History
Formed in 1987, Backyard Babies originally consisted of singer/bassist Tobbe (Tobias Fischer), guitarist Dregen, guitarist Johan Blomqvist, and drummer Peder Carlsson. They were then called Tyrant and played several live shows in their local area and recorded a rough demo. Tobbe was soon replaced by frontman Nicke Borg on vocals and guitar, and Blomqvist switched to bass. Fischer went on to be a professional photographer and web designer in Stockholm, continuing to work occasionally with his old bandmates.
In 1989, the band changed their name to Backyard Babies and recorded two more demos and did a national tour of Sweden. The band self-released a debut EP titled Something to Swallow. This got them signed in 1993 by Swedish label Megarock Records.
Backyard Babies released their debut album Diesel & Power in 1994. The music on it took influences from rock, punk, and blues. In addition to the album, the band also released the single "Electric Suzy" with a cover of "Taxi Driver" by Hanoi Rocks as the B-side. After touring with former Hanoi Rocks members in Demolition 23 and doing a short headline tour in late 1995, premiering new songs that remain unreleased, the band was put on hiatus, as guitarist Dregen formed the garage rock band The Hellacopters. Dregen appeared on two albums with the Hellacopters" Supershitty to the Max! (1996) and Payin' the Dues (1997).
The Backyard Babies reunited in 1997, with a new record contract with MVG Records. They recorded their most critically acclaimed album, Total 13. Critics compared the album favorably to the New York Dolls, Ramones, and The Damned. They toured the United Kingdom with good response. A single was released from the album, "Bombed (Out of My Mind)", with the B-side "Rocker" featuring a duet with Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe. Their next single was the self-released "Is It Still Alright to Smile?". The B-side of the single was a cover of the Faster Pussycat track "Babylon" featuring guest appearances from Ginger of the Wildhearts and Nicke Andersson who had played with Dregen in the Hellacopters. In 1998, the band toured the United Kingdom once more, this time in support of Alice Cooper.
After the collaboration on the song "Babylon", Dregen, Ginger, and Nicke Andersson formed the side project Supershit 666, which released a six-track EP in 1999. Dregen returned to the Backyard Babies soon after as the band took off for another tour of the United Kingdom, this time in support of AC/DC.
The Babies recorded a follow-up to Total 13, titled Making Enemies is Good which has been described by some critics as a more "controlled chaos" approach than their previous effort. Two of the singles from it were hits "The Clash" and "Brand New Hate", the latter of which was co-written with Ginger. They toured in support of the album with Motörhead.
On 15 October 2002, Backyard Babies guitarist Dregen was on the front pages of Swedish national newspapers. After returning home from a club where he was DJing, he and his friend were assaulted, robbed, and knocked unconscious. Dregen suffered a broken jaw but the band continued recording their next album; Stockholm Syndrome. The album, released in 2003, was viewed by some fans as a return towards a more energetic and raw sound. The album won them a Swedish Grammy. The album spawned three singles, "Minus Celsius", "A Song for the Outcast" and "Friends".
During 2005, the band toured the United States (with openers The Chelsea Smiles & Crash Kelly) and Europe alongside Social Distortion. The album People Like People Like People Like Us, produced by Nicke Andersson of The Hellacopters, was released in 2006. It spawned two singles: "The Mess Age (How Could I Be So Wrong)" and "Dysfunctional Professional". A self-titled album was released in August 2008. The first single was "Fuck Off and Die". The second single "Degenerated" is supported by an animated video clip. Their self-titled 2008 album reached number 1 on the Swedish albums chart.
The compilation album Them XX was released in 2009 to honor the band's 20th anniversary. The accompanying tour was rumored to be their last. After a hiatus, the band reconvened with an announcement in May 2014. Their 2015 album Four by Four reached number 2 on the Swedish albums chart. In September 2018 they played at the Hard Rock Hell Sleaze festival in Sheffield, England. The band released their eighth studio album, Sliver & Gold, in 2019. In 2022, in an interview with The Sound Lab, Dregen confirmed Backyard Babies were on hiatus due to commitments with The Hellacopters but there were plans to create more music in the future.
Discography
Diesel & Power (1994)
Total 13 (1998)
Making Enemies Is Good (2001)
Stockholm Syndrome (2003)
People Like People Like People Like Us (2006)
Backyard Babies (2008)
Four by Four (2015)
Sliver & Gold (2019)
Ghetto You
Backyard Babies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A story 'bout a broken man
You're just trippin' nowhere
Or is it hard for you to understand
That I'm a man
I'm so sick and tired of you
You better not touch me
And the crazy things you do
I'm getting sick and tired
I'm getting sick and tired
And I'll die just to get to you
Baby, I will lie just to get to you
But I ain't never gonna cry
So you want to hear another story
Another story in a different place
But when it comes to lovin'
I will leave you with a broken face
'Cause I'm a man
I'm so sick and tired of you
You better not touch me
I'm so sick and tired of you
And the crazy things you do
I'm getting sick and tired
I'm getting sick and tired
And I'll die just to get to you
Baby, I will lie just to get to you
But I ain't never gonna cry
No way
I don't believe that I will live forever
But I do believe that I will die
And I'm gonna drive by a hundred miles
'Cause I'm a high-flying sucker with a super smile
Die
Just to get to you
Baby, I will lie just to get to you
But I ain't gonna cry
Just to get to you
Baby, I will die
Just to get to you
Baby, I will die, die
Just to get to you
And, baby, I will lie
Just to get to you
But I ain't gonna cry
Just to get to you
But, baby, I will die
Just to get to you
The Backyard Babies song "Ghetto You" is a raw and gritty rock song about a broken man who is sick of the crazy things his lover does. The singer is frustrated and fed up with their relationship, but still feels a strong desire to be with this person, even if it means lying and potentially dying for them. He asserts his masculinity, claiming to be a "man" despite feeling powerless in their relationship. The repeated refrain of "I'm so sick and tired of you" shows how he feels like he's reached a breaking point, but still can't fully let go.
The lyrics are full of aggression, with the singer threatening to leave his lover with a "broken face" even as he sings about his love for them. The reference to the ghetto and the use of the word "sucker" suggests that this relationship is complicated by issues of race and class. The repeated desire to die for his lover also hints at a dangerous, self-destructive streak in the singer's personality.
Line by Line Meaning
You want to hear a story
The singer is about to tell a story.
A story 'bout a broken man
The story is about a man who is broken, likely emotionally.
You're just trippin' nowhere
The listener is not understanding the story.
Or is it hard for you to understand
The artist questions if the story is difficult for the listener to understand.
That I'm a man
The artist is asserting his identity as a man.
I'm so sick and tired of you
The singer is exhausted and annoyed with the listener.
You better not touch me
The singer does not want to be touched by the listener.
And the crazy things you do
The listener has done something irrational or unpredictable.
I'm getting sick and tired
The artist is reaching a point of frustration and exhaustion.
And I'll die just to get to you
The artist is willing to make extreme sacrifices to be with the listener.
Baby, I will lie just to get to you
The singer is willing to be dishonest in order to be with the listener.
But I ain't never gonna cry
The artist will not show weakness or vulnerability.
So you want to hear another story
The singer is going to tell another story.
Another story in a different place
This story will take place in a different location or setting.
But when it comes to lovin'
The story will be about love or romance.
I will leave you with a broken face
The artist will cause harm to the listener's face or reputation.
'Cause I'm a man
The artist is again asserting his identity as a man.
I don't believe that I will live forever
The singer acknowledges his own mortality.
But I do believe that I will die
Despite his mortality, the singer is confident in his own power or agency.
And I'm gonna drive by a hundred miles
The artist is going to make a large effort or go a great distance.
'Cause I'm a high-flying sucker with a super smile
The artist is confident in his own abilities and charm.
Just to get to you
The artist reiterates his willingness to make any sacrifice to be with the listener.
And, baby, I will lie
The singer will not hesitate to be dishonest to reach his goal.
But I ain't gonna cry
The artist prides himself on his strength and lack of weakness.
Just to get to you
The goal of being with the listener remains the singer's top priority.
But, baby, I will die
The singer again emphasizes his willingness to make extreme sacrifices.
Just to get to you
The singer repeats his commitment.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREAS SVENSSON, ANDREAS TYRONE SVENSSON, NIKLAS ROGER BORG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tempofreak69
This song was one of the best they did in concert the other night in Zurich.
504Billyrocker
Great song from the best-kick-ass-album-forever-TOTAL13
Rich_Lex
Great live band..Reading 2001...
ladyroxie74
Yesssssssssssssss!
Pascal Dizeux
Toujours fantasmagoriques
dalziel1172
tuneeeeeeeeee
sandrakate klaus
YOU HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS PLOTS ACCORDING TO MY MEMORY and I also spies but I can figure that out
You know that until recently I could remember.
you andreas dregen tyrone ...
I repeat I do not care anything about your nosy women and children who had had really ruined my life for it.
I did not hurt anyone when I was abused by my father, my brother, my uncles and other men in Colombia who stole my meria my life all my blocking any area of my life
now I think you're complicit in this too
why ??? dregen
and my serious commitment of marriage with you since we were 13 years was what you did traitor
me sandra now kate