The two main members are vocalist Sonya Aurora Madan and guitarist Glenn Johansson. They briefly peaked during the Britpop craze of the mid-1990s with 2 UK Top 10 albums, 1994's everyone's got one and 1995's on.
Other albums include 1997's lustra, 2001's people are expensive and 2004's gravity pulls. A best-of compilation was released in 2002 called i can't imagine the world without me.
In 2008 a new best-of (simply entitled The Best Of Echobelly) has been released by SonyBMG while the band is working on new material.
For more information please visit www.echobelly.com or www.myspace.com/echobellymusic.
King of the Kerb
Echobelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The king of the kerb,
Got a temper in the style of a bomb,
Got his friends in his pocket,
Or safe behind bars,
All the local boys know what he's done.
He turns if on, he turns it on, he turns it on.
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
Safe white you're paying out for your health,
They're the kings of the kerb,
And everybody knows what they're worth.
Sugar smile savvy,
The king of the kerb,
Keeps the order in this part of the town,
All the shadows in the alley,
The shapes at the bar,
Like to service him when he does the round.
He turns if on, he turns it on, he turns it on.
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
Safe white you're paying out for your health,
They're the kings of the kerb,
And everybody knows what they're worth.
Safe from ham and safe from greed,
A little protection is at that you need,
Safe from ham and safe from greed,
They're just a racket machine.
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there looking it for you,
Safe white you're paying out for your health,
They're the kings of the kerb,
They're the kings of the kerb,
They're the kings of the kerb,
And everybody knows what they're worth.
The lyrics of Echobelly's song "King of the Kerb" talk about a powerful and dangerous figure who rules over a particular area of town. This person is referred to as the "king of the kerb," which suggests that he has control over the sidewalks and streets. He is described as having a "sugar smile savvy" demeanor, which can be interpreted as his ability to charm and manipulate those around him. The lyrics mention that he has a temper that is likened to a bomb, indicating that he is not to be trifled with. The local boys know what he has done, which implies that he has a history of violence or criminal activity.
The king of the kerb is also portrayed as someone who has friends in his pocket, or those who are safe behind bars. This suggests that he has connections, perhaps within the law enforcement or criminal underworld. The shadows in the alley and shapes at the bar service him when he does the round, which further emphasizes his powerful and influential status.
Despite the king's dangerous reputation, the lyrics suggest that he and his associates provide some kind of protection, which can be interpreted as a racket or protection scheme. The last line indicates that "everybody knows what they're worth," suggesting that even if their services come at a price, they are considered valuable and worthy of their status.
Overall, "King of the Kerb" is a song that portrays a seedy and dangerous world ruled by a powerful figure with a complicated reputation.
Line by Line Meaning
Sugar smile savvy,
The king of the kerb is charming and manipulative.
The king of the kerb,
The person being described holds a position of power on the streets.
Got a temper in the style of a bomb,
Despite his charming demeanor, the king can become explosively angry.
Got his friends in his pocket,
The king has many allies who support him and are loyal to him.
Or safe behind bars,
Even if his friends cannot be with him, he has protection in the form of jail or prison connections.
All the local boys know what he's done.
The people in the community are aware of the king's past actions and misdeeds.
He turns if on, he turns it on, he turns it on.
The king has a way of charming people and turning on the charm whenever he needs to.
Same boys doing it for themselves,
Other men in positions of power behave similarly to the king.
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
People are willing to help you in exchange for something in return.
Safe white you're paying out for your health,
If you want protection, you have to pay for it.
They're the kings of the kerb,
The people in power on the streets hold a high status and have a lot of influence.
And everybody knows what they're worth.
Their value and importance in the community is widely recognized.
Keeps the order in this part of the town,
The king helps maintain peace and control in a certain area of the city.
All the shadows in the alley,
Other criminals and shady individuals gravitate towards the king.
The shapes at the bar,
People who are also involved in illegal activities frequent the same bars and establishments as the king.
Like to service him when he does the round.
These people are willing to provide assistance or favors to the king in exchange for his protection or other benefits.
Safe from harm and safe from greed,
People who have the king's protection are shielded from danger and exploitation by others.
A little protection is at that you need,
The king's services are only necessary to a certain extent, but can be very beneficial.
They're just a racket machine.
The king and his associates are essentially running a criminal enterprise.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GLEN MIKAEL JOHANSSON, SONYA AURORA MADAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zoe Van Dyne
Sugar smile savvy,
The king of the kerb,
Got a temper in the style of a bomb,
Got his friends in his pocket,
Or safe behind bars,
All the local boys know what he's done.
He turns if on, he turns it on, he turns it on.
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
Safe white you're paying out for your health,
They're the kings of the kerb,
And everybody knows what they're worth.
Sugar smile savvy,
The king of the kerb,
Keeps the order in this part of the town,
All the shadows in the alley,
The shapes at the bar,
Like to service him when he does the round.
He turns if on, he turns it on, he turns it on.
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
Safe white you're paying out for your health,
They're the kings of the kerb,
And everybody knows what they're worth.
Safe from ham and safe from greed,
A little protection is at that you need,
Safe from ham and safe from greed,
They're just a racket machine.
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there doing it for you,
Same boys doing it for themselves,
There's somebody out there looking it for you,
Safe white you're paying out for your health,
They're the kings of the kerb,
They're the kings of the kerb,
They're the kings of the kerb,
And everybody knows what they're worth.
Arthur Hucksake
Oh gosh, how good were the mid 90's, indie guitar bands, rave music parties. We had it all. Pity the X factor generation.
Jay Dee
At least we have Jake Bugg. I wish I was around in the mid 1990's.
fractalign
+Arthur Hucksake Yeah I agree, the mid nineties were a great time, bands, raves, drugs and a life time of memories !
aloha hello
the 90s were genx X. do u mean pity the millenials?
Andy Fovargue
You've never heard of X Factor? I envy you so much right now.
Roger Powell
A very underrated band during the 90's.
David Griffin
I'm guilty of underrating them at the time. One of the bands I wish I'd appreciated more.
mickyday2008
No they weren’t
Roger Powell
@mickyday2008
They were like a lot of bands. They were in the shadow of the Oasis juggernaut.
Feel Good Inspiration
More like overrated 😂. especially live.