Mishra, a straight edger and ex-Marxist, often incorporates political concerns in his songs veiled in terms of personal relationships (as in his only hit). After a troubled working relationship with EMI Records, Mishra was dropped from the label in 1997 and since then has gone back to working with indie labels like Parasol Records. His last album, 2000's Peek & Poke, received moderately enthusiastic reviews but sold pitifully compared to his major label work.
In 2005 White Town contributed the song "The PNAC Cabal" to the charity album "Voyces United for UNHCR" (Voyces United for UNHCR (disc 1)).
In October 2006 White Town released a new album, Don't Mention The War on Mishra's own label, Bzangy Records.
Turn Away
White Town Lyrics
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Things would never be the same again
And now you see how I changed
Looks like I can't forget you
Every day goes by
And find myself calling your name
I saw your face in Time today
And it made me afraid
So I try to fill these dull days
With everything I used to hate
All of the things I used to deny
As the years pass by a number
I console myself committing crimes
With I know you'd
I saw your name in the paper today
I saw your name in the paper today
And it made me ashamed
I saw your name in the paper today
I saw your face in Time today
I saw your in school today
I heard your voice in time today
But I turned away
(various noises and laughing) you bastard!
The lyrics of White Town's Turn Away seem to depict the emotional turmoil of the singer. From the very beginning, it is clear that meeting the subject of the song has turned their life around. However, things seem to have taken a turn for the worse, and the singer is now unable to forget about the person, as indicated by the line, "Looks like I can't forget you." The pain of separation is evident in the lyrics when the singer says that they call out the name of the person every day.
The next part of the song seems to be an expression of the singer's attempt to move on. The line "I try to fill these dull days with everything I used to hate" indicates that the singer is trying to distract themselves and get over the person by indulging in things they do not like. However, this is only a temporary respite, and the impact of the person they are trying to forget is still being felt keenly. This is shown by the line "As the years pass by a number, I console myself committing crimes with I know you'd."
The following verses seem to be an attempt by the singer to reconcile with what has happened. The line "I saw your name in the paper today, and it made me ashamed" shows that the singer has seen something related to the person that has made them feel guilty. The rest of the song deals with the singer's struggle to move on, as they try to avoid reminders of the person by turning away.
Line by Line Meaning
I knew from the day I met you
I had a feeling from the very beginning that everything would change after meeting you
Things would never be the same again
My life would be changed forever after meeting you
And now you see how I changed
You can witness the transformation that has taken place in me because of you
Looks like I can't forget you
It seems like I am unable to erase you from my memory
Every day goes by
Time keeps moving forward
And find myself calling your name
I still feel compelled to call out to you, even though you are not here
I saw your face in Time today
I caught a glimpse of your face in a magazine, which invoked a sense of fear in me
And it made me afraid
It generated a feeling of terror within me
So I try to fill these dull days
I attempt to make these monotonous days more interesting
With everything I used to hate
By indulging in activities that I once despised
All of the things I used to deny
Ignoring my past behavior where I didn't accept certain things
As the years pass by a number
The number of years that have gone by
I console myself committing crimes
I find solace in breaking the rules
With I know you'd
I know you would have disapproved
I saw your name in the paper today
I came across your name in the newspaper, which led me to feel ashamed
I saw your face in Time today
Seeing your face in the magazine reminded me of how much I have changed because of you
I saw your in school today
I spotted you in the school, but I turned away, unable to face you
I heard your voice in time today
I could still hear your voice ringing in my ear, even after all these years
But I turned away
Despite everything, I chose to look away and pretend that none of this affected me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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