James Blunt & Reading the Subtext
I read an interesting article on James Blunt, “The Blunt Life” written by Austin Scaggs for Rolling Stone Magazine (an October, 2007 issue). I was moved by it. But probably not in the way intended.
I don’t know why I was surprised, but this James Blunt guy that my daughter listens to singing those sweet heart-breaking love songs is quite the hedonist. I think he’s talented and I do like a couple of his songs. My favorite one is “Goodbye My Lover“. That one pulled my heart right out the first time I heard it. Sing that at my funeral Lisa. Anyway… back to my point. Blunt lives full-time on Ibiza, the Spanish isle in the Mediterranean, the world-renowned “bacchanalian paradise“, where “Ecstasy-fueled parties rage on well past sunrise“. Scaggs met up with Blunt and his friends already wired and getting ready for the night-long party, drinking vodka and beer. This pre-gaming was just the beginning of a “bizarre, drugged-up journey, which began hours ago with drinks“. Although the winters die down and Blunt turns more seriously to writing his songs, “the wild summers afford Blunt his other favorite pastime: partying like a depraved animal.” One of his songs, “1973“, was inspired while Blunt was still “shitfaced outside the legendary club Pacha“. The club they went to that night was wild and loud and things turned into a frenzy “as the drugs kicked in“. He’s considered “a pro in this manner of debauchery“. This party went on until 9am. Then they went back to a pool-side Cabana and the party lingered on until 2pm. Blunt enjoys “pushing the limits of his endurance (he hardly sleeps) and testing his psychological threshold (he enjoys his drugs).” Even though Spanish is the language spoken on Ibiza, he’s only learned one sentence, which is the Spanish for “Please wear a condom!” … “most likely through hearing it repeated so often“. Scaggs overhears Blunt tell someone, “Yes, in fact I am a sex-addict.” He plans on maybe slowing down in about five years, but for now he’s going to play hard. I found all this very, very interesting. Don’t you?
But what I found most interesting was a subtext I detected… I think. Something else is going on. I didn’t realize this, but the song which made Blunt rich and famous, “Beautiful“, is actually written about an experience he had where he met an old girlfriend on a bus, and it tore his heart out. Scaggs noticed a photo of a stunningly beautiful young woman on Blunt’s mantel. Scaggs asked Blunt who it was. “An ex“, Blunt responded. But Scaggs finds out it was her… the “Beautiful” girl. Blunt couldn’t seem to talk about it. “It obviously affected me. It’s a bit heavy.” And in all the talk about girls and models and sex, Blunt admits that he doesn’t like to go home alone.
When I finished the article, I was sadly struck by the possibility that this guy’s heart has been broken by Beautiful. He’s spending his life, pouring it out, because her absence has ripped a hole in his heart and nothing can seem to repair it. He can’t eat. He can’t sleep. He numbs himself all the night long and surrounds himself with people all day. He still loves Beautiful! My heart breaks for him. I like him. And I have a deeper appreciation for his music now. But I don’t know, maybe I’m exposing more of my own romanticism. Ya. That’s probably it. Never mind.
This is a painting I did recently titled “Separated Friends“, available in my eBay store.
art, beauty, james blunt, love, music, naked pastor, rollingstone Share This
Just started reading your blog recently. This painting may well be my favorite one so far. Beautiful.
Blunt has spun that story about who inspired his Beautiful song about quite a few different ex-s.
“In the same interview Blunt said that he has told at least five or ten women that he has known previously and wanted to sleep with that he had written the song with them in mind. He went on to say that the line worked more often than not and that he has no guilt about lying to any of them about it.”
I did a Google search and found 3 different stories that sound a lot like the one you mention here. One thought it was a Dixie-someone, another an ex named Camilla, and another mentioned that Blunt didn’t actually write the song. Dunno what the truth actually is. I tend to be a cynic and doubt that he’s had any particular breakup that was particularly devastating to him. Both the Dixie and Camilla relationships were broken up after Blunt was banging/dating other women.
I think you’ve hit on something pretty key here, David. I wonder how many of us spend life dislocated from what really matters, and thereby live a pretense? ‘Beautiful’ is certainly a pretty striking song, but ‘Soul mate’ by Natasha Beddingfield picks up on this whole issue in a even more direct manner (Natasha’s latest album - ‘ N B ‘, has some very thought provoking songs, including ‘Still Here’, which really resonates personally).
Sometimes, it seems, that love is the thing which can shock or undo us the most. In some cases, it takes nothing short of a miracle to allow a person to become vaunerable enough to really love in return.
very good naked sir. enjoyed that.
I really like James Blunt. Like you, I think “Goodbye My Lover” is a real tear-jerker if you pay attention to the lyrics and probably his best on that album. “No Bravery” is also touching; I know an 80-something World War II veteran, sadly now suffering with Parkinson’s Disease, and it puts me in mind of him every time.
I must admit I was slightly troubled by the track “I Really Want You” on the new album when I realised he seems to be singing to or about god!
It’s still a good track though. I prefer the first album. He had more to say back then.
It’s the troubled that are often the most artistic and creative among us, don’t you think?
man… that voice… drives me insane… like sandpaper on infected eardrums!
i find it hard to feel too sorry for him while he continues to foist his dog scaring high octave screeching on the world. maybe the next album will be him lamenting the loss of any real material… that’s his true sadness.
i’m in a really bad mood tonight! a week of hard drive death… lost work… questioning the point of it all etc… i come here to my little place of solace and you’re all going on about how good james blunt is… just when i thought the week couldn’t get any worse!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that helped.
natasha beddingfield seems pretty clever for a pop star. and she can sing. ‘these words’ is a cracking little ditty.
thought i’d end on a more positive note.
np. what you’ve done with the greeny blue in your watercolour is stunning! the way the paler shade zings out is magical. i keep on scrolling back to the top of the page to have another look… that colour really is astonishing. thanks!
I like James Blunt, to a point. I find some of his lyrics don’t really gel with me specifically because I’m not in the drug-taking party scene. So when he sings about drugs I don’t really relate. However, some of his music hits me right in the heart.
From the new album there’s a song (I’ll Take Everything) with very odd lyrics:
Oh these feet carry me far. Oh my body. Oh so tired.
Mouth is dry. Hardly speak. Holy Spirit rise in me.
Here I swear, forever is just a minute to me.
Now those lines DO gel with me. There are some times that it explains exactly how I feel.
I think James’ lyrics are written mostly from a place of hurt. Yes, some of them are probably drug-induced. Some are definitely drug-induced. There was a time I would have frowned deeply and stopped listening because of that. But now I hear lyrics like those from Give Me Some Love:
Why don’t you give me some love
I’ve taken s*** loads of drugs
I’m so tired of never fixing the pain
Valium said to me, I’ll take you seriously
And we’ll come back as someone else
Who’s better than yourself
and think “That just explains it all, doesn’t it?” In a life without God I would probably try endless partying and taking drugs too if I had that much pain underneath and something promised to numb it for a while. I don’t know that “Beautiful” is the one who caused the pain - I think a lot of it has to do with his deployment as a soldier. He admits that he saw some things he’d much rather forget. Regardless where it comes from, he is a person full of hurt, and that’s the place where most of his music seems to spring from. I can appreciate that. And I can appreciate the artistry.
However, my husband hates listening to him he says it makes him want to slit his wrists. That’s the other side of the coin - too much Blunt could actually help depression along quite well. There are no happy endings in his music.
I think we are looking at the life of an addict. His words describe a restless, discontent, and irritable man. I happen to believe that beauty is the highest ethic because morality seems to dwell in hypocrisy and judgement which steal away beauty.
What’s the point of any struggle unless it is to preserve what is beautiful? And I’m not talking about beauty pageant definitions but the beauty that transcends reason and pierces right past our defenses. Its the beauty we might call love or any number of names.
James Blunt may be mourning the loss of beauty and seems to sing about the loss of hope in some kind of rationalization that he’s being honest. I’m kind of in the Scott Peck camp around this and would say its a form of laziness. I’m not stating it as a moral failure, but as a dead solution.
In the absence of rational solutions I believe we all have the choice between hope and despair. I see no solutions coming out of despair. One of the sources for despair, for me, has been a state of being self centered. Everything from playing the martyr or the victim, to playing the saviour and the hero. Each offering loneliness and a form of isolation. One being less than human and the other being more than human.
Maybe drugs and sex are the only thing keeping him alive? I don’t know, but I have lived in the places he sings about. And they certainly lead to a form of death that I am not anxious to re-live.
thanks for the post.
i dont know james blunt but then search the internet for his music and im loving it. i already heard most of his song but not familiar with the singer.
“behind the curtain of success there lies the misery and pain”
what is this? james blunt wins another convert to his insufferably miserable pop dross! aaaagh! my heart is breaking now! …please np, spare me, i beg of you, write another post!
Just came back to read your blog after some absence, how you have venture into the unknown, oh my oh my you’ve lost it this time. np get a grip!
Read what people in the UK and Amazon.co.uk think about Mr Blunt…
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/02/james_blunt_amazons_revenge/
I think the drug most often used by James Blunt is helium and that’s why his voice sounds like that.
Just a theory
I want to lol at that comment, but my Inner Pedant is screaming “Helium is an element, not a drug”. Sorry.
Aw come on…. LOL anyway
Reminds me of “Citizen Cane”, when all he really wanted was love, security and a little sled called “Rosebud”.
Great post, David!