Dirty Pretty Things were a band fronted by former member of The Libertines … Read Full Bio ↴Dirty Pretty Things were a band fronted by former member of The Libertines Carl Barât. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after The Libertines had split up in 2004 due to a falling out between Barât and Peter Doherty. Barât had done some work with Vertigo Records and had previously revealed that his new project was with the label. Didz Hammond announced he was leaving The Cooper Temple Clause to join the band alongside ex-Libertines drummer Gary Powell and guitarist Anthony Rossomando, who had filled in for Doherty following his departure from the Libertines. They split in October 2008.

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.

Plastik Hearts
Dirty Pretty Things Lyrics

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You sauntered off and you said how's tricks
You can't mix drugs with your politics
So we took and talked and lost the plot
And after that everything seemed fine

And as it stings and beautiful collide
We watch each others worlds ride under the tide
With intoxicating hands

Cold, cold hearts and well laid plans

Are you listening?
Are you listening
As the days like the waves
Pile up behind you?

La, la, la, la, la
You keep it all, melt my plastic heart
And help me move on, I'm moving on

How do you escape the great pails of pouring rain?
Go to an island or a house in Spain, oh
La, la, la, la, la, la, oh, oh, how we'd kill to go

Erect the gutters and move us in
Life or buildings and medicines
We all make the same mistakes
Our pitfalls pull us together

Are you listening?
Are you listening
As the days like the waves
Pile up behind you?

La, la, la, la, la
They keep it all, melt my plastic heart
And help me move on, oh
[Unverified]

La, la, la, la, la
You keep it all, melt my plastic heart
And help me move on
La, la, la, la, la, keep it on

Friends for life and acquaintances
Romance and great distances

There's been so many casualties
But I cannot run out over these, oh no

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dirty Pretty Things' "Plastik Hearts" reflect on the ups and downs of relationships and the way we try to move on from them. The song opens with the singer reuniting with a friend who warns them against mixing drugs with politics. The two discuss their lives and lose themselves in conversation, and everything seems fine. However, they soon realize that their relationships are fragile and easily shattered. The line "With intoxicating hands, cold, cold hearts, and well-laid plans" suggests that the people around them are not always trustworthy, and they must be careful when forming relationships.

The chorus is a plea for help, with the singer asking someone to melt their "plastic heart" and help them move on. They sing about the heavy weight of accumulated experiences, with each day piling up like waves behind them. They also express a desire to escape from their problems, suggesting that going to an island or a house in Spain might offer temporary relief. However, they know that running away is not a permanent solution and that they must face their problems head-on.

The song ends with a reflection on the different types of relationships we have in our lives. The singer acknowledges that some relationships are fleeting, while others endure even when we are separated by great distances. They also recognize that relationships can be casualties of our mistakes and weaknesses, but they cannot let those losses define them. Ultimately, the song is a reflection on the complexities of human connections and the need to navigate them with care and compassion.

Line by Line Meaning

You sauntered off and you said how's tricks
You casually left and asked how I was doing

You can't mix drugs with your politics
Mixing drugs and politics will only lead to complications

So we took and talked and lost the plot
We talked but our conversation became aimless and unproductive

And after that everything seemed fine
Despite our aimless conversation, we managed to get along afterward

And as it stings and beautiful collide
When opposing forces come together, it can be both painful and beautiful

We watch each others worlds ride under the tide
We observe as our lives undergo changes and challenges

With intoxicating hands
We are seduced by the things that lure us in

Cold, cold hearts and well laid plans
We have calculated plans and motives, but we also lack empathy and warmth

Are you listening?
Are you paying attention?

As the days like the waves
Like the ocean's waves, time moves forward relentlessly

Pile up behind you?
Are your past mistakes accumulating behind you?

You keep it all, melt my plastic heart
You store your secrets and I am left to deal with the heartache

And help me move on, I'm moving on
Despite the difficulties, I am trying my best to keep going

How do you escape the great pails of pouring rain?
How do you avoid the hardships and struggles of life?

Go to an island or a house in Spain, oh
Escape to a different setting, like an island or another country

La, la, la, la, la, la, oh, oh, how we'd kill to go
We yearn to leave our troubles behind and escape

Erect the gutters and move us in
Build up the defenses to protect ourselves from harm

Life or buildings and medicines
We can either focus on our lives or material possessions to take care of ourselves

We all make the same mistakes
We all fall into the same traps and stumbling blocks

Our pitfalls pull us together
Despite our mistakes, we find common ground and connect through shared experiences

They keep it all, melt my plastic heart
They keep their secrets and I am left to suffer alone

And help me move on, oh
I need help coping with the pain and moving forward

[Unverified]
The meaning of this line is not clear or confirmed

La, la, la, la, la
A repeated phrase that serves as background music

Keep it on
Continue on despite the difficulties

Friends for life and acquaintances
We have both close and distant relationships

Romance and great distances
Our emotional lives can be complicated and affected by distance

There's been so many casualties
We have experienced a lot of losses, whether emotional or literal

But I cannot run out over these, oh no
We cannot run away from our past and present problems and have to confront them head-on

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY ROSSOMANDO, CARL BARAT, DAVID HAMMOND, GARY POWELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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