Since becoming the youngest performer ever to appear at the venerable Stanley Blues Festival in 2000 at the tender age of 15, Winterville frontman Peter Shoulder has acquired a formidable reputation as one of the countrys leading exponents of the electric blues guitar. Indeed one critic who saw that now legendary performance was moved to comment: -
"I saw Clapton at 17 and this guy is better".
His precocious talent also led to recognition in the US where in 2003 young Peter was asked to write and perform on 3 songs for what tragically turned out to be the final record in the long career of Blues Hall of Famer Little Milton. The album "Think of Me" was released in May 2005. Shoulders work on the album was subsequently recognised in late 2005 when along with his co-writers, he was nominated for a Blues Music Award for song of the year.
Along with drummer Mario Goossens and bassist Joss Clapp, Shoulder formed Winterville in September 2003.
The band have deliberately and studiously avoided jumping on any of the prevailing musical bandwagons, and instead have set out to remain true to their beliefs whilst exploring all of their musical influences whether it be the blues boom of 60s, the classic rock of the 70s, the Seattle sound of the early 90s or indeed contemporary alternative music from both sides of The Atlantic. As a consequence both their recordings and their live shows demonstrate an unusual and eclectic mix of styles, that is nonetheless rooted in Classic British Blues Rock.
Right from the beginning, the band hit the road, and they have been rapidly building an army of devoted followers ever since. Their live shows too have garnered some serious plaudits, as the band have followed a policy of turning up anywhere, anytime and with anyone who will have them, playing with artists as diverse as Old School rockers "Thin Lizzy" through Indie darlings "The Future Kings of Spain" to punk rockers "The Dogs".
"One of the best bands Ive ever seen? Yes. A band that gets better everytime you see them? Yes. The next big thing? I certainly hope so". - Powerplay July 2005
Refreshingly, Wintervilles awesome live reputation is based not on their ability to wear the right clothes, nor do they follow the current vogue for shambolic musical incompetence at live shows, rather their incendiary musical performances hark back to the classic British bands of the 60s and 70s, with echoes of Black Sabbath, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Free and their contemporaries.
These influences were noted by Metal Hammer in the bands first major magazine feature:
"The legacies of such classic artists as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Cream and Black Sabbath seem to have been all but forgotten by the very country that spawned them in the first place! Enter young Durham based trio Winterville, who are single-handedly making a bid to put the UK back on the heavy rock map" - Metal Hammer - June 2005
From the opening sledgehammer riff of "Breathe", through to the haunting and affecting Jeff Buckleyesque closer "Someday Soon", Everything In Moderation is that rarest of finds, an album made not to please a hungry marketing machine nor to fit neatly into current radio formats, but a record made by young people who thrill in the joy of challenging themselves musically, and who seek to delight and captivate the listener, neither patronising nor boring them. Out and out rockers like "Shotgun Smile" and "Nobody" sit easily alongside the percussively accoustic "Nothing", the bluesy sleaze of "Last Legs" and the rousingly catchy "My Angels".
Winterville - The next Great British Rock 'n' Roll band. It's about time.
Taken from www.myspace.com/winterville
Nobody
Winterville Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Painted smiles, holding me down as I slipped from sight
So where are you now, I need you so much, my friends with the judas touch
So go, go hide your head, for now I see that..
Nobody loves you when you fall
See all their backs against the wall
No one has the heart
Scared, paranoid, breaking our backs just to stand up straight
While all along, we both know how much you owe me
But no, go hide your head
Pretend that you're dead cos
Nobody loves you when you fall
Nobody does so fuck you all
No one has the heart
So find it in yourself
So where, where are you now, I need you so much, my friends with the judas touch
So go, go hide your head, no need to explain cos
Nobody loves you when you fall
See all their backs against the wall
No one has the heart
So find it in yourself
So where, where are you now, I need you so much, my friends with the judas touch
So go, go hide your head, no need to explain cos
Nobody loves you when you fall
See all their backs against the wall
No one has the heart
So find it in yourself
The lyrics of Winterville's "Nobody" convey a sense of betrayal and abandonment by someone who was a friend but turned out to have a "Judas touch", meaning they betrayed the singer in some way. The first stanza paints a picture of the singer struggling to climb to the top and feeling weighed down by someone who pretended to be a friend. The second stanza implies that the singer did a lot for this person, but now they're scared, paranoid, and unwilling to help. The chorus emphasizes the point that when you fall, nobody loves you and everyone turns their back on you, leaving you to find the strength to pick yourself up.
The bridge clarifies that the singer is addressing this former friend directly and questioning where they are now when they're needed. The song ends with a statement of empowerment, saying that the singer will find the strength to keep going even when nobody else is there.
Overall, "Nobody" is a song about disappointment, but also about resilience and self-love. It's about the pain of being let down by someone you trusted, but also the realization that ultimately you have to rely on yourself to get back up and keep going.
Line by Line Meaning
Climbed so high, reaching the top with the weight of your
You achieved great success, but it was at a cost to others around you.
Painted smiles, holding me down as I slipped from sight
Your fake happiness and support actually hindered me when I needed help.
So where are you now, I need you so much, my friends with the judas touch
I trusted you and now I need your help, but I realize that you are not true friends and have betrayed me.
So go, go hide your head, for now I see that..
You are ashamed of your actions towards me, now that I have seen through your deception.
Nobody loves you when you fall
When you are in a vulnerable position, no one will care for you.
See all their backs against the wall
Everyone will turn their backs on you when you are in trouble.
No one has the heart
People lack compassion and empathy for those in need.
So find it in yourself
You must rely on your own strength and resilience to get through tough times.
Scared, paranoid, breaking our backs just to stand up straight
We are struggling and fearful, putting in a lot of effort just to maintain our composure and stay afloat.
While all along, we both know how much you owe me
Despite our struggles, you still owe me for what you have done to hurt me and hold me back.
Pretend that you're dead cos
You are so ashamed of your actions that you prefer to disappear and be out of sight.
Nobody does so fuck you all
No one cares about me, so I have no regard for any of you either.
So where, where are you now, I need you so much, my friends with the judas touch
Despite your betrayal, I still need you, but recognize that you are friends like Judas who betrayed Jesus.
No need to explain cos
I already know what you have done and no explanation will suffice.
Contributed by Jasmine O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.