Heartbreaking inspiration behind James Morrison's You Give Me Something

08 January 2024 , 09:42

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James Morrison's partner Gill Catchpole was found dead on Friday (Image: Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

James Morrison is best known for his hit You Give Me Something - but not many people will know the heartbreaking meaning behind the song.

Released in 2006, the track features lyrics including: “Cause you give me something that makes me scared alright, this could be nothing, but I'm willing to give it a try, please give me something,” and James, 39, previously suggested that the song is about loving your partner with all you have when they don’t love you back quite as much. During a past appearance on New Zealand Idol, James said of You Give Me Something: “It was intended as a harsh love song.”

James’ song was written just before he met his who was found . James and Gill, 45, were together for around two decades and share two daughters, Elsie, 15, and Ada, five. They shared a home in Gloucestershire where Gill was found on Friday. The musician is being comforted by family and friends following the death of his wife.

James and Gill shared two kids

The doting dad has also spoken about You Give Me Something’s chord progression and how it emphasised the “harshness” of a one-way relationship, telling in 2015: “The progression in the verse [had] a few subtle changes. I was saying something like, ‘Will you stay with me in the morning, will you hold me in the morning’ to make it more harsh like you’ve got to work to get the love. I think that was the key that kind of turned the song around, really, the reluctance in giving away nice comments in the song.”

News first broke over the weekend that Gill had died. A source close to the family confirmed that there are no suspicious circumstances, saying: "Gill was found dead on Friday at the family's home in Whitminster. James is devastated and is being supported by his family. He is holding it together for their girls but has asked for the family to be left alone to grieve in private."

Singer James Morrison's heartbreak as partner, 45, found dead at home

News first broke over the weekend that Gill had died (Facebook)

James previously opened up about fatherhood, and explained that becoming a dad to Elsie soon after his own father had passed away changed his outlook on life. He told OK! Magazine previously: "Just before he died my first daughter, Elsie, was born. So in a way her birth helped me think more about life. I then tried to focus on my music in a bid to pull me out of it. I began to write new songs, most of them were quite personal, which talked about my dad - so that was cathartic. Becoming a father changed the way I looked at life. Because I knew I needed to be there for my daughter. That helped me out of the dark times."

James also spoke about how he met his partner whilst on the White Wine Question Time podcast in 2021. He told host Kate Thornton that he met Gill when she moved into his mother's house as a lodger, with her then-boyfriend. He said: "It wasn't the easiest start, but I just still see it as a really romantic thing. I'm not very romantic. [...] But I do find certain things romantic and the fact that we met each other the way we did. It's like a little fairytale or something!"

Aisha Nozari