Frank Turner: 'The Amy Trilogy'

Photo courtesy of Ben Morse Photography (Facebook)

Being a fan, I've been keen to write something 'Frank Turner' related for a while now. The problem I've faced is where on earth to start. As possible as it is, I can't talk about all of his songs but then I can't bring myself to pick just one.  So I've come to a happy middle-ground. Across 3 songs, Franks makes reference to a girl called 'Amy'. Thus giving name to 'The Amy Trilogy'. What needs to be said though is that Amy isn't a 'real person' as such. According to Frank, she is instead a combination of past lovers/situations. In response to a question about Amy he wrote, 'I certainly have my reasons for using the same name each time, it has a continuity to it, and there are one or two people who directly understand why'. The three songs I'm gonna talk about are 'Reasons Not To Be An Idiot', 'I Am Disappeared' and 'Tell Tale Signs'. Obviously everything I write is just an interpretation; it's not the hard truth or anything, just something to think about when listening to Frank's songs. Here goes...

Reasons Not To Be An Idiot: This song is basically about how we all have our insecurities, whether they be about social awkwardness, appearance or whatever. However it argues that at the end of the day everyone has their own problems so in that respect we're all the same, really. Therefore, what's the point in worrying? You just need to surround yourself with people and make the most of life, otherwise you'll never overcome your insecurities. It's in this song that Frank firsts introduces us to Amy. He sings, 'Amy thinks that her life is lacking in drama/ So she fell for horoscopes, faith healing, and karma'. We meet a character who appears to rely on superstition in order to fuel her meaning in life. Frank continues to sing, 'She's so wrapped up in her invisible armour/ She'll never probe into herself'. This is kind of ambiguous, but I interpret these lyrics as Amy herself feeling that she's protecting herself, but in reality she's just as exposed to the harshness of reality as everyone else is. Here Frank is being pretty critical of people who lead their lives in this way, but at the same time he recognises that Amy is probably just worried that when she dies she'll be forgotten. 'I can still see through her airs and graces. I guess she's scared that life won't leave any traces'. Let's be honest, Amy's not really alone in this fear is she? In the song, the character is used to get across the message that anxiety affects us all, so it'd be so much easier if we just stood up to it and make the most of life. 

I Am Disappeared: This song features on the album 'England Keep My Bones' and is definitely more down-beat in tone in comparison. I guess the theme that runs through it is dreams and their frightening realistic nature. Frank sings, 'I keep having dreams... Of being trapped in a lift plunging straight to the bottom'. We've all had nightmares like that, haven't we? I'd be surprised if you told me that you've never woken up in a nervous sweat, gasping with relief that it was 'just a dream'. In the second verse we're once again introduced to our friend Amy, 'Amy worked in a bar in Exeter'. We learn how on one occasion Frank spent the night with the female character and 'She woke up screaming in the middle of the night/ Terrified of her own insides'. Ah, this is sad. I interpret her 'insides' as meaning her mind. This is because Frank continues to sing 'Dreams of pirate ships and Patty Hearst/ Breaking through a life over-rehearsed'. So you might be wondering who on earth Patty Hearst is/was? I'll admit, I only know this because I'm a fan of the song 'Stockholm Syndrome' by Muse (bear with me, it'll make sense in a minute). So basically Patty Hearst was the daughter of a millionaire, kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (they wanted her family to pay to feed Californians living in poverty). However, Patty actually became close to her kidnappers and so started to help them- this is known as 'Stockholm Syndrome'. Anyway, this seems a strange thing for Amy to be worried about, but maybe it's just that she has doubts over her morality. In the chorus, Frank sings how Amy keeps her boots and keys in easy access so that she could get away from everything with haste, ‘She could get up, shower and in half an hour she'll be gone'. Amy finds this a comfort, but is that really that strange? The rest of the song focuses on Frank and a surreal dream (a road trip with Bob Dylan, yep) of his, and I'm blabbing on now so I'll stop. Ah there's just so much that can be said about this song, that's why I love it. 

Tell Tale Signs: Okay so again we're introduced to the character immediately, 'God damn it, Amy'. Frank discusses how this relationship is pretty casual in nature. Amy has a habit of 'waltzing out of my [Frank's] life/ Leaving clothes on my bedroom floor'. On the other hand, she is simply 'heartbreak and a short skirt' to Frank. Both are guilty of not making this relationship work out. The tone changes in the chorus as Frank discusses a sensitive matter; self-harm. ‘You kind of remind me of scars on my arms/ That I made, when I was a kid'. Let's be honest, this is a horrible issue to have to talk about, yet Frank is completely open. He graphically describes his actions which makes it a difficult song to listen to, but also makes it one of the most genuine, touching pieces that he has written. In the second verse Frank tells Amy how he's a changed man- he's 'grown-up'. She on the other hand hasn't experienced any change at all, 'you're still trying to live like a kid/ Like you could always have it all'. This is a major flaw to Amy's character, and probably a key reason why their relationship was unable to function. In the second chorus Frank relates how he has tried to cover up his scars with tattoos but this hasn't been entirely successful, ' in the right kind of light/ They still bleed through/ Showing that there are something’s that I just cannot change'. Like he is unable to reverse the harm he inflicted in his youth, Frank can't change Amy's immature character. These scars are the 'tell-tale signs' that loving this woman has harmed him both physically and emotionally. I find the song's bridge really interesting; Amy is symbolised as a tattoo, 'Burned with a branding iron' onto Frank's body and soul. Like a tattoo, Amy will permanently be a part of him. He doesn't love her anymore, but like his scars Frank will find Amy crossing his mind every so often. The song concludes with Frank accepting that Amy 'will always be a part/ Of my patched up, patchwork, taped up tape deck heart'. 

Wow, I can't believe I've actually written so much. I guess these are just songs that I love because they actually mean something. It's not often an artist makes reference to the same character in multiple songs, so I personally find this really interesting. And that's the thing with Frank Turner; his songs all tell an individual story. So, I'll no doubt end up writing about this musician again in the future, but I think I'll leave it at this for now. But if you're not familiar with Frank Turner's music, be sure to check him out- I can guarantee it'll be worth it.

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