John Butler was born on April 1, 1975 in Torrance, California, to an Australian father and American mother. He moved to the small Western Australian town of Pinjarra in January 1986, when he was eleven. Butler began playing guitar at the age of sixteen, and by 1996 started his career as a busker in Fremantle, Western Australia. The John Butler Trio was formed in 1998 when Butler was joined by Gavin Shoesmith on bass and Jason McGann on drums, and by the end of that year had recorded their debut album John Butler.
They then released Three in 2001, Sunrise Over Sea in 2004 and Grand National in 2007, all of which were certified platinum.
In June 2009, a new line up of the ever evolving John Butler Trio emerged. Prominent Melbourne musician Nicky Bomba of Bomba fame and principal drummer on Sunrise Over Sea joined the band on drums and percussion, as did bass player Byron Luiters from Sydney outfit Ray Mann Three.
The latest album entitled April Uprising came from a journey John Butler undertook for the ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ TV series. He traces the Butler name through generations of hardship to a matriarch who sang for her survival and follows his Bulgarian ancestry to a forebear caught up in a violent revolt called the April Uprising. The recording process for the new album was shared with avid followers via a special studio sessions page on the band’s website.
John Butler comments on the forthcoming new album,
“The whole rehearsal and recording process so far has been a lot of fun and very gratifying. I feel the sounds and general spirit and energy of this album are best summed up in the words – free, melodic, funky, phat and rocking. There’s definitely a certain attitude that comes across on the album. Perhaps there’s a conviction, in a song writing and production sense, that I haven’t tapped into so much on earlier works that seems to be more prevalent on April Uprising. There’s chemistry and language that Nicky, Byron and I have found that really compliments these songs in all their different facets”.
Caroline
The John Butler Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got what you want do you got what you need?
Til one day you see something you cannot bear
Telling you girl yes you better beware
Her papa loved her so much you could see
Loved her too much if you know what I mean
So she left home young yes she moved down to town
She played it hard and yes she played it rough
Made her feel safe and it made her feel tough
And rock by rock she built those walls everyday
Built herself a tower so far away
From up high in that castle
She knew no one could get too close to touch
And if life and death were such a game why did they all make such a fuss?
And if birds could fly high over their troubles
She's gonna find some of her own wings and fly
And no one can convince or pay her double or tell her she was too young to die
Ohhh Caroline, Caroline
Ohhh Caroline, Caroline
Ohhh Caroline, Caroline, Caroline, Caroline, Caroline, Caroline
The John Butler Trio’s song “Caroline” tells the story of a young woman who leaves her family for the city in search of love, but ultimately ends up building walls around herself to protect her from the world. The first verse describes how she’s blinded to the reality of her circumstances despite having everything she wants. However, one day she sees something that she cannot bear, which implies that she’s not as unaware as she may seem. The second verse reveals the reason for her departure from home: her father loved her too much, implying that it may have been an unhealthy love. She moves to the city to look for love and safety, but she ends up playing it hard and rough, building herself a tower of safety. In the chorus, Caroline’s name is repeated as if she’s haunting somebody’s thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
Got your eyes open but you cannot see
You look like you're aware of everything, but you lack true perspective.
Got what you want do you got what you need?
You have everything you've ever wanted, but is that really enough?
Til one day you see something you cannot bear
One day you will see something that you'll find unbearable, even with all you've got.
Telling you girl yes you better beware
That something will lead you to a realization that you need to be more cautious.
Her papa loved her so much you could see
Her father loved her, but it was too much to the point of obsession.
Loved her too much if you know what I mean
He loved her so much that it became unhealthy, and there was a thin line between love and possession.
So she left home young, yes she moved down to town
She left home early and moved to the city in search of something, to escape from her father's love and control.
Looking for love that she never found
Despite her efforts, she never really found the love that she was looking for.
She played it hard and yes she played it rough
She went through tough and difficult experiences to get what she wanted.
Made her feel safe and it made her feel tough
The challenges she faced made her feel stronger and more secure.
And rock by rock she built those walls everyday
She built walls around herself over time, block by block, to protect herself from getting hurt.
Built herself a tower so far away
She created a fortress so that nobody could come too close to her or hurt her.
From up high in that castle
Looking down from her high perch, she was isolated and closed off from the rest of the world.
She knew no one could get too close to touch
She was confident that nobody could reach her or break the walls she had built.
And if life and death were such a game why did they all make such a fuss?
She questioned why people get so worked up about life and death since it's all just part of the game.
And if birds could fly high over their troubles
If only it were as easy as it is for birds to fly over their problems and leave them behind.
She's gonna find some of her own wings and fly
She needs to find her own way of dealing with her troubles and overcoming her obstacles.
And no one can convince or pay her double or tell her she was too young to die
She won't listen to anyone or change her mind, and she's not afraid to take risks or face danger.
Ohhh Caroline, Caroline
A nod to the girl of the story, Caroline.
Ohhh Caroline, Caroline
A repetition of the previous line, perhaps to emphasize her name or importance to the story.
Ohhh Caroline, Caroline, Caroline, Caroline, Caroline, Caroline
Repetition of the chorus to create a lasting impact and drive home the song's message.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN CHARLES WILTSHIRE BUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind