The band, which con… Read Full Bio ↴Duels are a five piece band from Leeds, England.
The band, which consists of core members Jim and Jon Foulger (guitar and vocals respectively), drummer James Kirkbright and bassist Jon Maher, have recently been joined by ¡Forward, Russia! guitarist Whiskas. Additional Duels members include, or have included, Katherine Botterill on keyboards and backing vocals and violinist Lesley Turner.
They create dark and often anthemic new-wave pop with sinister undercurrents to craft a unique, vibrant sound, while recalling legendary artists such as Wilco, Robert Wyatt, David Bowie and Pulp along the way.
Their first album, 'The Bright Lights & What I Should Have Learned' was released in August 2006 to widespread critical acclaim and after extensive touring, Duels commenced work on their second full-length release, the self-produced 'The Barbarians Move In'.
Recorded in a converted barn on the North Sea Coast and showcasing a darker, more organic sound, Jon Foulger suggested the album is about "nature fighting back". It was digitally released via duelsmusic.com on Valentine's Day 2008, with a UK physical release on This Is Fake DIY Records on April 28th.
The band are currently working on their third full-length album, details of which can be found on www.duelsmusic.co.uk
Duels have opened for Kaiser Chiefs and former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, and have toured the UK and Europe with The Rakes.The band played the Radio1/NME Stage at the Leeds/Reading Festivals and opened the main stage at T In The Park in 2006.
Things
Duels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And here comes the fear.
Another year she wonders
Why is she still here?
"Boys will be boys," she thinks,
"What can ever come of this?
I've tried so hard to makes this work
But nothing ever seems to fit..."
So many explanations
And so little resolve.
A shudder at the slightest inkling
That you should get involved.
"Oh, but I'm alright," she cried,
"I just feel a little compromised.
When I was a little girl,
I never had to try..."
(Is that all you want?
Is that all you need?)
Look at all these things we own,
Look at all the things we own
You know these things don't make a home.
Here comes the thunder
And here comes the fear,
Another year he wonders,
"Why is she still here?
Oh, but girls will be girls," he thinks,
"What will ever come of this?
We've tried so hard to make this work, but nothing ever seems to fit..."
Duels's song "Things" draws attention to the struggles of a woman who has been enduring a tumultuous relationship for a long time. The opening verse of the song depicts the impending doom that is awaiting the singer because of the worsening situation in her relationship. The reference to thunder and fear signifies that trouble is brewing and she is apprehensive about the future. The woman is shown looking back at the past year and wondering why she is still there with her partner, despite everything that's been happening. The phrase "boys will be boys" is significant here, as it highlights the gender-based expectations and stereotypes that often govern our relationships. She is resigned to the fact that nothing can come of the current state of affairs.
The second verse of the song shifts the focus to the man and his perspective. He is shown having a similar thought process, wondering what will come of their relationship. He also resigns himself to the gender-based expectations and just assumes “girls will be girls." Despite the struggles, the couple has continued to try to make things work, but nothing seems to fall into place. The chorus of the song highlights the idea that material possessions are not what make a home - a place of warmth, kindness, and emotional stability is crucial.
Overall, Duels's "Things" portrays the difficulties and contradictions in a modern relationship where gender-based expectations and differences in communication styles often create significant barriers. The song ultimately serves as a powerful commentary on how we fail to empathize with each other and how we prioritize material things over the emotional needs that lead to a nurturing and fulfilling home environment.
Line by Line Meaning
Here comes the thunder,
The start of a difficult situation.
And here comes the fear.
Feeling scared and uncertain of the future.
Another year she wonders
Reflection on past experiences and questioning the present.
Why is she still here?
Asking oneself if they have been making the right choices.
"Boys will be boys," she thinks,
Acknowledging that males are more prone to take risks and act out of line.
"What can ever come of this?
Questioning the possible consequences of male behavior.
I've tried so hard to makes this work
Making an effort to improve a certain situation.
But nothing ever seems to fit..."
Feeling like hard work has not paid off in any way.
So many explanations
Discovering various explanations to a certain problem.
And so little resolve.
Feeling helpless and uncertain of how to proceed.
A shudder at the slightest inkling
Feeling apprehensive about the smallest thing.
That you should get involved.
Realizing how difficult/enlightening it can be to help others.
"Oh, but I'm alright," she cried,
Reassuring oneself of their personal wellbeing.
"I just feel a little compromised.
Admitting to feeling unsure about a certain situation.
When I was a little girl,
Reflecting back to a simpler time of life.
I never had to try...
Not recalling a time when things required personal effort.
(Is that all you want?
Questioning whether material possessions matter most.
Is that all you need?)
Contemplating one's priorities in life.
Look at all these things we own,
Reflecting on the material possessions acquired over time.
Look at all the things we own
Admiring the array of items/possessions accumulated.
You know these things don't make a home.
Realizing that material things are not equivalent to personal comfort/happiness.
Here comes the thunder
A continuation of the difficult situation previouly alluded to.
And here comes the fear,
The fear brought on by the continuation of the aforementioned situation.
Another year he wonders,
Reflecting on past experiences and questioning the present.
"Why is she still here?
Regretting the impact of past actions and their present consequences.
Oh, but girls will be girls," he thinks,
Acknowledging that females are known to be emotional in difficult situations.
"What will ever come of this?
Questioning the possible outcome of the current situation.
We've tried so hard to make this work, but nothing ever seems to fit..."
Despite the effort made, there seems to be no success in resolving the situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES WILLIAM RICHARD FOULGER, JONATHAN EDWARD PAUL FOULGER, JONATHAN PATRICK MAHER, KATHERINE SARAH ALICE BOTTERILL, TIMOTHY JOHN MARSHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J N
The most underrated band of 2000s era of guitar based music. They were good enough to be there with the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, etc. Wish they made it. Both their albums were great.
slimbo
Apparently they just released some new songs a few months ago.
They're still here. They're just quieter now.
LuziferDiabolus
You're right, this album is very, very underrated. Best song of it, too - sends me right back to 2006.
LuziferDiabolus
@Green Isaac II awesome, I've never heard of that version before. Thanks for uploading!
Green Isaac II
@LuziferDiabolus
Nice! I've uploaded the early version of this track that the drummer was talking about below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtwv7cwwunU
LuziferDiabolus
@Green Isaac II I'm a year late with that response but yes, luckily I saw them live once :)
Green Isaac II
Too right, did you get to see them live at all?
José luis Gómez garcia
Por favor. Vaya temazo👏👏
Tim Marshall
The version of this that was the b-side to Pressure on You - the original version - was so much better. This is a great song, but this version is sterile by comparison to the b-side.
Green Isaac II
@Tim Marshall
Glad you're commenting here! Just ordered myself a copy of that single, I must have assumed it was just the album version and passed on it back then, as I've got pretty much everything else.
I first saw you supporting Graham Coxon in 2006, and then again at the first Great Escape festival in Brighton that year (think you played at Komedia?). I remember meeting a girl and her brother there, and they were going on about their Russian heritage, but they were crazy about you - don't know if you remember them at all?