For today, I chose to share with you a Hywel Pitts’ song. I only know two solo songs of his, it’s possible that he has more of them and I just don’t know (that’s what the lyrics of this song may also kind of suggest, haha). Currently he is the vocalist of a Welsh-language rock band I Fight Lions. Both these songs by Hywel Pitts that I know have always sounded to me like they have very interesting lyrics but since I’m still like lower intermediate or so, and couldn’t find the lyrics anywhere online to help me understand them, there was always a lot of guessing and assuming involved. However now I understand at least as much of this song to be able to grasp the context, although I fear I have no clue about what this repeating bit in the chorus means, and I feel like it’s important. Oh well…
Anyway, the song is about how the lyrical subject (can we talk about lyrical subject in pop/folk lyrics? 😀 I don’t know, but I also don’t know if it’s Hywel Pitts’ own experience or just something he felt like writing so let’s say it is a lyrical subject) dreamt in his teens about being a rock star. Years later, he finds himself doing just small gigs. He is wondering whether perhaps he’s not charismatic enough, not talented enough, not confident enough. But how can he be confident if he has no fans? Maybe it’s because he isn’t good at laughing at himself, or because he doesn’t have family in the BBC, maybe he’s not fashionable enough, or doesn’t write enough hits, or his songs are bad, in any case no one buys his CD’s or even downloads his mp3s. He has tried a lot of things (everything basically) to achieve his dream – he has tried dressing like a guy, like a girl, he’s been working very hard for free, trying to be folksy, punkrocky, fat, thin, courageous, interesting, funny, honest, different, entertaining, straight, gay, bi, support Tories, Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales – this is a socialist-nationalist Welsh party), Labour, he tried praying, joined Zoosk, Tinder, OK Cupid, he’s been writing in Welsh, English and French, etc. etc. etc. I don’t understand all of that unfortunately, but the point is that still, despite his efforts, no one’s paying any attention. Eventually he concludes that – I am not sure if I understand what he does not need, but I’m pretty sure that what he does need is “four chords and a smile”.
If this is indeed Hywel Pitts’ experience, that makes me very sad because, while I know only two songs by him, except for I Fight Lions, I like them both and I think I could consider myself his fan, even if I’m the only one. I like things that others don’t, especially if they have anything to do with minority languages and Celticness and are quirky. So perhaps that would increase his self-confidence, if he knew that, lol, and maybe that would help him to gain more fans, in turn. I am hoping for the best here.
My Inner MishMash 