Turin Brakes has been compared to many of the New Acoustic Movement's bands spawned in the late 90s such as Elbow, Starsailor, I Am Kloot (who were a support band for Turin Brakes on their Ether Song tour) and the Norwegian band the Kings of Convenience.
Their debut album "The Optimist LP" (2001) was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year. In 2003 "Ether Song" got to #3 in the UK album charts and spawned a Top 5 single "Pain Killer". Further commercial success was not achieved. In 2005 "JackInABox" meant some sort of return to the first album, but this time with more production and a more diverse sound. Again the critics loved it, but the buying public seemed not to. It got to no. 9 in its first week (without a hit single - "Fishing For A Dream" got to #35), but had no further commercial success. This might have been the effect of the decision by the band and the record company to take the slow path (doing just a short UK tour and not doing as much promotion as they used to), so that Olly Knights (the singer) could also focus on his new family life.
In the summer of 2005 the boys toured the USA and Canada, followed by an acoustic tour taking the band to Germany, The Netherlands and Italy. 2005 ended with a longer acoustic UK tour, of which the closing night in the Palladium in London was recorded and released as a download only live album the day after. The album sold quite well on iTunes, riding the top of the download charts in several countries.
The band spent the first half of 2006 writing new songs, occasionally performing both new and old work at small gigs across the UK. The band did an intimate tour in November 2006 to try out new material. In January 2007 the band entered a small studio in London to record their 4th album with producer Ethan Johns. After three weeks the band took a break (on January 29th Gale's wife gave birth to a daughter), but the sessions were resumed several weeks later in a bigger studio (also in London). On the last day of March 2007 the band announced that they had finished the recording sessions, and recorded 17 songs.
Their 2007 album, "Dark on Fire", was preceded by a download-only single "Stalker".
The band released their 5th studio album in March 2010 titled "Outbursts".
Their sixth album, We Were Here, was released 30 September 2013, and their seventh album Lost Property (recorded at Rockfield Studios with producer Ali Staton) was released on 29 January 2016.
On 26 January 2018 the band released their eighth album Invisible Storm.
Little Brother
Turin Brakes Lyrics
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My little brother
All that you'd been through
A lifetime
So cling on, cling on, cling on to me my little brother
And we'll laugh at the grand scheme of things.
Burned yourself down to the ground
You're losing it, I couldn't tell
Till you hung yourself
You hurt yourself, you burned the bridge
mole-hills turned to mountains in your way
I.ve been there, in solitude
but i could never save you that day
You got lost in the grand scheme of things
Burned yourself down to the ground
You picked me out from a crowd
You're losing it, I couldn't tell
Till you hung yourself
But you are keeping me breathibg
Your voice is keeping me moving
There was a way out of this mess
Plenty of time, find a new place
Catch you some sunshine for you're face
We were running on..empty
You killed yourself, but i was sleeping.
The song "Little Brother" by Turin Brakes is a heartfelt and sympathetic message to a beloved sibling who is going through a difficult time. The opening lyrics implore the little brother to relax and find comfort in the arms of his elder sibling, acknowledging everything that he must have been through in his lifetime. The chorus provides a sense of comfort, urging the little brother to hold on tight while they both laugh at the grand scheme of things, indicating a belief that they will overcome their struggles together.
The lyrics of the second verse allude to the little brother's emotional pain and suggest that he may have contemplated suicide. The line "till you hung yourself" is a stark and shocking reminder of the severity of the situation. The sibling acknowledges that the little brother's problems may have been caused by his own self-destructive behavior, such as burning bridges and creating insurmountable problems out of minor issues. However, there is an underlying sense of guilt that the singer was unable to save his brother despite having gone through his own struggles before. The final lyrics offer a mournful acceptance of the little brother's death and the realization of the singer's own responsibility in not being able to help him.
Line by Line Meaning
Relax, relax, relax
Take a deep breath and calm down
My little brother
Addressing someone close to you, in a protective and affectionate way
All that you'd been through
Acknowledging the person's past struggles and difficulties
A lifetime
A metaphor for a long time, implying the person has been through a lot
So cling on, cling on, cling on to me my little brother
Encouraging the person to hold on to the artist for support and comfort
And we'll laugh at the grand scheme of things.
Despite life's hardships, the singer wants to find joy and humor in the bigger picture
Burned yourself down to the ground
The person self-destructed, hit rock bottom
You picked me out from a crowd
In the past, the person reached out to the artist for help
You're losing it, I couldn't tell
The person was struggling internally, but didn't show it outwardly
Till you hung yourself
The person took their own life, possibly unexpectedly
You hurt yourself, you burned the bridge
The person engaged in self-destructive behavior and damaged relationships
mole-hills turned to mountains in your way
Small problems became overwhelming for the person
I've been there, in solitude
The singer has experienced similar struggles and isolation
but I could never save you that day
Despite wanting to help, the singer couldn't prevent the person's suicide
You got lost in the grand scheme of things
The person's life became lost among bigger, more complex issues
But you are keeping me breathing
Despite the person's death, their memory is still important and sustains the artist
Your voice is keeping me moving
The person's words and legacy still inspire and motivate the artist
There was a way out of this mess
There were alternatives and options that the person may not have seen
Plenty of time, find a new place
There was still hope and opportunity for a fresh start
Catch you some sunshine for your face
Encouraging the person to find happiness and joy
We were running on..empty
Both the person and the artist were struggling and exhausted
You killed yourself, but I was sleeping.
The artist didn't recognize the person's pain and struggle until it was too late
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: OLIVER KNIGHTS, GALE PARIDJANIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind