Singer-songwriter James Blunt has revealed the "creepy" reality behind his global hit You're Beautiful, which contrasts sharply with its romantic reputation. The 52-year-old is among the famous faces appearing in the second series of Celebrity Traitors, which begins on the BBC tonight (Thursday, October 1).
Hit song's true inspiration
Speaking on the How to Fail podcast, Blunt said the song was inspired by running into an ex-lover on the London Underground. She was with a new boyfriend, who Blunt didn't know existed, before he proceeded to "stalk" her while he was high.
After the incident, Blunt returned to Hyde Park Barracks and wrote the lyrics in just two minutes. He said: "I passed my ex-girlfriend, who walked past me with her new boyfriend, who I didn't know existed at the time. And as they walked past me, she and I looked at each other, caught each other's eye, as she walked on by, we looked straight at each other."
"But we didn't do anything, because of him, I suppose. And we lived a lifetime in that moment. And I walked home to the army barracks, at Hyde Park Barracks, and I wrote down the lyrics in about one and a half minutes, I suppose, two minutes the whole thing. It's about this guy who's high as a kite, stalking someone else's girl on the underground."
Song's success and legacy
You're Beautiful spent five weeks at number one in 2005, becoming the top-selling single of the year in the UK. It is often heralded as a romantic song, and Blunt said he was once told it was the most played song at weddings.
Speaking to the Guardian, Blunt admitted the song was a bit "creepy" despite the romantic connotations surrounding it. He said: "It's always been portrayed as romantic, but it's actually a bit creepy. It's about a guy (me) who's high and stalking someone else's girlfriend on the subway. But everyone has these moments where you wonder: 'What if I'd said something?'"
After writing the lyrics, Blunt went to see his songwriter friend Sacha Skarbek. Together with co-writer Amanda Ghost, they finished the song. It became the signature song on his debut album, Back to Bedlam, which became the biggest selling album in the UK of the decade - and one of the bestselling of all time. Parts of Back to Bedlam were written at Star Wars legend Carrie Fisher's house in Los Angeles, where Blunt was living. The album's name derives from the chaotic environment of living with her.
Blunt's career and Celebrity Traitors
Blunt has released four top 10 singles, and Back to Bedlam currently stands at 26th on the list of most successful UK albums of all time. He was 31 when You're Beautiful dropped, after undertaking a long stint in the army after graduating from university. He served in Kosovo and rose to the rank of captain.
Celebrity Traitors also features actor Michael Sheen, TV presenter Maya Jama, and comedians including Miranda Hart, Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett. The show airs tonight from 8pm to 9.15pm on BBC One.
