Brakes (known as ‘Brakesbrakesbrakes’ on their US releases) were formed when Tom White (guitar) and Alex White (drums) of The Electric Soft Parade saw Eamon Hamilton (vocals, guitar) then of British Sea Power perform a solo gig supporting The Lonesome Organist in Brighton. Marc Beatty (bass) of Mockin' Bird Studios and The Tenderfoot (and who also worked with British Sea Power, when recording their debut album) was also soon recruited, and the band set about recording their debut single, "Pick Up the Phone", which was released on Tugboat Records in 2004.
In early 2005 the band recorded their debut album, Give Blood, for Rough Trade Records. The album was released in July of the same year. The album features 16 songs (including re-recordings of the 3 tracks from their debut single) and runs for 29 minutes. It features duets with Leila Moss of The Duke Spirit on a cover of the Johnny Cash / June Carter Cash classic "Jackson" and with The Pipettes on a version of The Jesus and Mary Chain's "Sometimes Always".The album was voted the best of 2005 by Rough Trade shops.
The album featured re-recorded versions of "Pick Up The Phone" and the tracks "I Can't Stand To Stand Beside You" and "Cheney" which also featured on their debut single, as well as the singles "All Night Disco Party" and "Ring A Ding Ding"
Brakes toured with Belle & Sebastian in January and February 2006 and Editors in February and March 2006.
The continued success of the band has lead to Eamon quitting his role as keyboardist for British Sea Power. What began as a side project has become a serious proposition.
Brakes released their second album 'The Beatific Visions' in November 2006. On The Beatific Visions, they're more like the Pixies than ever before, having made a more "serious" album than their debut, Give Blood, while retaining their off-kilter aura.
The Beatific Visions is dominated by direly catchy and fully fleshed-out songs that pop like punk, lilt like country, mutter politics, and reek of the garage: "Hold Me in the River" crashes along on an ornery, feel-good choogle; the twangy licks on "On Your Side" are so slippery that it sounds like guitarist Thomas White had chicken grease on his fingers. These are balanced out with tender ballads that don't sacrifice Brakes' dark, ridiculous wit, like the baggy trail-song "If I Should Die Tonight" ("tell her that I love her," Hamilton croons with fleeting sweetness, "or she might never know,"), the light-as-the-Shins ballad "Isabel", and standout track "No Return", a serene, blossoming hum that brings the album to a moving close.
‘The Beatific Visions’ draws on tender sentiments and imperative, unruly rock and roll, proving Brakes are a band capable of more than a handful of radio-friendly hooks. Enthralling critics and fans alike, the Killers were so impressed that they asked Brakes to join them on tour, while ‘The Beatific Visions’ was cited by Radio 1’s Colin Murray as his Album Of The Year, and voted Number 4 in Rough Trade Shops’ Best Albums of 2006.
Brakes put their unique spin on another hypermodern trend, the mobile-communications-technology song. "Mobile communications let me down again," Eamon sings to a bad connection on this melting slow-burner. Brakes straddle the silly-serious fault line without slipping; Eamon's more refined vocal style-- rambunctious, squalling, charismatic and tuneful-- is a terrific conduit for such vibrantly contrasting content. If the pre-apocalyptic fear is omnipresent, so is the reckless abandon.
Brakes signed to FatCat in October 2008, and released their third album ‘Touchdown’ - recorded by Paul Savage at Chem 19 Studios in Scotland - in April 2009. Whilst in the studio, accoustic versions of new and older songs were laid down and a live album was mixed. This was later released as 'Rock is Dodelijk' in February 2009 to favourable reviews from publications such as the NME and Pitchfork who praised its accurate documentation of Brakes' rambunctious live show. More recently Brakes embarked on a very successful US tour with fellow FatCat residents The Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks in October 2009.
The band's debut live album 'Rock is Dodelijk' - recorded partly in hometown Brighton and partly in Cologne, Germany - was released in November 2009. Their live set is notorious for its rambunctious energy and ear-splitting immediacy, and ‘Rock Is Dodelijk’ faithfully Brakes’ thrilling crash through it.
Hey Hey
Brakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the ship was sinking but it wasn't yet sunk
And the porcelain we were walking on turned out to be thin ice
Give me two shots once and give me one shot twice
Hey, hey it's a car wheel day
Better grab it quick before it rolls away
Hey, hey it's a handstand day
In the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a light flicker
And I need no medal, I may do with a sticker
And the hairs on my neck stood up like people can do
Give me two shots once and take two for you too
Hey, hey it's a car wheel day
Better grab it quick before it rolls away
Hey, hey it's a Tarzan day
Brrrraiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiai
Hey, hey it's a car wheel day
Better grab it quick before it rolls and rolls and rolls
The opening lines of Brakes's song 'Hey Hey' suggest that the singer of the song is trying to figure out a way to escape or solve a problem. The alliteration of the words "I thought and I thought till I thought I had thunk" builds up a sense of frustration, almost as if the singer has been thinking too much but still cannot find a solution. The line "But the ship was sinking but it wasn't yet sunk" continues this sense of impending doom, playing on the idea that things are rapidly deteriorating but there is still a chance to make things right.
The chorus of the song, with the repeated lines "Hey, hey it's a [blank] day, better grab it quick before it rolls away" seems to suggest that the singer is trying to seize the day, trying to take advantage of opportunities while they still can. This is further emphasized in the lines "And the porcelain we were walking on turned out to be thin ice" which convey the idea that things are not always what they seem, that sometimes opportunities appear at first like solid ground, but may turn out to be unstable or treacherous.
The final lines of the song, with the repeated phrase "Hey, hey it's a car wheel day, better grab it quick before it rolls and rolls and rolls" convey a sense of urgency, as if the singer is trying to hold onto something that is slipping away. This could be interpreted as the ephemeral nature of life, how quickly things come and go, or it could be a commentary on the modern world, where things move so fast that it's difficult to keep up.
Overall, Brakes's song 'Hey Hey' combines catchy melodies and lyrics that are both fun and insightful. It encourages listeners to seize the day, to take risks and pursue their dreams while they still can, but it also acknowledges the difficulties and uncertainties that come with that kind of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought and I thought till I though I had thunk
I ruminated deeply until I believed I had found the answer
But the ship was sinking but it wasn't yet sunk
Although there were difficulties, they were not insurmountable
And the porcelain we were walking on turned out to be thin ice
The situation was not as solid or stable as we had believed
Give me two shots once and give me one shot twice
I want to experience the pleasure of drinking frequently and irregularly
Hey, hey it's a car wheel day
Today is unpredictable, and anything can happen
Better grab it quick before it rolls away
Take advantage of spontaneous opportunities as fast as possible
Hey, hey it's a handstand day
Today is a good day to show off and express yourself
Better hold onto it
Make the most of the moment before it disappears
In the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a light flicker
I perceived something small and subtle that caught my attention
And I need no medal, I may do with a sticker
I don't require recognition or reward for my actions
And the hairs on my neck stood up like people can do
I experienced a physical sensation of excitement, fear, or anticipation
Give me two shots once and take two for you too
Let's share in the fun and excitement together
Hey, hey it's a Tarzan day
Today is wild, adventurous, and untamed
Brrrraiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiai
A vocalization of enthusiasm or excitement
Hey, hey it's a car wheel day
The day is unpredictable, and anything can happen
Better grab it quick before it rolls and rolls and rolls
Seize the moment before it gains momentum and becomes too much to handle
Contributed by Charlie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
enervatus
Excellent!!!!!!
betoski
i like this song
SSCFPA
Saw then at Dingwalls in London last night, brilliant band.
Connor Byrne
Love this song, plus it's filmed in Brighton :D
Jovanny Duran
awsome!!!
Anirudh Kumar
The donuts are attacking!!
🏃🏻♂️🍩
66ore
THIS SONG PLAYS ON SLEEPING DOGS
11ik3Æ86
Noo this is fake
Tibor Magyar
@11ik3Æ86 yes? I listened Kerrang on the game for this song at least 10 hours in a row and never came out
11ik3Æ86
@Tibor Magyar I played sleeping dogs when u was 5 and I still play it and o never herd it