The First Lyrics You Remember Being Grabbed By

I remember being grabbed by a lot of lyrics when I was young. It was just the thing that grabbed me, good lyrics. But it was probably a Missy Higgins or like a real angsty Kelly Clarkson line.

But one that sticks out to me from that time frame is Brother by Little Birdy. Katy Steele is a huge influence on me from my early teens. The lines ‘My brother, he taught me how to fly, My papa, he taught me how to cry’ and then went on to say, 'who’s gonna love you now baby’ that song is one that I’m not sure exactly why those lyrics hit me so hard but they just do.

A Lyric You Wish You'd Written

Probably a few of those. It’s that really nice feeling when you relate to a lyric so much that you feel like it should’ve come from you. Angie McMahon’s Slow Mover is one of those. ‘Friend old friend, it's 4 am, what are we doing in the street? I don’t want to buy fried chicken, I wish that I was going to sleep ’

Or Courtney Barnett’s ‘I think you’re a joke, but I don’t find you very funny’ in Pedestrian At Best literally made me scream yes to the sky on many occasions, as did most of the lyrics of that whole song.

A Favourite Lyric From Your New Album

‘I’m on Island time and you’re up the coast, I’m in love but still alone’

That sums up the sentiment of the song I think. And the poignancy of that last line really sums how I was feeling when writing it. 

A Lyric That Makes You Sad 

‘Every time the sun comes up I’m in trouble’ by Sharon Van Etten. This song just gets me in the chest everytime. I love covering this song and it’s this horrible sadness but also the truth so aaaaaaah it hits so hard in the emotions. I just feel that sooo much.

A Lyric That Makes You Happy/A Lyric You Think Everyone Should Know

‘Who’s gonna make the gravy, I bet it won’t taste the same’

Paul Kelly is probably my ultimate hero and I think that is as close as you get to perfect with the imagery and senses and everything that is painted in a picture from those few words. It says more than it possibly could but it did!

Surely everyone knows How To Make Gravy! I think it should be compulsory to know all the words to that song in Australia.

Island Time by Maddy Jane is out now. Check it out in the list above.