I admit to knowing nothing about Malmö-based Ulrich Jannert prior to accidentally coming across this Christmas single from him today, three days after Christmas. That’s how the mince pie crumbles, I suppose…
I was attracted to ‘Two worlds at Christmas (Old Roads, New Me)’ immediately, and partly because of it’s initially perceived similarity to Chris Rea’s perennial favourite ‘Driving home for Christmas’, Chris regrettably having left us before he could make that journey this year.
His song merely chronicles a long journey home to be with the loved ones but Ulrich’s has a deeper message.
He’s going home for Christmas, but not habitually as Chris Rea did with pretty much the same outcome each year.
Rather, in Ulrich’s case it appears to be for the first time since he left home and that seems to have been some time ago.
Time and life experience has changed him – “I’ve travelled far and changed, more than they can see”. He’s had to drive countless highways, cross many bridges and climb many hills along the way and has gained in confidence.
So he is more scared of confronting what he used to be rather than what he has become, where “every step I take wakes a ghost beneath my feet.”
But he feels obliged because “…here in this season both worlds collide/past at my shoulder/future at my side.”
He hints at issues but without confirming if they are positive ones or if he merely brings old ones back to the table, meaning he hasn’t moved on to the ‘new me’ even if he thinks he has.
It’s a very thoughtful piece, extremely well written lyrically while his voice is totally convincing throughout.
I’d go so far as to say this should be a future Christmas anthem every much as Chris Rea’s piece and Greg Lake’s ‘I believe in Father Christmas’, bless him.
Ulrich says he writes his songs “just for myself” and listens to them to give himself good vibes, while the lyrics are “a mirror of my soul and heartbeat.”
(Continues after the Spotify link)
Find him on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005841615998 (Private account)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulrich_jannert/?hl=en
