The easy path attracts a lot of people.
Melbourne based singer-songwriter Ali Barter is not one of them.
In these on-demand times of overhyped pop idols and dubiously talented Internet sensations, Ali possesses the natural chops to have garnered instant attention years ago. But the classically trained soprano, with a decade of choral experience, abruptly quit music in her late teens to become a self-proclaimed 'ragbag' and itinerant world traveller.
Having been exposed to a pantheon of 20th Century musical genius in her upbringing - Frank Sinatra, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Patsy Cline - she credits the brilliant, notoriously tortured Cat Power with providing the spark that re-ignited her original passion.
Raised by a Buddhist mother and a Catholic father in a Jewish neighbourhood (all whilst attending a Methodist school), she found herself craving the 'sense of community' she observed in all the above religions. At long last, in the late 2000s, she 'found it in music' - the timeless last refuge of the vagabond since time immemorial. As a result; the stakes were always going to be too high for taking short cuts.
Ali embraced the hard graft of the generally glamour-free open-mic circuit. She threw herself into the solitary interior enterprise of writing her own songs and painstakingly practicing her own unique style of guitar playing, recording her debut EP 'Trip' in 2012 with local producer MATIK. The EP caught the attention of national radio broadcaster triple j and earned Ali a coveted spot at the 2013 Laneway Festival in Melbourne, and from there she built her following up and down the east coast of Australia, sharing the stage with acts such as The Rubens, Cloud Control, Alpine, High Highs and Holy Holy.
Ali's clear, pure tone has a habit of elevating every note she sings, evoking comparisons to a long list of acclaimed singer songwriters - the afore-mentioned Cat Power, but also Sharon Van Etten and Bat For Lashes.
Now, with her follow up single (a reintroduction, if you like). Entitled 'Community', with it's rolling groove and dusky vocals, this is a rousing, jangling confession; as Barter says, it is a 'surrender to everything that we use to feel a part of the world'.
‘Community’ is taken from Ali’s new EP of the same name which was co-written and produced by Oscar Dawson (one half of folk/rock duo Holy Holy). After meeting in early 2013, the pair performed around Melbourne and embarked on several east-coast sojourns. During this period, Dawson fell in love with the songs, and so the pair began a far-reaching creative collaboration. Says Barter, ‘…I would start playing one of my songs, and Oscar would start playing along… and it was like the other half of the song would just appear. It was like the missing piece of the puzzle.’
Tokyo
ali barter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't I say we disagree
No wrong opinions
No need for apologies
Here in silence
And I'm waiting for the speech
That you never gave to me
What I'm feeling out loud
And you're not that brave
With ----?
I run away
I run away
But I'm not too proud
Where in Tokyo
It's a lonely place for love
Here in building's
Empty streets and empty fucks
You're ambition
Hides your knack for giving up
I guess that's just your luck
I'm afarid to say
What I'm feeling out loud
And you're not that brave
With ----?
I run away
I run away
But I'm not too proud
Not too proud
You and me talk it's all the same
You and me play the archade games
You and me coke and lemonade
You and me play the archade games
You and me talk it's all the same
You and me play the archade games
You and me coke and lemonade
You and me play the archade games
I'm afarid to say
What I'm feeling out loud
And you're not that brave
With ----?
I run away
I run away
But I'm not too proud
Not too proud
I'm afarid to say
What I'm feeling out loud
And you're not that brave
With ----?
I run away
I run away
But I'm not too proud
Not too proud
Ooooh
Ahhhh
The lyrics to Ali Barter's song "Tokyo" explore the theme of failed relationships and the fear of confronting one's feelings. The first verse talks about the disagreement and lack of communication between the two parties. The singer highlights the silence and the disappointment in waiting for the other person to speak up and take responsibility for their actions. The chorus portrays the fear of expressing oneself and the tendency to run away from confronting the issue. Barter paints a picture of a lonely place, Tokyo, where love is difficult to find, and where the streets are empty and void of connections. The second verse is a reflection of the lack of effort and ambition from the other person, which leads to giving up, and the last line suggests that this is their fate.
The chorus is repeated twice, with a bridge in between. The bridge is a list of activities, suggesting that the relationship is predictable and unfulfilling, and that the only place where there is any fun or engagement is in the games they play together.
Overall, the song is a reflection of a stagnant and disconnected relationship, where the fear of confronting the issues and the lack of effort from both parties lead to inevitable failure.
Line by Line Meaning
Didn't I call it
I predicted this outcome
Didn't I say we disagree
We have different opinions
No wrong opinions
No opinion is inherently wrong
No need for apologies
No need to apologize for having opinions
Here in silence
We're not communicating
And I'm waiting for the speech
I'm waiting for you to talk
That you never gave to me
You never told me what you think
I'm afraid to say
I'm scared of expressing
What I'm feeling out loud
How I truly feel
And you're not that brave
You're also scared of communicating
With ----?
With stating your true feelings
I run away
I avoid the confrontation
But I'm not too proud
But I know I should face it
Where in Tokyo
Location is in Tokyo
It's a lonely place for love
Tokyo is a place where love is hard to find
Here in building's
In the building's vicinity
Empty streets and empty fucks
Lonely streets, meaningless relationships
You're ambition
Your drive to succeed
Hides your knack for giving up
Masks your tendency to quit
I guess that's just your luck
That's just how it turned out for you
You and me talk it's all the same
Our conversations are repetitive
You and me play the arcade games
We distract ourselves with games
You and me coke and lemonade
We indulge in simple pleasures
I'm afraid to say
I'm scared of expressing
What I'm feeling out loud
How I truly feel
But I'm not too proud
But I know I should face it
Ooooh
Vocalization
Ahhhh
Vocalization
Contributed by Leo K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@patakanz
I love this song. Such a faithful rendition of the studio version too. I have to say, as a drummer myself I really rate this drummer. Metronomically timed beat, great dynamics, and I just love his fluid and relaxed style.
@justinolive6171
That intro was so Australian.
@teresedrew9540
so sad i didnt get to see her