FIRST TIME Hearing James Blunt - Monsters 

That was his actual father in the video with him. They had a wonderful father/son relationship but the song was about a son saying goodbye to someone who was more than just a father, he was his friend too - as his father had a kidney disease and no suitable transplant could be found due to blood type. The tears in his eyes were real, the words of the song written by James were real. Both Captain James Blunt and his father (Colonel Charles Blunt) were veteran Army Officers who saw action during their service so it was rare to show such heartbreaking emotions in public. The best part of this song is that following a public appeal a distant cousin came forward who was a perfect match and his father had a successful transplant just before Covid hit the world.

James and his father were both military men. James was actually a tank commander in the first gulf war. When he was being deployed, his father would say: "You're not my son, I'm not your father, we're just two grown men saying goodbye...". This song breaks me every time I hear it. The video was shot in one take, because James wanted the emotion to be raw and genuine. His father was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal kidney disease and this was written as a goodbye. In an positive irony, the song was so popular, it got the attention of a distant relative who turned out to be a match for a kidney donation and his dad is now doing well he spent 2020 in isolation in a hospital. James said and still does say his father is his hero there is no bad blood between them the video actually shows just how much he loves him and doesn’t want him to die. This song is extremely special 👍🏻😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

He wrote and sang this song when his dad thought he was dying as he had stage 4 chronic kidney disease his father's kidneys were functioning at 11%, James said he had to tell him that he sees him more than a father but his friend and he loves him. Thankfully his father got better and is still alive 4 years later

His father had donated a kidney years ago, then his remaining kidney failed, and he couldn't find a matching donor. A distant cousin saw this video and came forward and was a match. His dad got a transplant, and it saved his life. Everyone was crying doing this recording, and apparently, his dad looked at everyone and said, "Why are you crying, I'm still here. Both army officers, beautiful relationship between them. Great reaction, I love you let it play out without pausing the video.

I think that the "I'm not your son, your not my father" means that this point in our lives, the natural father/son relationship with father as the protector is changing. His father has stage 4 kidney disease and was dying. It has to be frightening going to sleep at night not knowing if you are going to wake up the next day. Just like as a little kid being afraid of the dark and having your Dad come in and chase away the monsters after a bad dream. James is telling his dad, that you protected me when I was little, not it is my turn to take care of and protect you. What an absolutely beautiful tribute to his father.

This song reminds me of my father's decision to be euthanized. We were all there with him, me, my sister, my brother, my mother as his pain finally ended. Afterwards, we shared stories, we laughed and we cried, but it was fine. He left life with his dignity intact.

Chasing the monsters would probably be something from his childhood. We parents always chase the monsters away if our children have nightmares. JMO Damn song always makes me cry.

Oh gosh , I lost my dad to covid in 2021 , this was our song 😢xxx I’m crying now , I didn’t get to say goodbye to him , gosh it hurts , but now it’s my turn to chase the monsters away x dads in England always chase the monsters from under the bed on a night x

Chasing the monsters away is what parents do for their children when they are scared.

I sob like a baby every time I hear this song. My dad died when he was 48 and I was 24 - It's heart-breaking that my daughters and grandchildren never knew him. Now I'm going to have to go and find something funny to watch or I'll be in a weepy mood all day!

The monsters he’s referring to go way back to childhood. Scared of the dark, what’s under the bed, and daddy chasing all the monsters away so you’re safe again. This incredibly beautiful, raw, stunningly tender tribute to his father is One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.

His dad was dying but this song brought forward distant relative who donated a kidney and saved him all proceeds from this went to help for heroes charity both James and his father were soldiers

If they live long enough, we all become parents to our parents.

I love to sing this song it makes me cry every time FATHERS CALL YOUR SONS AND SONS CALL YOUR FATHERS TELL HIM THAT YOU LOVE HIM

What he meant by he chased the monsters away is what every parent does with their children ..when they're scared at night..... When they think there's a boogie man or somebody in the closet... They check under the bed and they open the doors and they chase the monsters away it's a childhood thing that now his dad can go to sleep and not be afraid of death and he'll chase the monsters or fear of dying away

He was a Tank commander in the Bosnia conflict, So he as seen some real shit. He is very witty very clever.

When he sang this, exactly as you see and hear it, his dad had approx 4 weeks to live. I think it is important to know that his death was imminent and highly likely.

James Blunt prevented WW3, brilliant guy and totally funny as well! True Brit! Saved the world and doesn't boast about it!

The 'monsters' have two meanings, I think. For the child, the father would be reassuring the child about the unknown monsters in the darkness. But as an adult, the 'child' is comforting his parent who is facing the unknown monster of death.

I lost my Dad when I was 10 years old he died slowly of cancer for 9 months. I look foward to seeing him again in God's wonderland. I am 79. Luv u all😊

Im not your son your not my father were just two grown men saying goodbye !!!! 😢 it hits so hard 😭

Listen to James Blunt.."Youre Beautiful" ...thats the song that put him on the map.

I lost my dad when i was 3 yo. Now im 24. We don't have so much memories together but still i can feel the pain when listening to this song

This is very powerful and I have never heard it before. I lost my dad when I was 22 years old, a long time ago now, I was the last person in the family to see him before he died. He was in hospital in a coma but when I called him he opened his eyes and his eyes were without any colour he was very close to death. I am 72 years old now living in England so I am amazed that I haven’t heard this song before. Thanks for sharing.

For me, chasing the monsters away means, when I was little I thought there were monsters hiding under the bed or in the closet when going to sleep in my room and daddy always said he'd. chase them away so there was no need to be afraid. Now it's my turn to do the same for daddy as he's the one lying in bed.

There was no broken relationship, he was approaching his father's imminent death as an adult, on equal terms with his father and not as a scared child.

No, he adored and respected his father, the emotion here is real and heartbreaking, he was his best friend, this was written when James and his siblings found out about his fathers terminal illness and really there wasn't much hope. His father was dying here....

My father died last June. I didn't mourn him as I should have as he had had dementia and I grieved during those years. This is second time I've seen this and the second time a grown man of 65 is sat in tears.

Chasing the monsters away is the son staying by his dads bedside till his dad takes his last breath and dies...

Parents are eternal. And the they age but are still vibrant. And the they get really old. My parents are fantastic and luckily I realized that while they were still were mobile. They exposed me to new and exiting things and I was able to return the favor. If you have good parents, appreciate your parents and do what you can for them. You have the benefit of time on your side unless your parents were older when you were born. Do it now. Time runs out.

The astonishing thing about this is that it's genuine. That is his dad, who really was not expecting to live. And it's terribly English. The Blounts (pronounced 'blunt') (James has changed the spelling to make it easier for the public), are one of those English aristocratic families who for generations have supplied officers for the British Army. Not joking - the first one I know of fighting for England was doing so in the 14th century! James was at least a 4th generation officer in more recent years. So there's all the passionate suppressed emotion of the 'stiff upper lip'. With all the crew crying the father apparently seemed a bit nonplussed and said 'I'm not dead yet!" This has obviously sold massively, but the profits have gone to military charities. James distinguished himself in the Kosovo Intervention. He seems to have prevented a Third World War. The Russians, not then under Putin, were sympathetic to the Serbs, but not actually fighting us. They had taken control of an airfield. A gung-ho American general ordered Captain Blunt to take on the Russians. Bravely, James refused - disappointing some Paras under his command - while he awaited British orders. Later, our wise General Jackson countermanded the order.

Fuck I am in tears wow .. James blunt wow totally forgot about your voice but lyrically this track as got me .. James blunt use to be a soldier but then left the army and became a pop star over here in the UK..

" Tell my Father " is another wonderful song . There is a version ,Dying soldier sings T.M.F. with his son .❤

apparantly the line "I'm not your son, you're not my father, we're just two grown men saying goodbye" is what they'd say to each other before being deployed.

They were both in the forces his father was a pilot and James was captain in the Army.

James and carrei fisher(princess leia).The unexpected pair were close friends, and they met just before Blunt made his debut album, Back to Bedlam, in 2004. When he told Fisher he was recording in LA, she said he should live with her. So he moved into the Fisher-Reynolds compound, recording his Top 10 hit Goodbye My Lover using a piano in Fisher's bathroom.He lives on a super yacht in ibiza a party island (watch kevin & perry go large movie for ibiza insight very funny)

verry emotional wow first time hearing that xxx great

if someone no crying after hear this song, i told you, you are happines person in this world, because you still have complete parents, if you already lose some of your parent, you will crying everytime you hear this song, this song is related to person like me, too emotional, don't care how old you are, and when that sad situation happen, that shit time will make some big hole in your hearth, and can't be fix it

I buried my mum when I was 17 & my dad passed away on the 07th of march this year, So nearly a month ago & this song was playing by chance when I got home from his funeral , So its always going to stick in my mind , x NOW it just keeps popping up all the time So strange as before

I lost my father when I just turned sixteen, this did and always does bring tears and a massive lump in my throat.

He was commissioned into the Life Guards, a reconnaissance regiment. He rose to the rank of captain

This is a man of many admirable talents : humble , brave and very funny ........ oh and he has written a few good songs 😂🤘❤️ .

Wow was not think of my dad but he came flooding back to me.

They were both in the British military and I read when either was deployed they would say 'i'm not your son, ur not my father we're just two grown men saying goodbye'.

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭beautiful song reminds me of my dad 💕

Yes the meaning like when u were a child have nightmares about monsters dad came in scared the monsters away so u could back to sleep. Now his dad old and dieing and now he'll make his monsters go away before his passing but if so now son will chase his monsters away.

I think he is singing about it is his turn to take the monsters away and when his did helped him when he was a little boy who thought monsters was in his room and his dad took them away.

To say that I love and adore James Blunt and his music would be an hugely inadequate statement. He is brilliant. Please listen to more of his music -❤❤

Listen to " the living Years " by Mike & the Mechanics...song about his father. Also another great one is from Cat Steven's it's called " Father and Son "

I have a disfunctional relationship with my father. Suffice it to say he is a VERY difficult person to get along with. However I drade to immagine the time when he goes on his final journey. He is my father after all and I wouldn't be without him not to mention he has done a lot for me, my future and the future of my future heir. What I am trying to say is love your parents and understand they love you, no matter the relationship between you.

This is the first time I have really listened to that track...... who's chopping onions in here?!😭

One of the most intense, emotional songs in many decades. I cry every time I hear this.

I'm thrilled you'll be making reaction videos!!!!

Always makes me cry😢

Children have there monsters and the fathers drive the monsters away by being there for them but there comes a time when children grow into adults and their parent begin to recede as their lives come to a close, this is when the roles reverse, the time has come for the child to chase the monsters away to protect and support them in their final years.

I had a very difficult relationship with my father throughout our lives, following his death this had and still does have me in tears, James Blunt's father at the time he wrote this had stage 4 kidney disease and was dying, his father had already donated a kidney previously himself so was in real trouble, it was because of the song and the publicity that they found a donor and his father survived.

It's a common thing in the UK for children to believe there are monsters under the bed and on the bad nights the parents would have to come back up to the bedroom to make sure there are none there or if there are they would chase them away, so the kid could then go to sleep peacefully.

Hi Joel , it's a beautiful song (pierre)

He did chase the monsters away for his dad. A distant relative saw this video and reached out. He got tested and was a match.

When you were a young Child you can have fear of Monsters hiding in your Bedroom. It was your Father that chased those Monsters away.

They had a brilliant relationship

מהמם .שיר מדהים מאוד מרגש❤❤אהבתי את התגובה שלך🫶🫶🫶

I think he means that now as a grown-up it's his turn to be the dad and chase away the monsters - role reversal.

That is his Dad in the video, they were both soldiers in the British Army james was actually one of the Queens guard, they filmed the video In one take and they are real tears when they shouted cut the whole studio were in tear expect his father, who was just sitting there like what is wrong with you all. That British stiff upper lip.

Makes me cry every time I hear it. It reminds me of my brother being with my father the night before my father died and how even after years of arguing and conflict between them, that night they drank beers and reminisced over the years laughing at their similarities. The following early hours of the morning my father left this world. A beautiful song with beautiful sentiments, a must listen for every man at some time. Good reaction.👍💜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Hello Joel. I had not seen this, so very interesting. Further to other comments, keeping monsters away is like a bedtime saying after a bedtime story for little kids. For an example of this staged on a large scale see the London Olympic opening ceremony, with kids depicted as in hospital, which then celebrated the NHS. You may have seen this already? It also featured the Queen with James Bond, further to your previous video about secret services.

it is a very sad song, it makes me think of my dad who has dementia, but he's not gone yet he is just not who he used to be anymore with this illness

Love this song

His dad's distant cousin saw this video and came forward to see if he matched for kidney donation,he did, successful 👍transplant so far 4 yrs on. James and his two sisters tried too of course but they weren't a good enough match.

Joel don’t do this to us First thing in the morning I am crying now brings back sad memories when I lost my parents That was a sad time for me. But I did enjoy it the words so true

All is well now with James Blunt & his father. His song at the time was true, as his father was going to die. Thankfully he had a new donor not long after the song fortunately.

It's the line about folding the clothes on the chair and his father patting his arm that always get me the most.

I just buried my father 3 weeks ago.......boy this had me in bits.

James is a remarkable artist. He isn't afraid to show emotion in his songs. It's hard to realise here that he was a tank commander , a captain in the British army, and served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After releasing this someone came forward who was a match for donating a kidney. Incidentally his father was a helicopter pilot and I think a colonel in the British army.

Hi Joel, a very powerful recording, taken in one take, apparently, I never had a good father/son relationship and he died so suddenly that I never got to say goodbye. This song hurts, it really does, still life resumed and I'm here to tell the tale. I hope you don't have to face that time too for a long, long time. Cheers DougT

You gave the video the respect to actually watch/listen to the entire video before commenting and that is why I subscribed to you. It actually drives me crazy when someone pauses a video multiple times to talk, because you're not getting the effect the singer wanted you to have of listening to the whole song.

I'm a Brit and how come I missed this one? I started watching this as "white noise" but very soon it had my total attention. I have two adult sons (my wife died suddenly many years ago when they were 15 and 8 years) and to say the least found this very emotional.

Hi Joel I lost my father over 20 years ago but I still cry my heart out hearing this I hope your doing ok sending love from England x x

My Dad passed a year ago. He had Alzheimers and this song kills me.

Blunt was a serving officer (Capt) in the Life Guards, a cavalry regiment, and served with NATO during the conflict in Kosovo. His recording, No Bravery, is a lyrical masterpiece against war. His father was a Colonel and the family has military service going back to Anglo-Saxon times. This is why the recording is so impactfull, in that the singer/songwriter is from a military background and educated at the British equivalent to West Point - Sandhurst.

When I saw you were reacting to James Blunt I thought please NO! but I listened and am I Glad I did Wow wow wow What a song!! I'm even going to download it!!! Incredible, you should check out NO Son of Mine by Genesis! and Queen Who wants to Live Forever

Chase the monsters away, He wants his father to die in peace And not be frightened

He happened to be in the Life Guards Regiment which is a reconnaissance regiment and he was fighting in t(e Balkans in the 90s I think his voice is so distinctive

to early stopped.... the thing that breaks me was, when after you stopped the Video his father touched James' arm again as he is proud of him!

It's the change where as the child your dad is dying and you have to be the grown up and take the role they had, to make sure there.are no monsters under the bed and you can sleep safe. This song always makes me think of loosing my dad, saying to him that it I ok to let go and sleep for that final time

Yes it hits you right at the heart. A lovely human reaction❤

Never heard that one before. I'll admit I did let a few drops fall. Thanks for the reaction. 👍❤

Never heard this song before, very touching. Makes me wish I could've had a relationship with my dad, he left when I was a baby and when I was grown he told me he didn't have time to be a dad or a grandfather. His loss. However this is a beautiful song, very sad, wish I could've had a relationship with my dad. I'm glad to hear that you'll be playing more music videos, miss them.

Listen yo marcalitto pomey "the prayer" you won't be disappointed

I haveover the last 20 months lost all of my immediate family, Borther, Mother and last month my Father. This song is one that always brings me tears and smiles

Joel.. Thank you for reacting to this.. It's so moving

At the time he sung this his father who was also on the video was dying. The song was seen by a distant relative who gave his dad a kidney. So you will be glad to know this saved his life. They both served in action in the armed forces.

It is hard to sing when you really cry. I love James, he is wonderful and that was his Dad. His Father allowed him to record this so James could keep it. It was one take with no auto tune. There was no break in that relationship. Both James and his Father, Charles were in the Military. They have always been very close. Releasing this song found a first Cousin also named Charles. He came forward and was a match for a kidney transplant. So saying goodbye to his father actually saved him.

OMG goosebumps and tears!

My interpretation was that instead of coming to his father for all of his anxieties and fear he's going to have to learn to move himself and the father in the video always has a firm face showing no fear or almost showing him how to be a man or strong maybe he's saying you don't have to have that face anymore you can feel more and let your guard down there's no more battles the son is going to find happiness of his own an show the father that he can do it..

The relationship was not broken. It was a reversal of protection They are both grown men saying goodbye but he still called him daddy. It was his way of saying goodbye and letting him know he loved him.

Both father and son were in the military. Whenever one or the other was deployed, they would say to each other “we’re not father and son, we’re just two men saying goodbye.” They were not estranged at all. But those words had special meaning To them

This dude is amazing and need to thank him for he’s service in the British army and he’s service for fighting with nato !

Powerful song indeed Joel. My dad went unexpectedly at 72. Now 25 years later, I still miss him everyday. As for another Brit band and song, how about about Supertramp's Logical Song or Crime of the Century? Have a great day everyone. It's finally raining here instead of snowing. Cheers, John in Canada

Fathers reassure children they will protect them for real or imagined monsters, but now that they're older and the father needs protected from the monsters of aging and disease, the son is promising that reassurance.