Triple Tone Eyes was written about a girl whose eyes were three different colours. Yes, I can be very literal sometimes!

We had an intense fling while I was living in France in the late ‘90s.

Another guy who was out there had a big old Citroen and he drove us and his girlfriend around Southern France and Northern Spain, camping wherever we could find to pitch up. It was an epic road trip that lasted until the girl had to go back to her boyfriend(!) in the UK.

I was feeling pretty lonely and generally missing her when the lyrics were written a couple of weeks later.

I think the bit about hoping I was in a coma was inspired by Girlfriend In A Coma. The book, not the Smiths song. Although, to be honest, I can’t be sure.

The slightly overdramatic chorus lyrics are a good indication of how intensely I was feeling things at the time. Ah, the joys of youth.

I initially came up with the words over a track I’d recorded from the radio – I can’t remember what it was. Not having any equipment out in France meant my only source of music to sing or rap over was French radio.

Which is why when it came to recording the song for the album we were a bit stuck.

Then, after scratching our heads for a while, Jay suggested I try singing it over an instrumental he’d made himself. As luck would have it, it was in the right tempo and key and the song fitted perfectly.

I’m pretty sure this was the last song we recorded for the album, and I think I was definitely singing better by that stage of the process. Still hadn’t managed to completely shake the American accent though!

• Just Jack newsletter, 2022