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.
Run For Those Hills Babe
Tom Rosenthal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let go of the dark days
Let go of the world
Make it all up as you dance along
Just like we all have done
For all of our lives
The seas the shores
It's like you've only just arrived
Dive in, the water might be lovely
Go keen and go boldly
Go wherever they sing
It all comes, it all comes when
It wants to, not when you want it to
At the strangest times
The kingdom is yours
The seas the shores
It's like you've only just arrived
Unknown is king
Your eyes will bring
All you need to survive
Let's go, half an ear on the radio
Life was made moons ago
Somehwere behind those skies
Run for, run for those hills babe
Let go of the dark days
Let go of the world
The song "Run For Those Hills Babe" by Tom Rosenthal is a motivating and inspiring piece about letting go of the negative aspects of life and diving into the unknown world. The song opens with a call to action to the listener to run towards the hills, leaving behind the darkness of the past days and the world. Rosenthal uses the metaphor of dancing to convey the motivational aspect of the song, urging the listener to make up their own progress, just like everyone else has done in their lives.
As the song progresses, Rosenthal emphasises the freedom that comes with diving into the unknown, and the powerful feeling of ownership that one can experience in their life. The chorus, "The kingdom is yours, The seas, the shores, It's like you've only just arrived," highlights the notion that life is what the listener makes of it, and that they have ownership of their own destiny.
The third verse of the song takes a turn, acknowledging that everything in life comes when it wants to, not necessarily when the listener wants it to. This verse emphasises the need to be patient, and to know that the good things in life will come as and when they are meant to. The song ends on a triumphant note, with Rosenthal calling the listener to life, "Let's go, half an ear on the radio, Life was made moons ago, Somewhere behind those skies."
Line by Line Meaning
Run for, run for those hills babe
Encouraging someone to leave behind their troubles and escape to a better place
Let go of the dark days
Advice to let go of past negative experiences and move forward
Let go of the world
Advice to forget about the world's problems and focus on oneself
Make it all up as you dance along
Encouragement to live life freely and creatively
Just like we all have done
Acknowledgment that everyone has their own unique life experiences
For all of our lives
Implying that nobody has all the answers and life is a learning experience for everyone
The kingdom is yours
Motivation to take charge of one's life and fulfill their potential
The seas the shores
Encouragement to explore and take risks
It's like you've only just arrived
The world is full of new opportunities and adventures waiting to be discovered
Dive in, the water might be lovely
Encouragement to take chances and try new things
Go keen and go boldly
Advice to be enthusiastic and confident in one's pursuits
Go wherever they sing
Encouragement to follow one's passions and interests
It all comes, it all comes when
Acknowledgment that life can be unpredictable and doesn't always happen on one's schedule
It wants to, not when you want it to
Advice to be patient and let things happen naturally
At the strangest times
Hoping that good things will happen unexpectedly
Unknown is king
Acknowledgment that the future is uncertain and unpredictable
Your eyes will bring
Optimism that one's perspective and attitude will help them overcome obstacles
All you need to survive
Implying that with the right mindset, one can overcome challenges and succeed
Let's go, half an ear on the radio
Suggesting that enjoying the simple things in life can make for a fulfilling experience
Life was made moons ago
Implying that life is a long journey full of twists and turns
Somewhere behind those skies
Mystery and excitement are waiting to be discovered
Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@earthrise
Love this!
@maddierose2680
Planning a tattoo based on this song. It helped me through coming out of drug addiction. It means everything to me. With green hills, and a sunset, and beautiful sunflowers and on it says "Run for those Hills babe."
@georgie3593
Maddie Rose beautiful comment x
@keviouk
Good job Maddie :)
@kostasts2413
hope you win the fight and climb your green hill
@wisnuprabowokaleksanan6550
GBU Maddie
@aleksander6793
Tom is our secret. Dont tell anyone else. Just come here everynight to have chills and go to sleep.
@nic1243
I listen to this and two other songs of his every night.
@lewiscroston8132
+Zipnik this song when your feeling tired , it's ok when your feeling sad and don't you know how busy I am when I'm in a good hyper mood lol
@gerarduntalan7685
I just discovered tom, i know im late but our secret is safe ;)