“5 Miles” by James Blunt
The distance which makes up the title (“5 Miles”) of this song is more symbolic than literal. And what it represents is the singer telling the addressee that he’s simply a phone call away – so to speak – from responding to this individual. Indeed the chorus states that Blunt is just “five miles from a feeling”. And he “got a real fast car with the keys in” it just in case this urge hits him.
Or put differently, he’s on 24-hour call to respond to the addressee. And said person reads as if it is a romantic interest of the singer. Moreover this individual is depicted as being “stuck” in a depressing situation. So the singer perceives himself as someone akin to a savior to this person. He’s ready to scoop her up on a moment’s notice, presumably to take her on a romantic excursion. And this is not a fleeting feeling, as he states that this particular person ‘makes him want to stay’. So perhaps the simplest way to describe “5 Miles” is as it being representative of the singer’s desire to get close to someone who has piqued his interest, even fascination you could say, in a romantic sort of way.
Facts about “5 Miles”
Atlantic Records released this track on 25 October 2019 as part of James Blunt’s sixth-studio (and ninth overall) album, “Once Upon a Mind”. That album also birthed the famous song “Monsters“.
James Blunt wrote this track along with the team of Plested, M. Prime, P. Kelleher, T. Barnes and B. Kohn.
The latter three artists on that list, collectively known as TMS, also produced the tune along with M. Prime.
