In that time, they've been signed to one of the great indie labels, played sold-out shows in Germany and Sweden, wowed the crowds at the Indietracks and Swn festivals, toured the UK and recorded an album. They've received airplay on BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 music and XFM, and had glowing reviews in places such as the Metro, The Fly and The Guardian, the latter calling their Henry Rollins Don't Dance single on WeePOP! Records "the best indiepop song for years".
Their first single for Fortuna Pop!, The Polaroid Song, was released in December 2009. That song made it into the Drowned in Sound Top 50 Singles of the Year, and garnered them further great reviews. "I'm sort of scared at how brilliant Allo Darlin' are, and could be. Disarming and self-effacing they might be, but when they smack you square on the nose with a pop song so instantly loveable as The Polaroid Song it makes my jaw drop in awe." (A Layer of Chips blog)
Their debut album Allo Darlin' was released in June 2010, and another single Dreaming was preceded this in March. The album was recorded at Soup with producer Simon Trought, underneath the Duke of Uke shop in Brick Lane.
The band amicably disbanded in 2016.
Silver Dollars
Allo Darlin' Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That these pennies are silver dollars and the music won't end
Yeah my love for you is so much deeper than these pockets
I'll spend all I have on you and I'll burn it up like a rocket
And yeah I sold all my records but I'm still in debt by two grand
And yeah we played that show but we spent what we made on the cab
I'm even starting to wish that I'd finished a legal vocation
And all I want to know is where do we go when this bar closes
And all I want to know is where do we go when this bar closes
And though I've got no money to burn I'm going to burn what I've got
And though this band is awful I like them an awful lot
And though you say we're just friends and that this love is purely platonic
I'm hoping that you'll forget after this round of gin and tonics
We do it because we love it and I'm here because I love you
Yeah we do it because we love it
And I'm here because I love you
And these silver dollars are pretty but they're worthless
Yeah these silver dollars are pretty but they're worthless
Yeah these silver dollars are pretty but they're worthless
The Allo Darlin' song "Silver Dollars" is a beautiful ode to love, music, and the transient nature of life. The lyrics speak of a night out with a loved one, where they can escape the mundane and pretend that the pennies in their pockets are silver dollars. The singer's love for their partner is so deep that they're willing to spend all they have on them, burning it up like a rocket. The line "I'll spend all I have on you" speaks to the idea of living in the moment and cherishing the time you have with someone you love.
The second verse introduces some harsh realities, such as being in debt and never having enough money to go on vacation. Despite this, the singer is still able to find joy in life and chooses to spend their money on something they love - music. The line "And though this band is awful I like them an awful lot" suggests that it's not about the quality of the music, but the passion behind it. The line "I'm here because I love you" reinforces the idea that the singer's love for their partner is what keeps them going.
The final verse brings everything full circle, as they wonder where they'll go when the bar closes. The repetition of this line suggests a reluctance to end the night and return to reality. The line "these silver dollars are pretty but they're worthless" is a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life and how material possessions hold little value in comparison to love and human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh baby take me out tonight and we can pretend
Come and take me out tonight and we'll pretend like everything is perfect.
That these pennies are silver dollars and the music won't end
Let's imagine these worthless pennies are valuable silver dollars and the music will never stop.
Yeah my love for you is so much deeper than these pockets
My love for you is greater than the amount of money I have.
I'll spend all I have on you and I'll burn it up like a rocket
I will spend all my money on you and use it up quickly like a rocket.
And yeah I sold all my records but I'm still in debt by two grand
I sold all my personal belongings but I'm still in debt by a large amount.
And yeah we played that show but we spent what we made on the cab
We performed but all of the money we made went towards transportation costs.
I'm even starting to wish that I'd finished a legal vocation
I'm starting to regret not pursuing a more financially stable career in law.
My life would be dull but at least I could go on vacation
Although a legal career might be boring, at least I could afford to take a vacation.
And all I want to know is where do we go when this bar closes
I am curious about where we will go after the bar closes.
And though I've got no money to burn I'm going to burn what I've got
Despite not having much money, I will still spend what little I have.
And though this band is awful I like them an awful lot
Even though this band may not be great, I still enjoy listening to them.
And though you say we're just friends and that this love is purely platonic
Even though you say we're only friends and that our love is not romantic.
I'm hoping that you'll forget after this round of gin and tonics
I'm hoping that alcohol will make you forget that we are only friends.
We do it because we love it and I'm here because I love you
We continue to perform music because we love it and I am here for you because I love you.
And these silver dollars are pretty but they're worthless
Although silver dollars may look nice, they have no real value.
Yeah these silver dollars are pretty but they're worthless
Again, silver dollars may appear appealing, but they are actually worthless.
Contributed by Caden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.