Stephen attended St. Augustine Webster Primary School in Scunthorpe and St. Bede's Catholic School in Ashby before furthering his study at John Leggott College - It was here that he started his first band 'Label'.
Fretwell is a keen fan of bands of the Brit-pop era, such as Oasis, Blur, The Bluetones, Radiohead, and Suede. During this period he formed a band; in order to demonstrate his talent to a wider audience.
After moving to Salford in the autumn of 2000 Stephen started to gain recognition for his music. He earned notice from magazines such as NME, Q Magazine. During this period songs such as Emily and What’s That You Say Little Girl? were first written.
Fretwell decided to stay in Manchester permanently, later releasing 8 Songs which he put out on Northern Ambition, a label owned by a friend. Fretwell later described it as 'The one I did to prove to myself I could put out one proper record'.
Fretwell left university after only one year, discovering that education wasn’t for him at this time, after all he’d only managed to attend two lectures. With this he picked up his guitar and started to perform at local acoustic nights in the Manchester area. The first of these nights being at The Roadhouse, a venue that lay in the centre of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. That night Fretwell impressed a restless and hard to please crowd with his performance.
He later released the Something's Got to Give EP and The Lines, both self-financed. On back of his growing stature and reputation, Fretwell was invited to support bands such as Travis, Elbow, Athlete, Keane and KT Tunstall.
His debut album Magpie, was released in November 2004. The first single taken from the album was "Run" and was subsequently followed by "Emily" which was in the Top 10 airplayed songs. His last single was "Four Letter Words EP". His song " Run “ is the theme tune to the award winning sitcom Gavin & Stacey.
He is known for his curly mop of ginger hair, sombre lyrics and gravelly deep voice. He names his main influence as Bob Dylan. His songs are derivative of Dylan's work, and he learnt to play guitar by playing Dylan's songs on his grandfather's old, unused guitar.
He was described by Q Magazine as 'Scunthorpe's finest export... ever'. The Times magazine said 'Not in your face but in your heart? Yes'. He is signed to Fiction Records and recorded his album at the Abbey Road Studios.
He has just released his new album "Man on the Roof" that recieved the same critical acclaim as "Magpie" with beautiful songs such as "Funny Hat" and "Now"...
The official website can be found at http://www.stephenfretwell.com/.
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Stephen Fretwell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You moved like Sinatra
On speed
Lights were a flashin'
And tongues were a waggin'
Over you
It's too late, for denying
All those little things you and me have done
I'm sorry hun', I was hoping
For a rain call
Ah but nothing
All alone magpies come
I saw you dancin'
You moved like Sinatra
On speed
The song "Emily" by Stephen Fretwell, contains a unique set of lyrics that conveys a heartbreaking story between two people. The first verse of the song is about a dance, where the singer saw the person they love dance like Frank Sinatra on speed. This indicates that the person was dancing with an immense amount of energy and skill, captivating everyone around them. The second verse talks about the aftermath of that night, where it's too late to deny or try fixing whatever happened between them. The singer expresses their regret at having hoped for reconciliation, but now realizes that it won't happen, and they're left alone ("All alone magpies come"). The lyric "I'm sorry hun', I was hoping for a rain call" might be a metaphor for a passionate deadline for change or renewal, perhaps something that wasn't done as planned, or maybe a signal that the relationship was coming to an end, but the rain call never came.
The track is emotionally charged, giving a feeling of sorrow and loss. The song is remarkable because it captures the listener's attention and keeps them engaged until the very end. Stephen's voice holds the right pitch, and his delivery is exceptional, evoking memories and emotions that his audience can connect with. The lyrics are thoughtfully crafted to convey a sense of regret, and remorse, typically impacting the listener's mood, making them feel the pain of the singer. The song shows Stephen Fretwell's songwriting skills, as he crafted a masterpiece around a specific theme that will resonate with anyone who has been in a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you dancin'
I witnessed you dancing
You moved like Sinatra
You danced with the same style as Sinatra
On speed
You danced with an intense energy
Lights were a flashin'
The lights were flashing around you
And tongues were a waggin'
People were gossiping and talking about you
Over you
They were focused on you
It's too late, for trying
There's no point in trying anymore
It's too late, for denying
There's no point in denying what we've done
All those little things you and me have done
We both know the things we've done
I'm sorry hun', I was hoping
I apologize, but I was hoping for something more
For a rain call
For an excuse or way out
Ah but nothing
Unfortunately, nothing happened
All alone magpies come
I'm left alone with only magpies as company
Contributed by Reagan G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TimSchweizer
The atmosphere that this song creates is spectacular.
@MrMrCoronado
the first time that i heard this song was in the joneses film, inmediatly i liked it. it's very relax Why this kind of songs doesn't win awards or are more famous ???
@lovecek13
This song evokes so much .... the movie brought me too
@brendonwife
The Joneses!
@lisanyijimenez1147
I'm sad this isn't on spotify 😫! Every time I want to listen to it while playing music on spotify, I have to come here 😔. I love this song!! Stephen is so underrated 😭
@yeboi123
It is on Spotify 👍
@CatchyUsername95
@@yeboi123 only for premium i think :(
@Handlewithluv
Someone burned me a cd with all of his songs in 2006. Whenever I hear his music it just sends me back to that time..quite the emotional journey that I get to revisit through these songs.
@rohitkatyal21
Amazing song, I can just sit and enjoy this song in loop for hours. somehow cant put a finger on what works in this song, but I know it does..
@MORAMAX
This song is a masterpiece