Cold

Album: Once Upon a Mind (2019)
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Songfacts®:

  • James Blunt married Alexandrina "Sofia" Wellesley, the daughter of Lord and Lady John Henry Wellesley, on September 6, 2014. The singer appreciates that when he disappears on tour for 18 months at a time, Sofia is left on her own to cope with raising a young family. This song is an unfiltered expression of love to his wife when he is thousands of miles away.

    Without you on my body, I'm sorry, I'm sorry
    I don't mean to be desperate or pretend that I'm not torn
    But I don't want to let go of the things that keep me warm
    Without you, I'm just cold


    Blunt explained to Apple Music: "The song talks about there being an ocean between us - in the physical sense whilst I'm away on tour, in America, or Asia, or Australia, or wherever. But the message is very warm. It says, 'Without you, I'm just cold.' There's definitely risks in saying such things, but the point of music is to be moved by it."
  • Shot in North Wales, the Calum Macdiarmid-directed video is a follow-up to the one for Blunt's debut global hit single "You're Beautiful." That clip saw Blunt dive off a cliff into the sea. Here we see the singer washed ashore in the same clothes and climbing back up the cliff. As the singer ascends, he picks up some of the same personal belongings that he'd laid on the ground in the "You're Beautiful" visual. Apparently, no stunt doubles were involved – it's Blunt himself scaling the cliff.

    The official press release for the video listed the location as the Isle of Skye, which is incorrect.

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