominated for Best Independent Release for "Let Me Down Easy". At the 2014 ceremony, they were nominated for Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Independent Release, Best Pop Release, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Best Video.
On 1 November 2016, "We Belong" was released.
Hometown
Sheppard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They all think I'm a lucky man
Truth is I'm in a rut
(Oh ya ya hey)
All this love and joy
Even so I'm a lonely boy
Close to giving it up
But still there's nowhere that I'd rather be than to be by your side
You are my hometown
Where I can slow down
We got it good, we got it all figured out
You are my hometown
Let there be no town
We understood it's where I should be now
Well love just don't feel right
When I don't have your hand in mine
I'm scared you're slipping away
(Oh ya ya hey)
But once I'm homewood bound
From the moment that I touch down
I realise nothing has changed
Well baby mixing our chemicals often results in a fire
But it's the heat of your heart keeping me holding onto the wire
You are my hometown
Where I can slow down
We got it good, we got it all figured out
You are my hometown
Let there be no town
We understood it's where I should be now
Ay ya ya ya ya
Ay ya ya ya ya
We understood it's where I should be now
'Cause baby life takes me to places that I never dreamed I would find, oh no no
But still there's nowhere that I'd rather be than to be by your side
You are my hometown
Where I can slow down
We got it good, we got it all figured out
You are my hometown
Let there be no town
We understood it's where I should be now
You are my hometown
Where I can slow down
We got it good, we got it all figured out
You are my hometown
Let there be no town
We understood it's where I should be now
We got it good
We got it all figured out
The song "Hometown" by Sheppard is a testament to being lost in the midst of success and finding solace in the familiarity of one's roots. The opening lyrics "No one understands, They all think I'm a lucky man, Truth is I'm in a rut" signify the pressure of living up to societal expectations despite feeling stuck in life. The singer talks about feeling lonely and wanting to give up despite having love and joy in his life. He feels lost and disconnected, seeking comfort in the knowledge that there is one place that makes him feel grounded - his hometown.
The singer expresses the idea that life takes unexpected turns and leads you to places you never thought you would go. However, even amid the chaos and confusion, there is nothing he wants more than to be by his lover's side. The lyrics "But still, there's nowhere that I'd rather be than to be by your side," suggest a strong desire for stability and a longing for the comfort of a familiar face - someone who understands him and supports him, no matter what. While love may not always feel right, the knowledge that he has someone to hold onto makes everything seem a little less daunting.
Overall, "Hometown" is a song about the difficulties of navigating success and the need to hold on to what grounds us in life. It speaks to the importance of having a sense of place and belonging amid the chaos of a fast-paced world.
Line by Line Meaning
No one understands
I feel misunderstood by everyone around me
They all think I'm a lucky man
Others perceive me as fortunate, but that doesn't reflect how I truly feel
Truth is I'm in a rut
In reality, I'm feeling stuck and unfulfilled in my life
All this love and joy
Despite having positive experiences in my life, I still feel unhappy
Even so I'm a lonely boy
I feel isolated and alone
Close to giving it up
I'm on the verge of losing hope
But still there's nowhere that I'd rather be than to be by your side
Being with you is the one thing that makes me truly happy
You are my hometown
You are the place where I feel most comfortable and at home
Where I can slow down
Being with you allows me to relax and take a break from the chaos of life
We got it good, we got it all figured out
Our relationship is strong and we have everything we need to be happy together
Let there be no town
As long as I have you, I don't need anything else
We understood it's where I should be now
I know that being with you is where I belong
Well love just don't feel right
When I'm not with you, love doesn't feel genuine or authentic
When I don't have your hand in mine
I need to be physically close to you to feel connected
I'm scared you're slipping away
I worry about losing you and our relationship fading
But once I'm homewood bound
When I'm heading back to you, I feel safe and secure
From the moment that I touch down
As soon as I arrive, I feel a sense of relief and comfort
I realise nothing has changed
No matter where life takes me, my love for you always remains constant
Baby mixing our chemicals often results in a fire
Our relationship can be intense and passionate
But it's the heat of your heart keeping me holding onto the wire
Even when things get difficult, your love keeps me grounded and connected
We got it good
Our relationship is strong and fulfilling
We got it all figured out
We have everything we need to be happy and content together
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Amy Louise Sheppard, George Josef Sheppard, Jason Bovino, Jason Wong, Leroy James Clampitt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@notsoawesomekid3828
No one understands
They all think I'm a lucky man
Truth is I'm in a rut
(Oh ya ya hey)
All this love and joy
Even so I'm a lonely boy
Close to giving it up
Cause baby life takes me places that I never dreamed I would find
But still there's nowhere that I'd rather be than to be by your side
You are my hometown
Where I can slow down
We got it good, we got it all figured out
You are my hometown
Let there be no town
We understood it's where I should be now
Well love just don't feel right
When I don't have your hand in mine
I'm scared you're slipping away
(Oh ya ya hey)
But once I'm homewood bound
From the moment that I touch down
I realise nothing has changed
Well baby mixing our chemicals often results in a fire
But it's the heat of your heart keeping me holding onto the wire
You are my hometown
Where I can slow down
We got it good, we got it all figured out
You are my hometown
Let there be no town
We understood it's where I should be now
Ay ya ya ya ya
Ay ya ya ya ya
We understood it's where I should be now
Cause baby life takes me places that I never dreamed I would find, oh no no
But still there's nowhere that I'd rather be than to be by your side
You are my hometown
Where I can slow down
We got it good, we got it all figured out
You are my hometown
Let there be no town
We understood it's where I should be now
You are my hometown
Where I can slow down
We got it good, we got it all figured out
You are my hometown
Let there be no town
We understood it's where I should be now
We got it good
We got it all figured out
@itsbryanjosiah5493
This just makes me so much more excited for the album! This is gonna be a great summer track for sure.
@SaneSally
A great rythm as always, lovely song💙
@kyra4044
I love this song so much!! Amazing job!
@palominojoy1899
Fantastic new song, can’t wait to get the new album, great work guys and welcome home !
@theno.1judge595
the arrangement, the vocals and harmonies are spot on!!! love, love this song!!
@RianneZuur
I love this song, can't wait for the album!
@EA-yi4iv
This is an amazing song and I think sheppard are so good and I can see them going very far in the music industry. <3 <3
@ljlfilms7043
Love this! especially the chorus <3
@TheNatSmiler
Your songs are a hug for my soul. Thanks so much! ❤️ México always be here 🇲🇽
@yvonneeijkmans9788
You guys are awesome!!!!! I love this song soo much 😍😍😍
Lots of love from The Netherlands ❤❤❤