"That's Not My Name" rose to the top of the U.K. charts in May 2008, the same month that the duo's debut album, We Started Nothing, appeared. The Ting Tings spent the rest of 2008 and a large part of 2009 touring in support of the album, which eventually sold over two million copies worldwide, won the 2009 Ivor Novello Award for Best Album, and earned the group a Best New Artist Grammy nomination that December. Early in 2010, De Martino and White moved to Berlin to work on songs for their second album. Inspired by the city's atmosphere and the cold weather, they went in a darker, more electronic direction with their new songs. In August 2010, the Ting Tings offered a taste of their new material, premiering the single "Hands" -- which was mixed by Calvin Harris -- on BBC Radio 1 and officially releasing it that October. After extensive touring and over eight months recording in Germany and Spain, in March 2012 the Ting Tings offered their sophomore album, Sounds from Nowheresville, a collection of songs inspired by the exuberant freedom of the Beastie Boys' classic Paul's Boutique. Two years later, third album Super Critical surfaced. Its October release date was preceded by the April release of first single "Wrong Club."
Great DJ
The Ting Tings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swallow words one by one
Your folks got high at a quarter to five
Don't you feel your growing up undone
Nothing but the local DJ
He said he had some songs to play
What went down from his fooling around
Gave hope and a brand new day
Imagine all the girls
Ah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
And the boys
Ah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
And the strings
Eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee
And the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums
Nothing was the same again
All about where and when
Blowing our minds in our life unkind
Gotta love the BPM
When the smoke was all baton
Remember how this begun
We wore his love like a hand in a glove
Where the future plays it all night long
And nothing but the girls
Ah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
And the boys
Ah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
And the strings
Eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee
And the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums
Imagine all the girls
Ah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
And the boys,
Ah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
And the strings
Eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee
And the drums
Ah ah ah ah, ah, ah, ah, oh
And all the girls
Ah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
And the boys
Ah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
And the strings
Eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee, eee
And the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums
The lyrics to The Ting Tings' "Great DJ" reflect the feeling of being stuck in a monotonous routine and longing for something bigger and better. The line "Fed up with your indigestion, swallow words one by one" expresses frustration with the mundane and repetitive nature of daily life. The mention of "your folks" getting high suggests a desire for escapism and a break from the ordinary.
The song's central figure is the local DJ mentioned in the chorus. He provides a glimmer of hope, promising to play songs that will blow listeners' minds and make them feel alive. The singer remembers how it all began, and how wearing the DJ's love like a hand in a glove was a source of comfort and inspiration.
In the chorus, the repetition of "imagine all the girls and the boys and the strings and the drums" adds to the overall feeling of anticipation. The music represents a way to break free from the monotony and take part in something bigger and more exciting. Overall, "Great DJ" captures the desire to break out of a rut and find something more meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Fed up with your indigestion
Tired of your inability to accept things as they are
Swallow words one by one
Keep quiet and bottle up emotions
Your folks got high at a quarter to five
Your parents enjoyed getting high in the late afternoon
Don't you feel your growing up undone
Do you feel like you are not maturing as you should?
Nothing but the local DJ
Only the neighborhood DJ mattered to us
He said he had some songs to play
He promised to play some great tracks
What went down from his fooling around
What happened while he played his music
Gave hope and a brand new day
Made us feel optimistic about the future
Imagine all the girls
Think of all the women out there
And the boys
And all the men
And the strings
And the soothing sound of the strings
And the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums
And the thunderous noise of the drums
Nothing was the same again
Everything changed after that pivotal moment
All about where and when
It all depended on the timing and the place
Blowing our minds in our life unkind
Making us forget all our hardships for a while
Gotta love the BPM
You have to appreciate the beat per minute of the song
When the smoke was all baton
When everything around us was hazy and chaotic
Remember how this begun
Let us not forget how it all started
We wore his love like a hand in a glove
We felt passionately about the DJ's music
Where the future plays it all night long
Where they play music all night long
And all the girls
Don't forget about all the ladies
And the boys
And all the gentlemen
And the strings
And the calming sound of the strings
And the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums
And the deafening sound of the drums
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Katie White, Jules De Martino
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind