Latest news with #BackToBedlam
Daily Mirror
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
James Blunt shares 'real' meaning behind most famous song lyrics after 20 years
In 2004, singer James Blunt burst onto the scene with the release of his debut album Back To Bedlam, which spawned a string of hits and catapulted him to worldwide fame and stardom James Blunt has shared a humorous insight into the meaning of the lyrics of one of his most famous songs. The acclaimed singer, 51, is just as well known for his poetic lyrics as he is his quick-witted sense of humour. He burst onto the scene in 2004 with the release of his first single, High, off his smash hit debut album, Back To Bedlam. In 2005 though, he achieved fame across the globe with the song, You're Beautiful. This track was the third single from his debut album and, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its release, the star shared a video to thank his fans. In the clip, which was posted to his official Facebook page, James Blunt can be seen walking towards a camera set up in his home. Once he gets close to the camera, he tells viewers: '20 years ago today, I put out a song that bought me this house. 'I mean, who would have thought a song about being high as a kite on drugs, stalking someone else's girlfriend, would resonate quite so much? You guys are beautiful.' In the comments section, fans were keen to share their thoughts and experiences with the song. One person said: 'My God you crack me up. I must say though, this song was playing on the radio when I held my son in my arms for the first time (it was my favourite song at the time, he's 20 soon) and all I could hear was 'you're beautiful'. 'He really was beautiful - my husband and I have laughed hard about the actual words and stalky-ness of the song since…' A third person said: 'Lol when you put it that way a druggy stalker. Love your humour'. Another person shared: 'I got married in 2005 and the number of people who suggested it should be our wedding song. I was equal parts annoyed and smug because I knew what the lyrics were about'. While a further fan added: 'lol! Never knew I needed this explanation but apparently I did. Downloading the song now dude; buy yourself something sweet for the house'. The worldwide hit does indeed tell the story of a man who spots a woman on a train and, in his intoxicated state, believes he shares a connection with her despite her being involved with another man. He believes he's entitled to her and thinks up a plan to get her in his obsessive state. Still, the song's meaning didn't stop it resonating with millions of people who are keen on its haunting, emotive quality. Of his first song, Blunt took to Facebook in 2024 and quipped: 'The first single I ever released was 'High' in 2004. For the video, they buried me up to my neck in sand and threw cockroaches at me. 'They don't tell you that when you send the record label your demos.'
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
James Blunt shares heart-wrenching reason he made Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher his son's godmother
James Blunt asked Carrie Fisher to be his son's godmother in the hope the honor would encourage her to 'look after [herself]' better. The You're Beautiful singer, 51, lived with the late Star Wars star in the early 2000s while recording his debut album Back To Bedlam. And they remained close over the years. So when he and wife Sofia Wellesley welcomed the first of their two boys, he asked Carrie to take on a special role in the youngster's life. And James revealed there was an underlying motivation in asking his friend — who died in December 2016 aged 60 after going into cardiac arrest, with drugs found in her system during post-mortem tests — to be godmother. He recalled to People magazine: 'I told her everything. I told her when I met my wife, we chose engagement rings together. She's godmother to my child. I was with her the day before she died, and it was very, very sad.' He added, 'What was saddest, I suppose, is how I asked her to be godmother to my child, saying, "I'm asking you to do this in the hope that you'll look after yourself a little bit better." And she didn't, really.' James met Carrie when he was dating one of her family friends and during a group lunch in London. He told the Sibling Rivalry actress he was a musician planning to head to Los Angeles, and when he admitted he didn't know where he was going to live, she invited him to stay with her. He reflected: 'It was remarkable. The first three months, I didn't speak to her. I literally didn't. Her mom, Deborah Reynolds, was on the property. I'd see them around, but I would leave in the morning. I'd go off to the studio. I'd come back late, late, late at night, and I just didn't speak to her.' But after three months, the musician went into the kitchen late at night and found Carrie's staff talking about the actress, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 24. He recalled: 'They were saying, "She's having an episode," and that she was going mad. She needed to change her medication and maybe they needed to get help. James shared, 'What was interesting about all of this, while they were talking about her, she was in the room.' James and Carrie began chatting and quickly became friends. 'I just could see she was just skipping between subjects rather quickly, [but] her brain was still working. Suddenly, we just had this kind of moment where I went and sat on the end of her bed, and she spoke to me until five in the morning. 'And the next day, I came in after the studio. I sat on the end of the bed, and we spoke until five in the morning, and we kind of did that for the rest of the time that she was alive. She became my best friend, really, at that stage,' he looked back. While Carrie was godmother to his firstborn son, he made Ed Sheeran godfather to his second child. Blake is days away from kicking off his 20th anniversary Back to Bedlam tour. Between mid June and early July he will travel throughout the US, ending with three shows in Mexico. The star teased an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Thursday, writing to his 1.2 million Instagram followers: 'Hello America! Having a little pre-tour catch up with the wonderful @kellyclarkson this morning!'
AsiaOne
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
James Blunt insists being 1-hit wonder is 'healthy' for his ego, Entertainment News
James Blunt insists being a "one-hit wonder" is "healthy" for his ego. The You're Beautiful hitmaker became an overnight star following the release of the 2005 single from his debut album Back To Bedlam, and the 51-year-old pop veteran admits he is "happy" to be called a "one-hit wonder" as it means he doesn't get too big for his boots. He told US publication People: "In the States, I am [a one-hit wonder]. You have to understand — I am so happy with that because, as I put on my social media profiles, one hit is all you need. "I've been called a one-hit wonder by people who are none-hit wonders. And so I'm thrilled with that." James continued: "The moment I think I might be a big shot in any way, you, as an American, can tell me, 'No. You're just a little one-hit wonder, James. Get back in your box.' And that's healthy." He also recalled how he was rejected by all the UK record labels because of his posh speaking voice and classism in his homeland. On being signed to Linda Perry's Custard Records, he said: "I hadn't really understood how this was the very last chance I was probably ever going to have. "I'd been rejected by every UK label based on my speaking voice and the kind of class issues that we have here, and the basis that they would think that just no one would relate to me. They might've been right to a degree. "It's taken a long time after You're Beautiful and the backlash for the public to know that, 'Okay. I might speak with a stupid voice, but I am a normal, grounded human being.' So maybe the UK labels were right. [But] for some reason Linda was there. She came in with a hard sell, and we went out that night and got drunk." Although the song was a huge hit, he did face — and continues to face — his fair share of criticism and is known to hilariously retaliate on social media. He said: "I think I've always been silly. "I think I probably did set out in interviews when we were talking about music because it was the one thing I was serious about. "I probably then spoke quite earnestly in my interviews about the music, and now I've learned that that's probably not the best thing to do. So now, I still take my music seriously. I don't speak earnestly about it." [[nid:718717]]
CNN
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
James Blunt celebrates the 20th anniversary of his biggest hit that he calls ‘a bit creepy'
James Blunt's song 'You're Beautiful' is beloved, even though it's not about what some people imagine. The British singer recently shared a video and post on social media in which reflected on his hit earworm. '20 years ago today, I released a song that bought me this house,' Blunt said. 'Whoever thought a song about being high as a kite on drugs, stalking someone else's girlfriend would resonate quite so much? Thank you. You guys are beautiful.' The song off his 2004 debut album, 'Back to Bedlam,' became a worldwide hit in 2005. In 2020, the former British army captain wrote an essay for the Guardian about 'You're Beautiful' and talked about the inspiration for the tune. 'One day I was on the underground in London and saw an ex-girlfriend with her new boyfriend,' he wrote. 'Our eyes met, but we just walked past each other, and I went home and wrote the words to 'You're Beautiful' in two minutes.' He also addressed the disconnect between how the song came to be and how fans viewed it. 'It's always been portrayed as romantic, but it's actually a bit creepy,' he wrote. 'It's about a guy (me) who's high and stalking someone else's girlfriend on the subway. But everyone has those moments where you wonder: 'What if I'd said something?'' How beautiful is that?
CNN
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
James Blunt celebrates the 20th anniversary of his biggest hit that he calls ‘a bit creepy'
James Blunt's song 'You're Beautiful' is beloved, even though it's not about what some people imagine. The British singer recently shared a video and post on social media in which reflected on his hit earworm. '20 years ago today, I released a song that bought me this house,' Blunt said. 'Whoever thought a song about being high as a kite on drugs, stalking someone else's girlfriend would resonate quite so much? Thank you. You guys are beautiful.' The song off his 2004 debut album, 'Back to Bedlam,' became a worldwide hit in 2005. In 2020, the former British army captain wrote an essay for the Guardian about 'You're Beautiful' and talked about the inspiration for the tune. 'One day I was on the underground in London and saw an ex-girlfriend with her new boyfriend,' he wrote. 'Our eyes met, but we just walked past each other, and I went home and wrote the words to 'You're Beautiful' in two minutes.' He also addressed the disconnect between how the song came to be and how fans viewed it. 'It's always been portrayed as romantic, but it's actually a bit creepy,' he wrote. 'It's about a guy (me) who's high and stalking someone else's girlfriend on the subway. But everyone has those moments where you wonder: 'What if I'd said something?'' How beautiful is that?
