Behind the Lyric: Girl With The Same Name

This was the first original beat that Freddy made for me. At that point, we'd recorded Zero Gravity and Trip the Alarm together, both of which were produced by other people.

We'd always intended for him to create new material for me. As far as this song goes, and as far as my memory recalls, the conversation went something a little like this:

Him: Do you like garage music?

Me: I f***ing love garage music! Artful Dodger, Craig David, So Solid Crew, Kele Le Roc, DJ Luck & MC Neat...

Him: I want to make a garage song.

Me: F*** yeah!

The resulting beat was this guitar-loop stroke of genius that I immediately got the refrain for: girl with the same. I don't know why. I could just hear it. It sounded like an idea worth exploring.

It's not that mysterious

The history of us

Segued from cray to uncool

You opened up my eyes

To decompartmentalise

This obsession for stressin' what's good

I fell for your disguise

And believed your pretty lies

But that stopped when you changed

If you're playing this game, then let's play

I should point out: I didn't actually get with a girl with the same name. What happened was that I got with a girl who had very similar looks. Creative licence firmly in hand, when writing this, I took the next logical (see: dramatic) step and made it so that the protagonist of the song goes out to find a replacement lover that shared the same name - just to piss her off.

If that sounds childish, you're right! It is. Very childish. Again, before you send me disappointed comments: I didn't *actually* do this.

Now that we got that sorted, back to the track.

Girl With The Same Name has one of the stronger pop sensibilities on the Lost Boy album. For that reason, its one of the more simplistic songs in its vocal arrangement and phrasing. And for *that* reason it tends to stick with people. As a songwriter, that's a great thing, even if I don't condone replicating your ex relationships.

Lyrically though, this is still all me: slang matched with monosyllabic verbosity and a cheeky, fun attitude that the other songs can't really afford to have.

Let's begin the countdown in...

Tahi, rua, toru, wha, let's begin

In the end baby I'ma win this game

See you at the finish line, extinguishing my flame

With the girl with the same name, please don't be ashamed

Cause the pain is the same blame game that I played, so let me say

It also has one of my favourite rap verses, which is interesting because I wrote it on the beach in Tenerife while in black out on my last drunken vacation. I don't remember much about Tenerife at all. But happily for me, I managed to get 16 good bars onto paper before passing out in shame.

I'm sure you'll enjoy the song even more now that you know this.

Listen here: