TED2018
Luke Sital-Singh: "Afterneath" / "Killing Me"
Filmed:
Readability: 3.7
236,177 views
Luke Sital-Singh sings songs of love, longing and grief in this stirring performance of "Afterneath" and "Killing Me." "These are the songs I just never tire of hearing and I never tire of writing, because they make me feel less alone," Sital-Singh says.
Luke Sital-Singh - Singer-songwriter
Luke Sital-Singh plumbs emotional depths to write tender, tuneful songs. Full bio
Luke Sital-Singh plumbs emotional depths to write tender, tuneful songs. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
(Piano)
0
1333
5371
00:29
(Singing) It was done
1
17939
2897
00:32
When the benediction had been sung
2
20860
3423
00:38
Firelight gently woke us
from our golden night
from our golden night
3
26415
6897
00:47
My surprise
4
35111
1559
00:49
I can turn to see your open eyes
5
37940
4087
00:54
And I know
You are alive
You are alive
6
42681
5626
01:01
I know that smile
7
49576
2309
01:05
Nothing more
8
53306
2302
01:09
In the after
9
57718
3455
01:13
There is waking from your sleep
10
61197
3777
01:16
And your lover
11
64998
3928
01:20
Is the only face you see
12
68950
3371
01:24
We are after
13
72755
3670
01:28
Ever after
14
76449
3238
01:32
There is laughter
15
80178
2690
01:35
Afterneath
16
83529
5163
01:56
The war
17
104413
2694
01:59
Nobody ever even asked what for
18
107131
3771
02:04
Up above
19
112694
2790
02:07
Nothing matters but the ones you love
20
115508
3781
02:12
So get out with me
21
120075
2893
02:14
Now you've got enough with me
22
122992
3798
02:18
Just the two of us you see
23
126814
3373
02:22
And nothing more
24
130805
3588
02:27
In the after
25
135164
3792
02:30
There is waking from your sleep
26
138980
3734
02:34
And your lover
27
142738
3647
02:38
Is the only face you see
28
146409
2986
02:42
We are after
29
150127
3604
02:45
Ever after
30
153755
3730
02:49
There is laughter
Afterneath
Afterneath
31
157509
6353
02:56
Oh, we after
32
164234
4416
03:00
Ever after
33
168674
3763
03:04
There is laughter
34
172461
2935
03:07
Afterneath
35
175420
6015
03:14
Oh
36
182062
5571
03:22
Oh
37
190571
5358
03:30
Oh
38
198914
5351
03:39
Oh
39
207482
7000
03:49
Thank you.
40
217944
1182
03:51
(Applause)
41
219150
4152
03:55
Thank you very much.
42
223326
1151
03:56
(Applause)
43
224501
1876
03:58
Thanks.
44
226401
1150
04:00
I love a depressing song ...
45
228363
2418
04:02
(Laughter)
46
230805
1001
04:03
you know?
47
231830
1151
04:05
I've been writing them for 15 years now,
48
233005
2389
04:07
and to be honest, over that time,
49
235418
3006
04:10
I've come to kind of believe
that they're not really depressing at all.
that they're not really depressing at all.
50
238448
3339
04:14
In fact, I think they're kind of the most
important songs we have.
important songs we have.
51
242196
3283
04:18
Songs that sing of sorrow,
52
246317
3124
04:21
of grief,
53
249465
1151
04:22
of longing,
54
250640
1358
04:24
of the darker side of love,
55
252022
2164
04:26
the underside of being alive,
56
254210
2431
04:28
these are the songs
I just never tire of hearing
I just never tire of hearing
57
256665
2842
04:31
and I never tire of writing,
58
259531
2211
04:33
because they make me feel less alone.
59
261766
2099
04:36
They speak to a very real
part of being human
part of being human
60
264973
3325
04:40
that can often be hidden in fear and shame
61
268322
2621
04:42
and pushed deep down
where it lingers and rots.
where it lingers and rots.
62
270967
2574
04:46
But I think in listening to these songs --
63
274318
2179
04:48
really listening --
64
276521
2079
04:50
can allow us to refeel
these hard emotions,
these hard emotions,
65
278624
4390
04:55
but in a cathartic and healing way.
66
283038
2268
04:57
In a way that reminds us, as we listen,
that we're not alone in darkness.
that we're not alone in darkness.
67
285999
5007
05:04
There's a Japanese phrase
known as "mono no aware,"
known as "mono no aware,"
68
292676
4743
05:09
which roughly translates
as "the bittersweet poignancy of things,"
as "the bittersweet poignancy of things,"
69
297443
4795
05:14
or the pathos or "ahness" of things.
70
302262
3412
05:18
It's a valuable awareness of impermanence,
71
306428
3087
05:22
both a kind of gentle, transient
sadness as things pass by in life,
sadness as things pass by in life,
72
310324
5019
05:27
but also a deeper,
softly lingering sadness
softly lingering sadness
73
315367
4664
05:32
about the impermanence of all reality.
74
320055
2257
05:34
"Mono no aware" can be manifest
in lots of life stories and moments
in lots of life stories and moments
75
322939
4986
05:39
and songs.
76
327949
1189
05:41
One example in Japanese culture
is the celebration of the cherry blossom.
is the celebration of the cherry blossom.
77
329162
4172
05:46
The cherry blossom in and of itself
is no more impressive
is no more impressive
78
334262
3096
05:49
than that of an apple or orange tree,
79
337382
3088
05:52
but what sets it apart is its brevity.
80
340494
2415
05:55
Cherry blossoms fall
within a single week --
within a single week --
81
343564
2825
05:58
can be whisked away
on the gentlest breeze --
on the gentlest breeze --
82
346413
2357
06:01
and it's this that makes it
more beautiful.
more beautiful.
83
349686
2073
06:04
It's utterly fragile,
84
352536
1817
06:06
and fragility gives life its poignancy.
85
354377
2493
06:09
Now, being a cheery chap,
86
357918
1332
06:11
nothing speaks to me more
than this, and --
than this, and --
87
359274
2818
06:14
(Laughter)
88
362116
1262
06:15
you know, I think it's been the essence
of my songwriting for years,
of my songwriting for years,
89
363402
4393
06:19
of what moves me to write,
90
367819
1812
06:21
what inspires me to sing.
91
369655
1728
06:24
Because pain and grief and doubt,
92
372052
3182
06:27
when it's made manifest
in music, in song --
in music, in song --
93
375258
3532
06:30
when it's made beautiful
in poetry and painting,
in poetry and painting,
94
378814
3690
06:36
it can build a community and a kinship
95
384097
2547
06:38
in the knowledge that we are
none of us alone in darkness.
none of us alone in darkness.
96
386668
3712
06:43
My next song is one
that I call "Killing Me,"
that I call "Killing Me,"
97
391243
4277
06:47
and as the name suggests,
98
395544
1198
06:48
it's not a dance floor favorite.
99
396766
1843
06:50
(Laughter)
100
398633
1001
06:51
But it isn't miserable.
101
399658
2813
06:55
It's full of love and hope.
102
403073
2055
06:57
And I think it exemplifies everything
I've been talking about.
I've been talking about.
103
405176
3016
07:00
And it's the first song I've written
from the perspective of somebody else,
from the perspective of somebody else,
104
408192
4506
07:04
specifically my grandmother,
105
412722
2445
07:07
as she lives on without
my late grandfather,
my late grandfather,
106
415191
2389
07:10
as she experiences
new things in her life --
new things in her life --
107
418412
2303
07:13
her grandchildren getting married,
108
421510
2645
07:16
having their own children,
109
424179
1601
07:17
speaking at TED --
110
425804
1150
07:20
all the while she lives without,
111
428358
1528
07:21
and all the while she misses
her soul mate.
her soul mate.
112
429910
2487
07:24
Thank you.
113
432851
1168
07:31
(Piano)
114
439495
6654
07:45
(Singing) Sweetheart
would you wake up today?
would you wake up today?
115
453083
4334
07:52
I promise you would recognize my faith
116
460120
4122
07:58
I want to show you
how I've grown in this place
how I've grown in this place
117
466776
4607
08:05
In this place I'm not alone
118
473825
3348
08:09
And I know I'll be OK
119
477542
2746
08:13
But it's always harder
When the winter comes to stay
When the winter comes to stay
120
481248
6810
08:20
And I can't help remember
all the words I never said
all the words I never said
121
488082
6632
08:30
And it's killing me
That you're not here with me
That you're not here with me
122
498870
5826
08:37
I'm living happily
123
505409
2804
08:40
But I'm feeling guilty
124
508862
2524
08:45
And you won't believe
The wonders I can see
The wonders I can see
125
513429
5904
08:51
This world is changing me
126
519899
3152
08:55
But I will love you faithfully.
127
523689
3819
09:00
(Piano)
128
528571
5121
09:07
Oh, everything is taller these days
129
535477
4684
09:14
Maybe I feel smaller
and time rushes away
and time rushes away
130
542370
6246
09:21
So much I could show you
131
549560
3422
09:25
How all the great-grandchildren
132
553006
3232
09:28
Have been laughing
like we did when we were young
like we did when we were young
133
556262
5295
09:35
I've been laughing like we did
when we were young
when we were young
134
563360
5852
09:42
Oh, it's killing me
that you're not here with me
that you're not here with me
135
570782
5825
09:49
I'm living happily
136
577283
3337
09:52
But I'm feeling guilty
137
580644
2601
09:57
Oh, you won't believe
The wonders I can see
The wonders I can see
138
585023
5983
10:03
This world is changing me
139
591394
3476
10:06
I will love you faithfully
140
594894
3884
10:11
Oh
141
599992
5267
10:17
Oh
142
605283
4852
10:26
Oh
143
614190
5226
10:31
Oh
144
619440
4592
10:38
Oh, it's killing me
145
626472
3776
10:42
That you're not here with me
146
630272
3153
10:45
I'm living happily
147
633868
2546
10:49
But I'm feeling guilty
148
637217
2690
10:53
Oh, you won't believe
The wonders I can see
The wonders I can see
149
641645
5875
10:59
This world is changing me
150
647940
3511
11:03
I will love you faithfully
151
651475
4457
11:07
Oh, it's killing me
152
655956
3027
11:11
That you're not here with me
153
659007
3089
11:14
I'm living happily
154
662506
3369
11:17
But I'm feeling guilty
155
665899
3795
11:22
Oh, you won't believe
The wonders I can see
The wonders I can see
156
670675
6492
11:29
This world is changing me
157
677914
4019
11:33
But I will love you faithfully
158
681957
4454
11:41
Thank you very much.
159
689467
1220
11:42
(Applause and cheering)
160
690711
4550
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Luke Sital-Singh - Singer-songwriterLuke Sital-Singh plumbs emotional depths to write tender, tuneful songs.
Why you should listen
Luke Sital-Singh is an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter from the UK. In 2012 he released his debut single "Fail For You," which first introduced to the world his deft ability to craft songs with a mesmerizing piercing emotional quality. The song went on to be featured in numerous TV shows including Grey’s Anatomy. At the end of 2013, Sital-Singh was featured in the BBC's Sound of 2014 list and signed to Parlophone records, who released his debut record The Fire Inside later that year.
After a couple of years touring the world and opening for artist such as Villagers, The Staves, Martha Wainwright and Kodaline, in 2017 Sital-Singh released his sophomore record Time Is A Riddle, which featured the stand out song "Killing Me." His songs are rich and somber and have the tendency to stop you in your tracks. Of his songwriting, Sital-Singh says: "I like writing about the heavy things. There’s a lot of shallow stuff out there and that’s fine for certain contexts. My fun is diving as deep as I can. Inside myself and, if I can, inside others and writing songs that are as honest as I can make them. Honest to the struggles we all face, the sadness but more importantly, the hope."
Luke Sital-Singh | Speaker | TED.com