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.
In My Room
Albert Hammond Jr. Lyrics
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I can hear you as you walk away
You are in my room
That's where I'll be
In my room
After all you're so excited
By all the dick you get invited to
You mustn't change
I won't go back
'Cause you don't want me
Well, I miss you already
I miss you already (ooh)
You see it all got so heavy
I miss you already
I'm so afraid that I'll wake up
All alone with the door shut
In my room
That's where I'll be
In my room
She's in my room
Well, I miss you already
I miss you already
You see it all got so heavy (eh)
Well, I miss you already
In Albert Hammond Jr.'s song "In My Room," the lyrics are a poignant reflection on loss and heartbreak. The singer laments the end of a relationship and the pain of seeing their former partner move on. The opening lines, "What's the use of all this talkin'? / I can hear you as you walk away," suggest that the breakup has already happened, and there is nothing left to say. The singer is left alone, with only the memory of their former lover lingering in their empty room.
The song's chorus, "Well, I miss you already / I miss you already / You see it all got so heavy," repeats the overwhelming feeling of loss that the singer is experiencing. They acknowledge that the weight of the relationship became too much to bear, but at the same time, they can't help but miss their ex. The line "After all you're so excited / By all the dick you get invited to" further emphasizes the singer's feelings of rejection and inadequacy.
The final stanza, "I'm so afraid that I'll wake up / All alone with the door shut / In my room / That's where I'll be / In my room / She's in my room," encapsulates the fear of being alone and unable to move on from the relationship. The song ends with a sense of uncertainty and sadness, as the singer is forced to come to terms with the fact that their ex has moved on.
Line by Line Meaning
What's the use of all this talkin'?
Why do we bother talking when you're just going to walk away anyway?
I can hear you as you walk away
Your words are echoing in my mind as you leave.
You are in my room
Your memory is haunting me, even in my own private space.
That's where I'll be
I'm retreating to my room as a safe haven from everything that's happened.
In my room
My room is the only place where I can escape from the harsh reality of this situation.
After all you're so excited
You're so caught up in the thrill of the moment and the attention you're getting.
By all the dick you get invited to
You're enjoying the company of other guys who want to be with you.
But now I know
I've come to a realization about the situation.
You mustn't change
You are who you are, and I can't expect you to be different.
I won't go back
I won't subject myself to this treatment again.
'Cause you don't want me
It's clear that you're not interested in me anymore.
Well, I miss you already
Despite everything, I still long for your presence.
You see it all got so heavy
The weight of our situation became too much for me to bear.
I'm so afraid that I'll wake up
My fear of being alone is so great that it infiltrates my dreams.
All alone with the door shut
I'll be in complete isolation, shutting out the rest of the world.
She's in my room
Even though you've left physically, your presence is still felt in my space.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Albert Jr Hammond
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind