Once upon a time, I thought Badly Drawn Boy would become one of my very favorite artists. The band (which is actually just one guy, Damon Gough) put out a beautiful meandering album in 2000 called The Hour of Bewilderbeast. It’s not quite like any other album I’ve heard, full of sonic detours and recurring themes, alternately delicate and hard-driving.
He followed that album in 2002 with the soundtrack to About a Boy, which contained a few memorable songs, and in the same year Have You Fed the Fish?, an album similar in style to his debut if not quite up to its level. A strong start, to be certain.
But two years later his next album, One Plus One Is One, fell flat and he just sort of fell off my radar. In fact, I didn’t know until just now that he released a fifth album in 2006. It’s funny how that can happen. People talk about a sophomore slump, and certainly many artists have hit a rough patch after strong debuts, but I seem to see more artists who have a strong two or three albums to start with and then just lose their way.
Of course, it’s more likely Badly Drawn Boy didn’t lose his way at all. He just lost me.
This song is my very favorite track from Have You Fed the Fish? and possibly my favorite of all Gough’s songs. It’s a romantic, wistful look at the regret felt by the guy who didn’t get the girl.
Were right to bide your time and not buy into my misery
Well the good things are never free
Do the colours of the rainbow look the same to everyone?
And I,
Was rushing round in circles for a reason to believe
Wipe the slime from off your sleeve
You could follow me for weeks
And I’m not going anywhere
Sometimes it’s hard to love someone
Till the day that they are gone
And I
Just had a dream the other night
I was married to the Queen
And Madonna lived next door
I think she took a shine to me
And the kids were all grown up
But I had to turn her down
‘Cos I was still in love with you
I’m turning Madonna down
I’m calling it my best move
I’ll get her tickets to what she needs
I remember doing nothing on the night Sinatra died
And the night Jeff Buckley died
And the night Kurt Cobain died
And the night John Lennon died
I remember I stayed up to watch the news with everyone
And that was a lot of nights
And that was a lot of lives
Who lost the tickets to what they need
And I
Was busy finding answers while you just got on with real life
Always hoped you’d be my wife
But I never found the time
For the question to arrive
I just disguised it in a song
And songs are never quite the answer
Just a soundtrack to a life
That is over all too soon
Helps to turn the days to night
While I was wrong and you were right
And this was a lesson learned
I’m happy to be your fool
And get you tickets to what you need
I’m turning the lights down low
I’m ready to make my move
I’ll get you tickets to what you need
Meet Me In Montauk 
I like this artist and find myself enjoying his stuff whenever it randomly pops up on my (your) IPod collection.
I like this song and am intrigued by the “tickets” business. I think I get it, yet I’m wondering if there’s even more going on there. Meanwhile, I enjoyed his music very much in About a Boy and the odd song you’ve put on compilations over the years.
I also agree with your point about artists putting out a few albums before either falling off of our radar – or simply not longer capturing our interest even if we have the notion a new album is coming. I know I felt that way about the Indigo Girls, for sure. Dave Matthews Band to some extent. Tracy Chapman. There are only a handful of artists who will get my attention to go out and buy a new album the day it is released (though not if that day is 9/11 ;-))
Yeah, the ticket line has always confused/intrigued me. He has a song on the same album called ‘Tickets to What You Need’ that doesn’t shed much more light in things but it’s interesting that he returns to the theme.