Early life
Hunt was born in Dayton, Ohio and raised by his single mother. His father, Van Hunt, Sr., was a factory worker and part-time painter, who was a friend of Ohio Players drummer Jimmy "Diamond" Williams. Hunt took up the drums at age 7, and saxophone at the age of 8, later adding bass and keyboards. Guitar was the last instrument he learned to play; he played guitar in a rock band called Royalty. Hunt moved to Texas for a short time before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 to attend Morehouse College, where he studied English, but soon dropped out. In Atlanta, he started producing a few hip-hop demos for Atlanta rappers in order to pay bills. Hunt met up-and-coming record producers and artists like Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri and TLC through his work on demos.
Career
Early career
Hunt wrote and co-produced the song "Hopeless" for singer Dionne Farris, formerly of Arrested Development, and joined her band on guitar and keyboards. "Hopeless" appeared on the soundtrack for the film Love Jones (1997). Hunt co-wrote several songs with Rahsaan Patterson on his album Love in Stereo (1999), and co-wrote with Cree Summer, including the song "Mean Sleep", for her album Street Faërie (1999), produced by Lenny Kravitz. He also collaborated with Joi on the single "Missing You" (2002). Through Dionne Farris, Hunt met A&R person Randy Jackson (who later went on to be a judge on Fox's American Idol). Jackson would become Hunt's manager in 2002.
Capitol Records
Hunt recorded much of the material from his debut album in 2000. Producer Dallas Austin took Hunt's recording to Capitol Records, leading him to sign with the label in 2001. Hunt's first album, Van Hunt, was released in February 2004. The album included the singles "Down Here in Hell (With You)", "Dust", and "Seconds of Pleasure", and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Hunt's second album, On the Jungle Floor, was released in 2006. The album featured the single, "Character," a revisited "Mean Sleep", as a duet with Nikka Costa, and a cover of "No Sense of Crime" by The Stooges. The album was co-produced by Bill Bottrell. Hunt has toured and appeared with Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Boney James, The Roots, Seal, Angie Stone, Coldplay, The Brand New Heavies, the Dave Matthews Band, and Kanye West.
In 2006, Hunt appeared with Nikka Costa on the Sam Moore album, Overnight Sensational, on the song "If I Had No Loot". Hunt was also featured on "Half the Fun", a track on the Count Bass D album, Act Your Waist Size, released on Fat Beats Records.
in 2007, Hunt won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, along with John Legend and Joss Stone, for their cover of the Sly & the Family Stone song, "Family Affair", which appeared on the 2006 tribute album Different Strokes By Different Folks. Hunt described winning the award as "one of the bigger pleasures I've had" to The Athens Blur Magazine in 2009.
Blue Note
Hunt released the 4 track digital EP, The Popular Machine, on August 7, 2007. Hunt announced a full length album, Popular, to be released on Blue Note Records on January 15, 2008. Hunt moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 2007 while the album was nearing completion. Blue Note had taken over Hunt’s recording contract after corporate restructuring at Blue Note and Capitol's parent company, EMI. In December 2007, Blue Note announced that they would not be releasing the album, and that Hunt and the label mutually agreed to part ways. Hunt wrote on his MySpace blog in January 2008, that he couldn't promise that Popular would ever be officially released. Blue Note owns the master recordings and opted not to sell it back to him at an affordable price. Hunt commented that he "didn't think that they had enough money" to promote the album properly. LA Weekly called the album an "appealingly trippy fusion of funk grooves, punk guitar and soul vocals", and "a left-field stunner". Hunt told the Atlanta alternative weekly newspaper Creative Loafing that he was "devastated" when the label decided not to release the album.
Independent
As of June 2008, Hunt was recording a fourth album, which he plans to release himself and market using the Internet. Hunt has blogged about his new approach on his MySpace page. Hunt toured the U.S. in July and August 2008. He released Use In Case Of Emergency, a compilation of demos, remixes and B-sides recorded between 1997 and 2005, through his Web site in May 2009. Hunt has also been working on autobiographical book of short stories titled Tales of Friction. In July 2009, Hunt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he plans to release one more album and tour once more, but doesn't know what his plans are after that. Hunt performed at the National Black Arts Festival's tribute to Curtis Mayfield at Atlanta Symphony Hall on July 16, 2010.
Influences
David Bowie
Serge Gainsbourg
The Isley Brothers
Curtis Mayfield
Thelonious Monk
The Ohio Players
Iggy Pop
Prince
Richard Pryor
Sly Stone
Neil Young
Discography
Albums
Van Hunt (2004), Capitol
On the Jungle Floor (2006), Capitol
Popular (2008) - unreleased studio album
Compilations
Use In Case of Emergency (2009), self-released - collection of outtakes
EPs
Acoustic E.P. (2004), Capitol - digital EP
Napster Sessions (2004), Capitol - digital EP
Connect Set (2006), Capitol - digital EP
The Popular Machine (2007), Blue Note - digital EP
Singles
"Down Here in Hell (With You)" (2004), Capitol
"Dust" (2004), Capitol
"Seconds of Pleasure" (2004), Capitol
"Character" (2006), Capitol
"Being A Girl" (2006), Capitol
Awards and nominations
2005 Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Dust."
2006 Grammy Award win for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Family Affair"
Character
Van Hunt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When it's less than a merry affair
When you communicate through the writing on the wall
There's no love for you there
You wanted to draw a picture
But your relationship could never hold a pose
You're left with a roomful of sketches
Let it out, let it go
Hold back the tears no longer
Let them fall on the floor
Not on your will to be stronger
Who are you
In the face of disappointment?
Where is your character
The one who keeps you going?
The one who keeps you going
Caught you by surprise
How time changes people and places
Would you guard over your ruins like you're doing
If you knew your first kiss was your greatest?
Let it out, let it go
Hold back the tears no longer, listen
When you work too hard to get along
Maybe it's time you moved on
Who are you
When heavy weather is blowing?
Where is your character
The one who keeps you going?
Who are you
When heavy weather is blowing?
Where is your character, baby
The one who keeps you going, going?
The one who keeps you going, going
The one who keeps you going, going
And going, and going, going
The song "Character" by Van Hunt is a soulful reflection on love and disappointment. The first verse describes the difficulty of trying to maintain a happy facade when things aren't going well in a relationship. The imagery of communicating through writing on the wall suggests a sense of distance and lack of intimacy. The chorus urges the listener to let out their emotions, to cry and not hold back in order to find strength in vulnerability.
The second verse elaborates on the theme of failed relationships, with the metaphor of sketches representing the fragments of love that one is left with after a breakup. The line "That only hint at the love you wanted to know" is particularly poignant, encapsulating the feeling of longing for something that never quite materialized. The bridge of the song shifts the focus to the passage of time and the changes it can bring, asking if it's worth holding on to memories even if they are now ruins.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of introspection and self-discovery. The repeated question "Who are you?" prompts the listener to examine their own character, to find the strength to keep moving forward even in the face of disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
Faces have trouble smiling
People find it hard to fake happiness when they are not feeling good
When it's less than a merry affair
When things are not going well
When you communicate through the writing on the wall
When all the signs indicate that something is wrong
There's no love for you there
No one seems to care about you or your situation
You wanted to draw a picture
You wanted to create something beautiful and lasting
But your relationship could never hold a pose
Your romantic relationship was never stable or consistent enough to help you realize your ambitions
You're left with a roomful of sketches
You have a lot of unfinished projects or ideas that you never got to explore fully
That only hint at the love you wanted to know
These projects or ideas represent the love that you wanted to experience but never fully got to
Let it out, let it go
Express your emotions and release them
Hold back the tears no longer
Don't suppress your emotions anymore
Let them fall on the floor
Let the tears flow and don't try to control or conceal them
Not on your will to be stronger
Don't let your tears weaken your resolve to be strong and persevere
Who are you
What is your identity or sense of self
In the face of disappointment?
When things don't work out as you hoped or expected
Where is your character
What qualities of strength or resilience do you possess
The one who keeps you going?
What motivates you to keep moving forward
Caught you by surprise
You were not prepared for the changes or challenges that came your way
How time changes people and places
Time can alter people's personalities and environments
Would you guard over your ruins like you're doing
Are you holding onto the past or trying to preserve something that is no longer functional or relevant
If you knew your first kiss was your greatest?
If you knew that you peaked or had your best experience in the past
Listen
Pay attention and be present in the moment
When you work too hard to get along
When you try too hard to fit in or be accepted by others
Maybe it's time you moved on
Perhaps it's time to let go of that need to belong and focus on your own path
When heavy weather is blowing?
When you are facing difficult circumstances or challenges
Where is your character, baby
What is your inner strength or resilience that keeps you holding on
The one who keeps you going, going?
What motivates you to persist and persevere in the face of adversity
The one who keeps you going, going
What drives you to keep moving forward and not give up
And going, and going, going
And keep going, never give up
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VAN HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Emerick
Faces have trouble smiling
When it's less than a merry affair
When you communicate through the writing on the wall
There's no love for you there
You wanted to draw a picture
But your relationship could never hold a pose
You're left with a roomful of sketches
That only hint at the love you wanted to know
Let it out, let it go
Hold back the tears no longer
Let them fall on the floor
Not on your will to be stronger
Who are you
In the face of disappointment?
Where is your character
The one who keeps you going?
The one who keeps you going
Caught you by surprise
How time changes people and places
Would you guard over your ruins like you're doing
If you knew your first kiss was your greatest?
Let it out, let it go
Hold back the tears no longer, listen
When you work too hard to get along
Maybe it's time you moved on
Who are you
When heavy weather is blowing?
Where is your character
The one who keeps you going?
Who are you
When heavy weather is blowing?
Where is your character, baby
The one who keeps you going, going?
The one who keeps you going, going
The one who keeps you going, going
And going, and going, going
dinibell
Van Hunt is such a talented vocalist and songwriter - he should have a much larger audience.
Ladybugg Luv
Everyone should play this morning inspiration once a day! Take heed of the lyrics and jam to the groove! Awesome!
RazMaTazz Si
🔥🔥🔥🔥
TheyCallMeMrPips
Little Mayfield, little Womack and a whole lot of Prince. I have to admit since this cat dropped years ago I have enjoyed his sound.
lanika scott
You described his sound to a capital T...
TheyCallMeMrPips
I guess I'm showing my age since I'm dropping old school names.
Melinda Honeychild
a whole lotta Mayfield!
TheyCallMeMrPips
Yea. I can think of worse artists to emulate though. So I'll give the cat a break.
D'Sean Lee
Chase Pipkins not a Mayfield fan ?
Samuel Rux
Van Hunt is undiscovered gold!