Once hailed as “Britain’s Best Unknown Songwriter”, Tom Rosenthal is an independent singer-songwriter with a knack for sweet, folksy tunes. Rosenthal has produced a host of LPs and EPs, notably two albums dedicated to his daughters: Bess and Fenn. Notable EPs are the The Pleasant Trees series (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol.3), and one of his 2018 releases, Don’t Die Curious.
Rosenthal has released 6 albums to date, all of them self-released on his own label Tinpot Records. Keep a Private Room Behind the Shop was released in 2011, and the latest is Denis Was A Bird in 2021, written about his father's death. His songs have had over 350 million streams on Spotify.
Rosenthal's makes videos for his songs that he posts on YouTube and Vimeo. Tom Rosenthal’s presence in the YouTube community–such as through collaborative songs with dodie, Savannah Brown, or Will Darbyshire feeds into his success in the music industry. Rosenthal’s personal channel features series of vlogs, the first of which spanned March and April 2017, with a second series running through the latter half of 2017; and a large collection of songs (music videos, lyrics videos, acoustic performances, etc.). With a growing online following, Rosenthal sees social media as a fruitful alternative to dependence on traditional record labels.
Rosenthal's music has been used on television soundtracks. "Forgets Slowly", "Lights on But Nobody's Home", and "Take Care" featured in the Skins episode "Alo". "Go Solo" was featured on the soundtrack of the German film Head Full of Honey (2014), the documentary Kid Poker (2015), the NFL documentary Hard Knocks, the film trailer for Felix and Meira, and the Netflix documentary The Least Expected Day: Inside the Movistar Team 2019. "It's OK" features on the film trailers for Comet (2014),[ Anesthesia (2014). and L'odyssée (2016). From 2016 through to 2018 his songs It's OK and Woes have been used on Neighbours.
Rosenthal's song "Go Solo" featured in a TV commercial for the Renault Zoe E-TRON in 2021 and in a 2022 episode of the NBC drama series New Amsterdam.
Rosenthal played his first concert at St Pancras Old Church on Wednesday 13 March 2019, followed by a tour around Europe and a gig at Union Chapel, with over 40 concerts in 2019.
Rosenthal is also known as Edith Whiskers. This started when his cover version on the single "Home", recorded in 2015, went viral on the social media platform TikTok in 2020. Edith Whiskers is depicted as an older lady, that "Edith enjoys long hot baths, a spot of beekeeping and the occasional bike ride." Rosenthal released the song as a single on October 16, 2020 and on a covers album titled Stop Stealing the Covers. "Home" was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2023.
Middle of My Mind
Tom Rosenthal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was there with you somehow, somehow
Windows in the sun, I think I can see you,
The light is on the run and it's going nowhere.
Hello to you
Did you ever know that you were in the middle of my mind?
I could never figure out why you were so hard to find
You were in the sand, dancing forever
I was there with you, somehow somehow
Hello to you
Did you ever know that you were in the middle of my mind?
Hello to you
I could never figure out why you were so hard to find.
You were on the street, striding to somewhere.
Life is at your feet, and I think I'm there.
Hello to you
Did you ever know that you were in the middle of my mind?
Hello to you
I could never figure out why you were so hard to find
The opening line of Tom Rosenthal's song "Middle Of My Mind" depicts an intimacy that strikes the listener. The use of the past continuous tense ("You were in the flow of things") suggests that the singer is reminiscing about an event in which the person was present, and the singer feels a connection to this individual even though he or she is no longer there ("I was there with you somehow, somehow"). The next two lines portray a vivid and colorful image of a hot summer day, and the singer sees the person through the window. The light is in motion, but it does not have a destination, creating a sense of being stuck in time, stuck in the past, and the person's image will stay with the singer forever. The singer then extends a warm greeting ("Hello to you") before confessing that this person has been occupying a significant space in his or her mind for some time.
The rest of the song follows the same pattern, with the singer observing the person while they are dancing on the sand or walking on the street, and the recurring chorus urging the person to realize their place in the singer's mind. The lyrics capture the essence of a relationship that could either be an unrequited love, a friendship that faded, or a memory of a lost relative. But no matter how the listeners interpret the song's message, the lyrics successfully conveys the recurrent hope and longing associated with memories of past relationships that once meant something.
Line by Line Meaning
You were in the flow of things, don't you know
You were effortlessly moving along with the current of life.
I was there with you somehow, somehow
Although you were unaware, I was present in your journey through life.
Windows in the sun, I think I can see you,
Amidst the brightness of the world, I catch glimpses of you.
The light is on the run and it's going nowhere.
The elusive nature of existence is reflected in the fleeting qualities of light.
Hello to you
Greetings to you.
Did you ever know that you were in the middle of my mind?
Were you ever aware of how prominently you existed in my thoughts?
I could never figure out why you were so hard to find
I could never discern why it was so challenging to truly connect with you.
You were in the sand, dancing forever
You were consumed in the moment, reveling in a seemingly endless joy.
You were on the street, striding to somewhere.
You appeared to be confidently forging ahead towards a destination.
Life is at your feet, and I think I'm there.
You possess a strong sense of control over your life, and I feel like I am a part of it.
Contributed by Alexander O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Malaïka Rochon
You were in the flow of things, don't you know
I was there with you somehow, somehow
Windows in the sun, I think I can see you,
The light is on the run and it's going nowhere.
Hello to you
Did you ever know that you were in the middle of my mind?
Hello to you
I could never figure out why you were so hard to find
You were in the sand, dancing forever
I was there with you, somehow somehow
Hello to you
Did you ever know that you were in the middle of my mind?
Hello to you
I could never figure out why you were so hard to find.
You were on the street, striding to somewhere.
Life is at your feet, and I think I'm there.
Hello to you
Did you ever know that you were in the middle of my mind?
Hello to you
I could never figure out why you were so hard to find
doddleoddle
This is my absolute favourite
J.F. Kennedee
Dodie!! Nice to see you here. :)
Emma Brier
Same dodie it is the most beautiful song
maisie
ah dodie what a nice surprise to see you here
Dizzula
+doddleoddle I do love this, but I prefer Years Years Bears :)
Kristina
you led me to let it be, which led me to tom rosenthal, which led me to this song, which led me back to you : )
Allen Lu
There aren't any words that can describe how beautiful this is.
Cliffy mcgiffy
+Allen Lu yes there is! SHIT XD just kidding, it's really breathtaking.
kind regards,
CLIFF
Supremacy
There are, they're in the Middle of your Mind. =)
diana chamorro
@Cliffy mcgiffy v