Dirty Pretty Things played their first shows in October 2005 in Italy and France.
Initially, the choice of name caused some troubles. A four-piece band from Salisbury had been playing as "Dirty Pretty Things" since early January of 2005, claiming to have already copyrighted the name in the UK; the two groups ended up coming to an agreement over the name. An Australian band had also been playing under that name since 2003, though since opted to change it.
Dirty Pretty Things began recording their first album in Los Angeles, California, with high-profile producer Dave Sardy (producer of the Oasis album Don't Believe the Truth), and in Glasgow, Scotland with producer Tony Doogan.
The first track of the band's to be released on the CD format was "You Fucking Love It" which was made available on a free CD with the April 1, 2006 issue of NME entitled "NME and MTV2 present Best Newbands Showcase 2006".
The band's debut album, entitled Waterloo to Anywhere, was released on May 8, 2006 reaching #3 on the music charts and receiving critical approval. The first single (and first official band release) from the album, "Bang Bang, You're Dead", was released on April 24, 2006 and reached #5 in the singles chart in its first week of sales. The second single was "Deadwood", released on 10 July 2006 and got to #20 in the singles chart.
They toured extensively in the UK during the first half of 2006. Their setlist has comprised most of the songs from the debut album and selected b-sides, along with a few Libertines songs (usually "Death on the Stairs", "France", and "I Get Along"). They played their first American show at the SXSW festival in Texas. They played several festivals in the UK in the summer of 2006, including the Isle of Wight Festival, Wireless Festival, T in the Park, and they played at the Irish festival Oxegen.
'Wondering' was the third single released from Waterloo to Anywhere on September 25, 2006 and reached #34.
On a holiday in Taipei, Carl broke his collarbone (he had fallen from a motorbike during a drinking session), thus giving the impression that DPT would have to cancel a North American tour. However, the band recruited The Paddingtons Josh Hubbard to deputise for Barât on guitar.
On 16th October 2006 the band released a DVD 'Puffing On a Coffin Nail' featuring over 2 and a half hours of concert footage and documentaries.
On 25th October 2006 Carl appeared as a special guest at Paul Weller's set during the Electric Proms, duetting on Peacock Suite and In the City.
The band's second album "Romance At Short Notice" is set for release on the 30th June 2008.
The Band Split On Ist Oct 2008 Saying "It is with some sadness we announce the farewell of the Dirty Pretty Things," It's been a glorious three years which we all would gladly live out again, but it is time for us to try new things"
You can visit their Official Website.
Deadwood
Dirty Pretty Things Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This all you make it?
You had the choice lad
You wouldnt take it
The oldest charm
Only the best for you
And the years of my life,
Some they were so good,
But now and again I feel
I was a coward
Are the holes in my soul
In tatters for all these tears
Well you dont see it that way
A way, a way
We'lll have it today
The dancing ones they really mean it
But something boy,
somethings gonna change
A way, a way
Youve got it they say
How do they know
When theyve never seen it?
And what will you do
When they forget your name?
Well you'll up and get another one
Don't give me that face
I know when I should live in disgrace
Not dig up the deadwood
I knew this place was never the place for me
And of the years that rolled by
Yeah some were so good
But now I know that
You were the coward
The holes in your soul
In tatters for all these years
But you cant see it that way
A way, a way
Well have it today
The dancing ones they really mean it
And mark my words
Something's gonna change
A way, a way
Youve got it they say
But how do they know
When theyve never seen it?
And what will you do
When they forget your name?
Well you'll up and get another one
A way, a way
We'll have it today
The dancing ones they really mean it
But something boy
somethings gonna change
A way, a way
Youve got it today
But how do they know
When theyve never seen it?
And what will you do
When they forget your name?
Well you'll up and get another one
By Gumo® Montevideo-Uruguay
The opening lines of Dirty Pretty Things' "Deadwood" take on a philosophical tone, interrogating the idea of personal agency in the world. The singer asks if the world is all that the listener has made it, and suggests that they had the choice to make it something different. The "oldest charm" is all that was available, which highlights a sense of disappointment or disillusionment. The lyrics then shift, with the singer reflecting on their own life and feelings that they were a coward at times. There are holes in the soul, which perhaps refer to past hurts or regrets. Interestingly, the singer implies that the listener doesn't see things the same way, but the song doesn't specify how or why. As the song progresses, there's a sense of urgency in the call to "have it today," with the "dancing ones" highlighted as being particularly sincere. Despite this energy, there's a sense that something needs to change, with the implication that the listener has something that others notice but can't quite grasp. The final lines suggest that if the listener's name is forgotten, they'll simply reinvent themselves and move forward.
The lyrics to "Deadwood" are evocative and open to interpretation, with a sense that they're grappling with big questions about life and meaning. The themes of agency, regret, and identity all loom large, and the lyrics use poetic language to create an emotional landscape that will resonate with listeners. Additionally, there are intriguing contrasts and contradictions throughout the song. For example, the use of the phrase "deadwood" suggests something unchanging and stagnant, but the repeated calls for change are at odds with this. Similarly, the implication that the listener has a kind of charisma or magnetism doesn't quite fit with the regret and feelings of cowardice expressed elsewhere in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
You got the world boy
Do you feel like you are on top of the world?
This all you make it?
Is this really all you've accomplished?
You had the choice lad
You had a choice in life, but you didn't take it.
You wouldnt take it
You didn't take the chance when it was presented to you.
The oldest charm
The most ancient form of magic.
Only the best for you
You only accept the best of the best.
And the years of my life,
Throughout the years of my life,
Some they were so good,
Some of those years were really great,
But now and again I feel
Occasionally, I feel that
I was a coward
I didn't have the courage to change my life.
Are the holes in my soul
Those empty spaces deep within my heart,
In tatters for all these tears
Are now torn apart and damaged because of all the sorrow saved up.
Well you don't see it that way
You don't perceive it from my perspective.
We'll have it today
Let's get it done today.
The dancing ones they really mean it
Those who enjoy dancing truly put their soul into it.
But something boy,
There's something about you,
somethings gonna change
Things are going to change.
You've got it they say
They say you've got what it takes.
How do they know
How can they be sure?
When they've never seen it?
They haven't seen you in action.
And what will you do
What's your plan
When they forget your name?
When people no longer know who you are?
Well you'll up and get another one
You'll reinvent yourself and start again.
Don't give me that face
Don't look at me like that.
I know when I should live in disgrace
I'm aware of my wrongdoing and when I deserve to be punished.
Not dig up the deadwood
Not to bring up past mistakes or failures again.
I knew this place was never the place for me
I've always felt like I didn't belong here.
And of the years that rolled by
As the years went by
Yeah some were so good
Some of those years were really amazing
But now I know that
But now I realize that
You were the coward
You were the one who lacked courage.
The holes in your soul
The empty spaces within your heart
In tatters for all these years
Have been damaged and torn apart by all the sadness gathered over the years.
But you can't see it that way
You can't seem to see it from my point of view.
Well have it today
Let's make it happen today.
And mark my words
Believe me when I tell you this,
Something's gonna change
Something is going to change.
You've got it they say
They claim you have what it takes
But how do they know
But how can they be so sure?
When they've never seen it?
When they've never seen it in action?
And what will you do
What's your plan
When they forget your name?
When people no longer remember who you are?
Well you'll up and get another one
You'll design a new identity and start fresh.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY ROSSOMANDO, GARY POWELL, DAVID HAMMOND, CARL BARAT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JuliaLaurenMorales
carl barat is one of the best vocalists ever imo he just has such a nice voice
jeanloup vardan
Quand je l'ai rencontré il m'a carrément recité du Baudelaire dans le texte , un peu de charabia certes mais quand même . Nous étions bien défaits tous les trois , il était avec Anthony que je connaissais bien le mec à la trompeete dans le clip . Il voulait aussi de la coke , je n'en avais pas assez pour lui , et j'ai fait ma dernière trace devant lui en lui disant sorry mate. C'était en 2007 a red church street dans ll'east end of london, off brick lane . Pete Doherty venait dans ma boutique une fois par semaine , nous y avions une gutira et un petit ampli et il jouait dans le magasin tous les jeudis . c'était l'époque ou il sortait avec Kate Moss, en 2006:2007 . j'ai aussi eu la chance de rencontrer Amy Winehouse deux mois avant sa mort , nous avions flirté ensemble ce soir là.
Damned One
Bloody hell... he’s still got it!!! All these years I still admire and appreciate such mad talent!! 🙏🏽💯❣️❣️❣️
iMann iFail
Wow this brings back some memories, I’m in this video, it was all filmed in my grandad’s barn. Spent the entire evening at the shoot and got invited in by the producer.
Batcaveloner13
Who was the chick in the dress dancing on the car? She looks hot asf.!
iMann iFail
@Batcaveloner13 her and another girl were hired dancers / actors. But unfortunately I never caught their names.
Batcaveloner13
@iMann iFail You should’ve gotten some of that lol. However that actually sounds like a great once in a lifetime experience. Did you meet and have a drink with the band??? :)
iMann iFail
@Batcaveloner13 ermmm perhaps if I were me now.. hell yes but I took my missus that night with me, so I was on a tight leash haha
Though, at one point of the filming, the two dancers were dancing together at the back of the crowd beside me.. 👌🏻
Batcaveloner13
Awwww :) looked like a nice time overall. Did they feed or pay you?
junko libertines
They are absolutely perfect