"Who are Britain's most important guita… Read Full Bio ↴Dum Dums; A Brief History...
"Who are Britain's most important guitar band ? JJ72? Coldplay? Muse? But look at that list and tell me whether those bands are really changing peoples lives? Because, believe it or not, Dum Dums are. ...where others preach to the converted, they are leading an increasingly significant segment of the pop massive up the dark slopes of indie" - MELODY MAKER
From their formation in 1997 to their farewell show in August 2001, Dum Dums went from early years of intensive gigging around the UK toilet circuit to rock stardom and chart success. Their one and only album, "It goes without saying", recorded with producer Steve Power (Feeder, Robbie Williams, Babybird, Blur) was the "Ferris Bueller" for its generation. Sonically influenced by other British bands such as the Police and the Jam, it spoke of dead end jobs, the pressures of finding your own way, and struck a chord in the hearts of anyone faced with having to decide what to do with their lives.
Released at a time when radio was saturated with manufactured pop acts, Dum Dums were one of the few British guitar bands to breakthrough in 2000, having four chart hits in and around the official top 20, a hit album, and a constant residency on MTV, VH1, and CD:UK. They sold out tours in the UK and abroad, had top 20 chart success in Japan and a major record deal with MCA in the USA.
But still none of this accounts for their continuing popularity. Three years after the band parted ways, the Dum Dums website still attracts thousands of hits weekly from all over the world. The message bored(sic) is a thriving community active 24 hours a day. There is at least one Dum Dums cover band, many reports of bands starting because of them, and record companies have even manufactured acts to be new versions of the Dum Dums - ironically one of the things the band railed against.
Photographs
Dum Dums Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a man of little conversation,
The rope is wearing thin the ledge is breaking,
Case is closed all the verdicts have been taken,
And cupids poison chaining up my blood stream.
Burning all the photographs of you,
And the letters that you wrote,
And it flickers in the flames,
And it whispers in your name,
That I'll never get you back by burning photographs, yeah.
The world is on it's side and I am busted,
I know you should never have been trusted,
As I fall a thousand feet into the headlights,
I don't feel ashamed to say, I didn't want it to end this way,
And I don't wanna hear about your boyfriend.
Burning all the photographs of you,
And the letters that you wrote,
And the jacket that you wore of mine when you were getting cold,
And it flickers in the flames,
And it whispers in your name,
That I'll never get you back by burning photographs.
Ahh haaaa,
Ahh haaaa.
Burning all the photographs of you,
And the letters that you wrote,
And the jacket that you wore of mine when you were getting cold,
And it flickers in the flames,
And it whispers in your name,
That I'll never get you back by burning photographs.
Burning all the photographs of you,
And the letters that you wrote,
And the jacket that you wore of mine when you were getting cold,
And it flickers in the flames,
And it whispers in your name,
That I'll never get you back by burning pho-to-graphs, yeah.
The lyrics in Dum Dums's song "Photographs" are a representation of the agony and pain felt by someone who is burning all the photographs and memories of a former lover in order to erase them. The opening lines, "I've got a heart and you're my education/I'm a man of little conversation," conveys the idea that this person has invested their heart and soul into this relationship and believed in its potential, but they were not able to communicate effectively. The next line, "The rope is wearing thin the ledge is breaking," takes on a more poignant meaning as it is indicative of someone at their breaking point.
The repeated line, "Burning all the photographs of you," represents the drastic measures taken by the singer to forget all about the past relationship. This line is repeated in the chorus three times, which emphasizes the importance of the action. The phrase "And it flickers in the flames/And it whispers in your name," creates an image of a ghostly presence, the haunting memory that lingers even after the physical evidence is destroyed. The phrase "I don't feel ashamed to say, I didn't want it to end this way," shows that the singer is remorseful for the end of the relationship and did not want it to end in such a destructive way.
Overall, "Photographs" is a powerful track that conveys the sense of hurt and desperation and signifies a breakup that was not meant to be.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a heart and you're my education,
You have taught me about love and relationships.
I'm a man of little conversation,
I struggle to express my feelings and thoughts.
The rope is wearing thin the ledge is breaking,
I feel like I'm hanging onto the edge of a cliff and my grip is slipping.
Case is closed all the verdicts have been taken,
Our relationship is over and there is nothing left to say or do.
And cupids poison chaining up my blood stream.
The love I have for you is painful and all-consuming.
Burning all the photographs of you,
I am trying to erase all memories of you from my life.
And the letters that you wrote,
I am destroying everything that reminds me of you.
And the jacket that you wore of mine when you were getting cold,
Even the things that you borrowed from me are being destroyed.
And it flickers in the flames,
As I burn these items, they create bright and fleeting flames.
And it whispers in your name,
I can't help but think of you as I destroy these things.
That I'll never get you back by burning photographs, yeah.
I know that my attempts to forget you won't bring you back to me.
The world is on it's side and I am busted,
Everything is upside down and I am feeling broken.
I know you should never have been trusted,
I regret having placed my trust in you.
As I fall a thousand feet into the headlights,
I am metaphorically free-falling and the future appears uncertain.
I don't feel ashamed to say, I didn't want it to end this way,
I am admitting that I didn't want our relationship to end in such a painful way.
And I don't wanna hear about your boyfriend.
I don't want to hear about you moving on and being with someone else.
That I'll never get you back by burning photographs.
I am acknowledging that my actions won't bring you back to me.
Ahh haaaa,
This is a vocalization expressing emotional pain and sadness.
Burning all the photographs of you,
I am continuing to destroy reminders of you in an attempt to cope.
And the letters that you wrote,
Even your words to me are unbearable to keep around.
And the jacket that you wore of mine when you were getting cold,
I am going to extreme lengths to rid myself of any connection to you.
And it flickers in the flames,
As I burn these items, they continue to emit bright light and remind me of you.
And it whispers in your name,
I am repeatedly reminded of you as I destroy these things.
That I'll never get you back by burning phonographs, yeah.
I am coming to terms with the fact that you are truly gone and that I need to find a new way to move forward.
Contributed by Skyler E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Keith Allen
Remember this song from back in the day think have the MP3 somewhere used to listen to on my iPod shuffle when running. Class.