Biffy, as they are often referred to, utilise a quiet/loud dynamic, constructing songs that can range from a whisper-quiet pick on the guitar, to huge walls of noise with massive distortion and crashing drums. Their sound has simplified somewhat in recent times yet still occasionally contains complex time signatures and heavy riffs. While Simon Neil sings lead, all three members provide vocals. "'Mon the Biffy!" is a well known chant amongst Biffy fans; it is usually shouted in between songs at gigs, or before the band come on stage. Some fans have reacted poorly to the band's recent output.
The first incarnation of what would eventually become Biffy Clyro was formed in 1995 by fifteen-year-old Irvine-born, Ayr-raised guitarist Simon Neil, who recruited Kilmarnock-born Ben Johnston and someone known only as Barry on drums and bass respectively, calling themselves Screwfish. Barry was soon replaced by James Johnston, Ben's twin brother, and the three spent the next two years rehearsing, writing and covering songs. In 1997, they played their first gig as the support for a band called Pink Kross at a local youth centre. The trio then moved to Glasgow, where Neil went to the University of Glasgow and the Johnston twins went to Stow College, studying Electronics with Music and Audio Engineering respectively.They then progressed onto the bigger stage
After playing gigs around Glasgow and receiving positive and enthusiastic reactions from the audiences, the band were spotted by Dee Bahl, who soon became their manager. Bahl offered them a chance to release an independent single on Aereogramme's Babi Yaga record label. "Iname" was released on 28 June 1999, and led to the band being chosen by Stow College's Electric Honey record label to release a record. thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow... was released on 13 June 2000, and after hearing it, BBC Radio Scotland DJ Vic Galloway gave the band airplay. A few days prior to the release of thekidswho..., the band were spotted at the Unsigned Bands stage at T in the Park 2000 by a Beggars Banquet representative. Soon after, the band was signed to the independent Beggar's Banquet, and on 30 October 2000, they re-recorded and released the single, "27", which became Kerrang!'s Single Of The Week.
On 1 October 2001, one of the songs from thekidswho... was re-recorded and released as a single, "Justboy". This was repeated on 4 February 2002, when the song "57" was released. On 11 March, the band's debut album, Blackened Sky, was released to generally positive reviews. It was around this time that the band began touring extensively, including being the support for Weezer on 20 March at the Barrowlands in Glasgow. On 15 July, the fourth single from the album, "Joy.Discovery.Invention" was released as a double A-side with a newly recorded song, entitled "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys", which later appeared on The Vertigo of Bliss.
In 2003, the band retreated to the Linford Manor recording studio in Great Linford, Milton Keynes, England to record the follow-up to Blackened Sky. On 24 March, a new single was released entitled, "The Ideal Height", followed by another new single entitled "Questions and Answers" on 28 May. The band's second album, The Vertigo of Bliss was released on 16 June, to positive reviews, which focused on the more experimental style of the album in comparison to Blackened Sky, as well as the introduction of string sections.
In 2004, after touring relentlessly for The Vertigo of Bliss, the band retreated to Monnow Valley Studios in Monmouth, Wales to record a follow-up. As with the previous album, two singles were released before the actual album; "Glitter and Trauma" and "My Recovery Injection" on 9 August and 20 September, respectively. A digital download was also released; "There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake", on 31 May. On 4 October, the band's third album, Infinity Land was released, and on 14 February 2005, the last single from the album, "Only One Word Comes To Mind" was released. On 16 February, the band performed a cover of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" live from Maida Vale on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show. Simon Neil's side project, Marmaduke Duke, also released an album in 2005, The Magnificent Duke, and toured the UK, along with the Johnston twins accompanying on bass and drums, for it.
In 2006, Biffy Clyro left Beggars Banquet and signed a deal with 14th Floor, an offshoot of Warner Bros. In June, the band contributed a cover of Weezer's "Buddy Holly" to Kerrang!'s High Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock, which came free with Issue #1110 of the magazine. In September, the band moved temporarily to Canada to record their fourth album at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, and The Farm Studio in Gibsons, which they finished doing in November. The song "Semi-Mental" was released as a digital download on 25 December. In 2007, the song "Saturday Superhouse" was released on 14 May, where it reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart; the band's highest single chart position to date. On 14 May, the song "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies" was released, reaching #19 on the UK Singles Charts. On 21 May, Biffy were confirmed for T in the Park 2007, as well as being announced as one of the support bands for the 17 June gig at the new Wembley Stadium for Muse. On 1 June, Biffy were confirmed for Glastonbury 2007. On 4 June, Puzzle was released to critical acclaim, and eventually helped the band to reach their highest UK Albums Chart position ever, reaching #2 in the first week of release. On 6 June it was announced that Biffy were to support The Who at Marlay Park in Ireland. On 12 June, it was announced that "Folding Stars" was released as a single on July 16. On the 23rd of August 2007, Biffy Clyro were announced as the support act for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers at Hampden Stadium in Glasgow, for the Stadium Arcadium tour.
A Girl And His Cat
Biffy Clyro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess that's my prerogative
I'll never give up and I'll never look down
That would be the end of it
Look at me now screaming up and down
With huge degrees of lethargy
Some may say that I'm lying down
I should remove you all, nothing ventured, nothing maimed
Hang on your suffering wall to decompose and rearrange
Sit tight with your lonely rose, beauty is the death of pain
Don't see it coming at all, so we control and we contain
This is what you wanted to be
This is what you wanted
This is your house, this is not your home
I don't know if we're ever gonna belong
You can build a house but not a home
It will always stand on shaky ground
I wanna play dumb but I can't let go
Of my responsibilities
Why have one? You can take all ten
I bet that's not enough for you
I should remove you all, nothing ventured, nothing maimed
Hang on your suffering wall to decompose and rearrange
This is what you wanted to be
This is what you wanted
This is your house, this is not your home
I don't know if we're ever gonna belong
You can build a house but not a home
It will always stand on shaky ground
We are looking for love
But you're baying for blood
We are looking for love
But you're baying for blood
This is what you wanted to be
This is what you wanted
The lyrics to Biffy Clyro's song "A Girl And His Cat" seem to be about feeling stuck and unfulfilled in life, and the struggle to find a sense of belonging. The opening lines, "I never have fun but I wouldn't say no / I guess that's my prerogative," suggest a resignation to a dull existence, but also a sense of control over it. The singer goes on to insist that they will never give up or look down, but there is a feeling that they are stuck in a cycle of lethargy and apathy.
The chorus, "This is your house, this is not your home / I don't know if we're ever gonna belong / You can build a house but not a home / It will always stand on shaky ground," highlights the theme of not feeling at home in one's own life. This is further emphasized by the lines, "We are looking for love / But you're baying for blood," which suggest a disconnect between the desire for connection and the reality of aggressive or negative behavior.
Overall, the lyrics to "A Girl And His Cat" seem to be about the struggle to find meaning and satisfaction in life, and the difficulties of navigating relationships and emotions. The song has a sense of resignation to it, but also a determination to keep pushing forward and seeking something better.
Line by Line Meaning
I never have fun but I wouldn't say no
I don't actively seek out fun, but I won't turn it down either.
I guess that's my prerogative
That's just the way I choose to live my life.
I'll never give up and I'll never look down
I won't quit and I won't lose hope.
That would be the end of it
If I gave up, it would be all over.
Look at me now screaming up and down
I'm feeling overwhelmed and expressing it loudly.
With huge degrees of lethargy
Despite my restlessness, I still feel apathetic.
Some may say that I'm lying down
Others might think I'm giving up or giving in.
That don't mean a fuck to me
But their opinions don't matter to me.
I should remove you all, nothing ventured, nothing maimed
I should cut people out of my life if they don't contribute anything positive.
Hang on your suffering wall to decompose and rearrange
Let the things that cause you pain deteriorate and transform on their own.
Sit tight with your lonely rose, beauty is the death of pain
Endure your solitude and appreciate its beauty, as it can help alleviate your suffering.
Don't see it coming at all, so we control and we contain
If we're caught off guard, we'll try to manage the situation as best we can.
This is what you wanted to be
You're living the life you've always wanted.
This is your house, this is not your home
You may have a physical space, but it doesn't necessarily feel like your true home.
I don't know if we're ever gonna belong
I'm unsure if we'll ever truly fit in anywhere.
You can build a house but not a home
It takes more than just a structure to make a place feel like home.
It will always stand on shaky ground
A home built on false pretenses or shaky relationships will always feel unstable.
I wanna play dumb but I can't let go
I sometimes wish I didn't have to take responsibility, but I can't abandon it completely.
Of my responsibilities
Of the things I'm obligated to do.
Why have one? You can take all ten
Why settle for just one thing when you can have it all?
I bet that's not enough for you
But even having everything isn't satisfying for some people.
We are looking for love
We want to find genuine affection and connection with others.
But you're baying for blood
But some people are more interested in causing harm or taking advantage of others.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: SIMON ALEXANDER NEIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
everithing means nothing to me
I never had fun but I wouldn't say no
I guess that's my prerogative
I'll never give up and I'll never look down
That would be the end of it
Look at me now screaming up and down
With huge degrees of lethargy
Some may say that I'm lying down
That don't mean a fuck to me
I should remove you all
Nothing ventured nothing maimed
Hang on your suffering wall
To decompose and rearrange
Sit tight with you lonley rose
Beauty is the death of pain
Don't see it coming at all
So we control and we contain
This is what you wanted to be
This is what you wanted
This is you house this is not you home
I don't know if we're every gonna belong
You can build a house but not a home
It will always stand on shaky ground
I want to play dumb but I can't let go
Of my responsibilities
Why have one? You can take all ten
I bet that's not enough for you
I should remove you all
Nothing ventured nothing maimed
Hang on your suffering wall
To decompose and rearrange
This is what you wanted to be
This is what you wanted
This is you house this is not you home
I don't know if we're every gonna belong
You can build a house but not a home
It will always stand on shaky ground
We are looking for love
But you're baying for blood
We are looking for love
But you're baying for blood
This is what you wanted to be
This is what you wanted
Dawn White
I love this song, probably one of my favorites including biblical and black chandelier.
liuk89
Dawn White dennydella valle
Giulia Barreto
This song is so underrated omg I'm obsessed
David Aranda
Yes
Ciaran Maher
A Girl and His Cat sounds like the title of a very progressive children's book
Samuel Solhjem
Ciaran Maher spot on
DeliciouslyDisturbed
That bass guitar tho...i love it
TaranLoses
James Johnston is the man
musiclover01ization
One of Biffy's best.
ddaddy1775
Best Biffy song IMO