The son of Gibraltarian-British songwriter Albert Hammond, Albert Jr. was sent to the elite boarding school Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland at the age of 13. While there, he met Julian Casablancas, who would go on to be a fellow band member.
In 1998, Albert met up with Julian in New York City and together they formed a band with Julian's former schoolmates: Nick Valensi, Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti.
His trademark is wearing formal suits, usually a different one for each show. Albert is usually seen playing an olympian white Fender Stratocaster, or bandmate Nick Valensi's Les Paul Jr. He is usually associated with the "rhythm" guitar portion of the majority of Strokes songs, and most solos are played by Valensi. The solos in which Albert does play are Last Nite, Trying Your Luck, Take It Or Leave It, Under Control, The End Has No End, Ize Of The World, and Vision Of Division. His solos tend to focus largely on more emotional, "bluesy"-type melodical work, and the guitar tends to have a cleaner, softer tone in comparison to Valensi's (with a noteable exception found in Vision Of Division). He often holds the guitar in a high horizontal position, similar to Bob Dylan and Ian Curtis.
Although vocalist Julian Casablancas is the major contributor to the songwriting process for The Strokes' music, Albert has been known to write a few pieces of his own. He has been credited to writing three mostly instrumental songs (Swiss Beats, Holland, and By The Way) for the bands' 2001 tour video entitled "In Transit". He had also written a song called "Elephant Song", in which Albert used when he was was required to record a song for his Sound 101 class in freshman year, using the school's recording equipment. The song was played at a few shows before the release of their first album. The Strokes were to later rerecord the song as a special giveaway for fanclub members.
Hammond released his debut solo album on October 9th in the United Kingdom. Entitled "Yours to Keep," the album features musical guests such as Sean Lennon, Ben Kweller, and even The Strokes' manager Ryan Gentles and lead singer Julian Casablancas. Bassist Josh Lattanzi and drummer Matt Romano serve as the backing band, with Albert the main singer and guitarist. It was produced by former Thin Lizard Dawn vocalist Greg Lattimer at the Electric Ladyland Studios.
Hammond played his first solo dates at the end of October in a few cities including New York City and Philadelphia. He is set to tour the UK and Europe in November and December 2006, and provides support to Incubus on their forthcoming US tour of January/February 2007.
Albert has finished working on his second solo album with the title "Como Te Llama?", which was released on 8th of July in 2008. The new CD gets 8/10 in NME! This 8th of July is incidentally the first date of his world tour, which kicks off at the Virgin Store in his hometown of NYC. Dates in LA, as well as Japan and Australia have been already scheduled. Cont.
Hard to live
Albert Hammond Jr. Lyrics
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Yes, it's hard to live, so hard to live in the city
I've been following you for blocks
And I wish that you would stop and tell me your name
But I couldn't understand
What you told me as you ran away
Don't let anybody know
That it's hard to live, it's hard to live in the city
Yes, it's hard to live, it's hard to live in the city
There's something about you that I couldn't tell
And you were always crazy and I didn't like that
There's something about you that I knew so well
To all those questions, I have no answers
I wish that I could sit in the sun
So just lay your head down low
Don't let anybody know
That it's hard to live, it's hard to live in the city
Yes, it's hard to live, so hard to live in the city
What are you asking? No need for walking out
You took all I could keep
You couldn't even tell me, the look was on you face
I'll think that we have left
To all those questions, I have no answers
I wish that I could sit in the sun
In "Hard to live in the city," Albert Hammond Jr. sings about the difficulties of living in a metropolitan area. He laments about the fast-paced life that can leave you feeling lost and like just another face in the crowd. The chorus echoes throughout the song, emphasizing just how challenging it can be to live in a bustling city.
In the first verse, he talks about following someone he was interested in, but they ran away before he could understand their name. It serves to highlight how difficult it is to connect with people in a city where everyone is always on the move.
The second verse is more of a soliloquy, with Hammond talking about how there is something about the other person he can't quite figure out. He admits he finds them crazy and unappealing, yet he still feels like he knows them.
The bridge is somewhat cryptic, with Hammond talking about being asked questions but not having answers. He wishes he could escape from the hustle and bustle and just sit in the sun.
Overall, "Hard to live in the city" is a commentary on the difficulties of making meaningful connections in a city. Despite the song's overarching melancholy tone, it is still relatable to anyone who has felt lost in a big city.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's hard to live, it's hard to live in the city
Living in the city is a difficult experience
Yes, it's hard to live, so hard to live in the city
The difficulty of living in the city is reiterated
I've been following you for blocks
The singer has been following someone they are interested in
And I wish that you would stop and tell me your name
The singer desires to know the name of the person they have been following
But I couldn't understand
The person being followed said something that couldn't be understood
What you told me as you ran away
The person being followed ran away after speaking to the singer
So just lay your head down low
The singer advises someone to keep their troubles to themself
Don't let anybody know
The singer advises someone to keep their difficulties private
That it's hard to live, it's hard to live in the city
The struggles of living in the city is reiterated
There's something about you that I couldn't tell
The singer can't quite figure out what they feel regarding the person they are following
And you were always crazy and I didn't like that
The person being followed had qualities that the singer didn't appreciate
There's something about you that I knew so well
Despite the uncertainty, the singer was very familiar with the person they are following
To all those questions, I have no answers
The singer is searching for answers but hasn't found them yet
I wish that I could sit in the sun
The singer desires a moment of peace and relaxation
What are you asking? No need for walking out
The singer is wondering why the person they are following is leaving
You took all I could keep
The person being followed has already taken everything the singer had to offer
You couldn't even tell me, the look was on you face
The singer struggled to read the person being followed's facial expressions and understand their true feelings
I'll think that we have left
The singer might have lost the moment to connect with the person being followed
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALBERT JR HAMMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind