Think Of Us Kissing

Album: Angel Numbers (2022)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Most people had never heard of Hamish Hawk before the Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter released his 2021 breakthrough album, Heavy Elevator, but he's been working his way up in the music industry since issuing his self-released debut, Aznavour, in 2014. The energetic second single to his 2023 album, Angel Numbers, shares some harsh truths about the pursuit of fame.

    "'Think Of Us Kissing' comes at you like a cannonball," he explained in a press release. "It's a tragic, romantic song about the music industry. It looks at the lengths an artist may or may not go in order to have glory showered upon them. It's about the pitfalls of success, the perils of fame and the curse of ambition. It's as loud and dangerous as a speeding train, and it's a true anthem. It's the biggest song I've ever written."
  • In the bridge, Hawk drowns out the hissing of vipers by recalling a real-life moment of "kissing the angel with the incredible piercing." In an interview with the Songfacts Podcast, Hawk explained how those personal images communicate something greater to the listener:

    "Those images become symbolic in the song. I'm always drawn to those images but I couldn't tell you how I find them or what it is about them that makes me think they're valuable when I see them. But I'll write them down and when I read them in a song, it becomes quite clear to me that they have a specific function. It's communicating something beyond itself. If you could find a technique that I use, that's something I do a lot - the phrases mean something to me on an ordinary level, but I think they might be able to evoke something grander and more significant and more meaningful within a song."
  • Hawk's method of using personal details to achieve a kind of universality was influenced by Bob Dylan. "I didn't live in a Greenwich Village apartment in the '60s, but the thing that brings me closer to Bob Dylan as a songwriter, as a person, and to the central emotion in the song, is by hearing his summing up of his situation that is personal to him," Hawk told Songfacts. "That's what makes me feel close to him, as opposed to him trying to write songs so that I'll get it. A lot of the time commercial music can patronize its audience by thinking we need to simplify this so everyone can get on board."

    He added: "So you listen to something like 'Think Of Us Kissing' and you can sort of see the angel with the incredible piercing, and that means a lot to me because I know what that means, and you are across the ocean and you're getting your own thing out of it. The best thing about writing songs is that communication."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Church Lyrics

Church LyricsMusic Quiz

Here is the church, here is the steeple - see if you can identify these lyrics that reference church.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.