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Welcome to the Last FM page of the swing-hop duo, The Correspondents. MC Mr Bruce and DJ/Producer Mr Chuckles collaborate to make Hip Hop for the 1930s, Big Band music for the 00s. Splicing swing samples with squelchy synths over dusty drum loops they’ve depicted a modern day journey into time of rogues, lust, affordable clowns and foot-tapping toe curling "get your brogues on" dance floor swing beat.
The Correspondents started out in November 2007, when old friends, Mr Bruce and Mr Chuckles, returned to London after a firm schooling at their respective Universities. In Leeds Mr Chuckles had been tinkering with the sounds of Hip Hop, Jazz and Dance music for several years, meanwhile further North in Edinburgh Mr Bruce exerted his vocal dexterity over Drum 'n' Bass, Breaks & Funk. The unlikely pair cut their teeth at a few parties and decided to cement the live performance relationship in their makeshift recording studio. Since then tracks have been recorded, stages have been stomped and knees have hit nipples.
The Correspondents have shared stages with the likes (or unlikes) of Florence & The Machine, Lilly Allen, Mika, Little Boots, VV Brown, Bat For Lashes, Lazy Habits, Daedalus, Bassment Jaxx, Rob Da Bank, Rusko, Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Cuban Brothers, Brass Roots, Jocelyn Brown, Dub Pistols etc... etc...
You might have seen them at Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Bestival, Shambala Festival, Lovebox Weekender, The Big Chill Festival, Camden Crawl, Innocent Village Fete, Scala Amersham Arms, Bungalow 8, Soho Revue Bar, Vibe Bar, Concord 2, Bloomsbury Bowls, Art Car Boot Fair, Last Days Of Decadance, Madame Jojo's, Notting Hill Arts Club, Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, 33 Portland Place, Shepard's Bush Pavillion, 5 Cavendish Sq, Corsica Studios, Proud Camden, Village Underground, The Cobden Club, The Battersea Arts Centre, The Colony Rooms, and Selfridge's.
www.myspace.com/thecorrespondentsmusic
"The Correspondents aren't the first group you'd expect to see at a South London dubstep/fidget house night and yet their performance at Corsica Studios over a year ago had everyone quickly switching their allegience from wobbly basslines to beats over samples from 'The Jungle Book'. The skin-tight trouser clad MC Mr Bruce strode to the stage and began shaking his impossibly long legs to the beats put down by his DJ, Chuckles, and from that point on, everyone was a convert." NME.COM
“Pop also-ran Frankmusik was far more exciting, revealing his 'great voice for a white boy' but also the overly perfect future pop that's thus far prevented him finding fame with a mass audience. One duo who could, however, are the Correspondents, who filled in between sets throughout the weekend. With fast-spit rhymes over twenties flapper tunes, and MC Mr Brogues a gangly enthusiastic dancer with natty threads to match, these two deserve a stage all themselves.” INTHENEWS.CO.UK – BESTIVAL REVIEW
“My fear for the contents of my wallet and the softer parts of my anatomy were quickly replaced by joy at the sights and sounds of The Correspondents. These two dapper purveyors of swing-hop derring-do pretty much stole the show. I’m proper feeling the vaudeville approach to hip-hop (cfThe Anomalies, Krugers passim), and The Correspondents are amongst the most charming to take that approach. Everyone had a sing-a-long with them. Aww. Find them on MySpazz – you’ll be glad you did (and relieved MySpazz still has its uses).” KRUGERS MAGAZINE – DAEDALUS @ CORSICA STUDIOS REVIEW
"A stark contrast with the reaction received by The Correspondents, the Wandsworth duo who wander onto the Great Stage in the middle of the hottest day of the year and through the skatting, scratching and infectious dancing of the Mask-a-like Mr Bruce, managed to persuade everyone to forget their heat induced woes and dance like they had some serious itch to scratch. Forced back on to the stage by a fiery and pumped up crowd demanding more, Mr Bruce and compatriot DJ Chuckles then do it all over again, much to the amazement of them and their newly acquired groupies. Which goes to show the wonder that is Secret Garden Party. Hierarchies are toppled and the unknown underdogs are taken into the bosoms of the crowd while the headlining 80s superstars are made to look like, well, bosoms." LOUD AND QUIET MAGAZINE - SECRET GARDEN PARTY REVIEW
"Sunday starts with a beautifully bizarre moment, as Wandsworth swing-hip-hop duo The Correspondents enthral an unfeasibly huge midday main stage crowd with a rendition of 'I Wanna Be Like You' from The Jungle Book. After that we’re delirious putty in their capable hands and the stunned pair are summoned back for a giddy encore." WWW.VIRTUALFESTIVALS.COM - SECRET GARDEN PARTY REVIEW
What Did I Do?
The Correspondents Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To deserve
That fear coming true.
Ohhhhhh.
That fear coming true.
Did I say too many things
in rage to friends
Did I cause them pain
at any stage
none of it was meant intentionally
Did the powers that be
look down on me and think
we'll balance him out
by taking away the one thing
that we know he can't live without.
What did I do?
To deserve
That fear coming true.
Oh oh oh oh.
That fear coming true.
Life is not up to losing you One thing I thought I'd never have to do
and still:
I stare at people walking in the street
And think some must have done worse than me
Those that greet their wives with booted feet
Or those that steal from the elderly
Why couldn't this hand be dealt to them
In an (?)
Rather than giving me this,
I can not understand
No matter how hard I try
But life is not a case of doing good
and good will come
the blackest thoughts can reap rewards
when black deeds have been done
No one can predict which fan this type of shit will hit
This was not the piece of the puzzle that was designed to fit
Oh no.
What did I do?
To deserve
That fear coming true.
What did I do
To deserve
That fear coming true?
What did I do
To deserve
That fear coming true?
The lyrics of The Correspondents’ song What Did I Do? express introspection and regret. The singer is haunted by a particular fear that has come true, but doesn't quite understand why it happened to them. They consider whether they said or did something wrong that caused pain to their loved ones, or whether some higher power is at play, punishing them by taking away something important.
The singer seems to be struggling with feelings of guilt and unworthiness, wondering why they were the one dealt this particular hand. They observe other people around them and find comfort in the thought that some of them must have done worse things than they have. However, this does not provide them with any real clarity or answers. They express frustration and despair, unable to understand why things have turned out the way they have.
Overall, the lyrics of What Did I Do? deal with themes of personal responsibility, fate, and the sometimes inexplicable nature of life. The song invites the listener to reflect on their own life and experiences, and to consider the ways in which their own actions may have unintended consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
What did I do?
The singer is questioning what actions they took that caused such a negative outcome.
To deserve
The singer feels something terrible happened, and they question if they brought it on themselves somehow.
That fear coming true.
The singer is afraid and worried that something terrible might happen again.
Ohhhhhh.
The singer feels emotionally distressed.
Did I say too many things
The singer questions if they spoke spitefully to loved ones and caused them harm.
in rage to friends
The singer wonders if they spoke harshly to friends while upset.
to lovers, to family.
The singer wonders if they said harmful things to their romantic partner or family members.
Did I cause them pain
The singer questions if they did hurtful things unintentionally.
at any stage
The singer contemplates if there was ever a point in time they might have caused harm.
none of it was meant intentionally
The singer didn't intend to hurt anyone.
Did the powers that be
The singer wonders if a higher power had any influence on their situation.
look down on me and think
The singer wonders if they are being punished by a higher power for past actions or thoughts.
we'll balance him out
The higher power may be attempting to create balance in the universe.
by taking away the one thing
The singer suggests that the higher power reacted by taking away something important to them.
that we know he can't live without.
The higher power knows that taking this thing away will be painful for the singer.
Life is not up to losing you One thing I thought I'd never have to do
Losing this thing is extremely difficult for the singer and was not something they ever thought they would have to deal with.
and still:
Despite the pain, the singer is trying to remain strong.
I stare at people walking in the street
The singer is observing people around them.
And think some must have done worse than me
The singer is acknowledging that others might have done worse things than they did.
Those that greet their wives with booted feet
The singer is using an example of abuse to illustrate their point.
Or those that steal from the elderly
Another example of harm is given.
Why couldn't this hand be dealt to them
The singer asks why the negative outcome couldn't have happened to those who did worse things.
In an (?)
This part of the sentence isn't clear, but suggests that the singer wishes this negative outcome happened to someone else.
Rather than giving me this,
The singer thinks it's unfair that they received this outcome instead of someone else.
I can not understand
The singer is having difficulty comprehending why they were the one to experience this negative outcome.
No matter how hard I try
Even if they put in effort, the singer can't comprehend the situation fully.
But life is not a case of doing good
The singer suggests that doing good doesn't always result in good things happening.
and good will come
The opposite is also true; doing bad things doesn't always lead to negative outcomes.
the blackest thoughts can reap rewards
The singer believes that even negative thoughts can have positive outcomes.
when black deeds have been done
Actions that are seen as 'bad' might lead to positive outcomes.
No one can predict which fan this type of shit will hit
No one can tell when a negative outcome will happen, or to whom.
This was not the piece of the puzzle that was designed to fit
The singer feels that this outcome doesn't fit in their life story.
Oh no.
The singer expresses disappointment and sadness over the outcome.
Contributed by Riley R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Enrico Raad
For those who don’t know, Mr. Bruce (the lead singer of the Correspondents) went through a divorce at the time this came out. This most likely is his reaction and artistic outcome of it. He did amazing, and I hope times have been better.
Pawe Ave
really? Thanks for sharing :0
tawny frogmouth
as a puppet enthusiast this has got to be one of the best music videos i've ever seen. bravo to the team, and rest in peace chucks.
Kota Fox
im really surprised the correspondents arent more popular, the vocals are pretty good and the videos are all works of art, visually they are all really well done and i enjoy them
Tomfoolery John
Weren’t*, Not much of a group anymore unfortunately... Chucks has passed away. A great loss to humanity.
tawny frogmouth
@Tomfoolery John yeah, it still doesnt feel real that he's gone :( rest in peace chucks
Harry Fellows
Twisted. Just the way the album is. Love it.
Kind of Love is also my favourite track from the album so it's great to see it highlighted.
Tina Kavčič
mine is Can I come back
Tim Balme
I love you, Bruce.
You will never know how many times this music has saved me :)
Shaila Smith
Wow this is so clever and the music is so melodic. You should make more artsy videos for your music. BTW Don't listen to anyone being negative, your so unique and have such an authentically original sound. Do it for yourself. If you enjoy making music, don't let others tell you what to do. You have the say. You have the power. Use it wisely. Your doing great so far. I enjoy your music so yeah keep up the inspiration.