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.
Something's Missing
Sheppard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause then I'd know, I was down because
I couldn't find, a friend around
To love me like, they do right now.
They do right now.
I'm dizzy from the shopping malls
I searched for joy, but I bought it all
and a thirst I'd have to drown first to ever satiate
Something's missing
And I don't know how to fix it
something's missing
And I don't know what it is
At all
When autumn comes, it doesnt ask.
It just walks in, where it left you last.
And you never know, when it starts
Until there's fog inside the glass around your summer heart:
Something's missing
And I don't know how to fix it
something's missing
And I don't know what it is
At all
I can't be sure that this state of mind, is not of my own design
I wish there was an over the counter test, for loneliness.
For loneliness like this.
Something's missing
And I don't know how to fix it
Something's missing
And I don't know what it is
No I don't know what it is
Something's different
And i don't know what it is
No I don't know what it is
Friends, check
Money, check
A well slept, check
Opposite sex, check
Guitar check Microphone, check
Messages waiting for me, when i come home, check
How come everything I think I need,
always comes with batteries
What do you think it means
How come everything I think I need,
always comes with batteries
What do you think it means
In Sheppard's song "Something's Missing", the lyrics dive deep into the concept of loneliness and materialism. The song starts with the singer feeling down because they cannot seem to find a friend who could love and support them the way they need. The verse progresses with the singer feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of consumerism in our materialistic world, where they buy everything they think would bring them joy, but it does not seem to help with the hunger and thirst they feel inside.
The chorus "Something's missing, and I don't know how to fix it, something's missing, and I don't know what it is at all" repeats the feeling of disarray and confusion that the singer experiences. They cannot seem to pinpoint what's causing the void in their life, and they don't have any idea on how to fix it. Later on, the singer goes on to ponder on the possibility of this state of mind being their own design or if it is something out of their control, and they wish for a test that could diagnose their loneliness.
The song also touches on the idea of how having everything you think you need may not be enough, and it might come with extra baggage or expenses. The chorus, "How come everything I think I need always comes with batteries. What do you think it means?" indicates the futility of materialism and how it does not necessarily bring fulfillment to one's life.
Overall, "Something's Missing" is an introspective reflection on loneliness and the consequences of a materialistic world that we currently live in.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not alone, I wish I was.
Although there are people around me, I still feel lonely and disconnected.
Cause then I'd know, I was down because
If I were alone, I would know the clear reason why I am feeling down.
I couldn't find, a friend around
I am unable to find a friend to console and understand me.
To love me like, they do right now.
I wish someone loved me and cared for me as much as my friends do in the present moment.
I'm dizzy from the shopping malls
I am tired and overwhelmed from too much shopping that it makes me feel disoriented.
I searched for joy, but I bought it all
I tried to find happiness in shopping, but it only resulted in buying everything without achieving true joy.
It doesn't help the hunger pains
Shopping doesn't ease the pain of longing for something more meaningful.
And a thirst I'd have to drown first to ever satiate
I have a hunger for something fulfilling that could satisfy my thirst for life, but it's difficult to quench.
When autumn comes, it doesnt ask.
Like the changing of seasons, life events happen without warning or permission.
It just walks in, where it left you last.
Life changes can come and go, but they tend to impact you where you were last standing.
And you never know, when it starts
You never know when life will change for better or worse.
Until there's fog inside the glass around your summer heart:
You don't realize the change in the seasons or life until it's too late and has affected you emotionally.
I can't be sure that this state of mind is not of my own design
I'm not confident that my current mental state is not a result of my own doing.
I wish there was an over the counter test, for loneliness.
I wish there was an easy way to diagnose and treat my loneliness.
For loneliness like this.
For the type of loneliness that I am experiencing right now.
Friends, check.
I have friends, but they are not enough to satisfy my emotional needs.
Money, check.
I have financial stability, but it is not bringing me happiness.
A well slept, check.
I am getting enough sleep, but it doesn't remedy my emotional state.
Opposite sex, check.
I have a love interest, but that does not suffice my need for a deeper connection.
Guitar check. Microphone, check.
My hobbies and activities are accessible, but they do not provide long-lasting happiness.
Messages waiting for me, when i come home, check
I have people who message me and want to talk, but I feel disconnected from them.
How come everything I think I need, always comes with batteries
The things I think will make me happy are short-lived, like battery-operated items.
What do you think it means
I am unsure why the things I have do not provide me with contentment and lasting happiness.
Something's different
I feel a change within me or in my surroundings.
And i don't know what it is
I am unsure of what is causing the change that I am feeling.
No I don't know what it is
I am struggling to identify the cause of my unhappiness, but I know it is present.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@luthfialfikri8455
Lyric "Something's Missing"
I walk a road that no one dares
Without the lines, without the fares
Hoping for a second chance
A shot to get another dance
A hand to hold before the end
I feel the love, I feel the pain (ooh)
Not enough to make me whole again
If only I could feel complete
A puzzle with a missing piece
Gets locked away and buried underneath
'Cause I know, something is missing
I know something is missing
I know something is missing now
Well I was not a bitter man (ooh)
But life I guess had other plans (ooh)
Through the glass I see your face (ooh)
Behind the eyes an empty space (ooh)
Cause I fucked up along the way
'Cause I know, something is missing
I know something is missing
I know something is missing now
OooOh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Ahh
OooOh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Aahh
'Cause I know, something is missing
I know something is missing
I know something is missing now (now)
'Cause I know, something is missing
I know something is missing
I know something is missing now
@cheekyoziechick
With their songs..you love them the moment you hear them. Great vibes.
@lahdihdah4
Literally just found this group, and I love what I'm hearing. Honestly surprised you're not more popular, I could only find one of your songs on spotify.
@ashanagar4772
Why is Sheppard not more popular??
@jackd9928
+Asha Nagar Half of their songs are almost identical. Good to listen to but similar style with every song.
@julesb.1840
+Jack D That's literally every artist though. It's their style. Listen to Lady Gaga, or Megan Trainor. They have individual styles too. I agree that Sheppard should be more popular.
@cozycozes7137
+Julia Berglund Indeed. They're so talented!!
@Mina-oh3ds
IKR :(
@maccorehenniwatch
Yeah! Why? They're good!
SOOOO... GOOD!
@RaymondArias
Yeah, there's something missing, the one who I need to find, the one who will live with me until the end, and cherish the life and live at its fullest.
@TheSorcerer1
You make me smile.
Because I'm so close to laughing due to the hope that you have.
There is no such person.
Perhaps someone who will live with you until the end, but not someone who will cherish life and live life at it's fullest.
Such people are blind and too innocent.