The band was formed in 2005 by Philippakis and Bevan, both former members of math rock band The Edmund Fitzgerald, and Andrew Mears of Youthmovies. Mears left the band after their first single to focus on Youthmovies. In January 2018, it was announced that Walter Gervers was also leaving the band.
In early 2007, the band released the limited edition 7" singles Hummer and Mathletics, both produced by Gareth Parton. In the summer of 2007 Foals began working on their debut album in New York. It was produced by Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio, however, the band decided to mix the album themselves, stating that Sitek made the first master copy of the album sound like "it was recorded in the Grand Canyon". Yannis has stated multiple times during various interviews that Foals and Dave Sitek are on good terms, even though the copy by Sitek was rejected by the band.
Foals released their debut album, entitled Antidotes, on 24 March 2008 in the UK and 8 April 2008 in the US. The album was a commercial success in the United Kingdom, debuting at No. 3 in the UK Albums Charts. The album was a minor success in other countries, charting in Japan, France and the Netherlands. Non-UK versions of the album include the early Parton produced singles.
In August 2009, Foals started recording their second album at Svenska Grammofon Studion in Gothenburg, Sweden. The album, Total Life Forever, has been described by the band members as sounding like "tropical prog" and "like the dream of an eagle dying". The band have described the album as being "a lot less funk" than they had originally planned. The album was produced by Luke Smith, formerly of Clor, and its title is named after an element of Ray Kurzweil's theory of singularity. The band's frontman Yannis Philippakis has professed a long time interest in futurology, with it informing numerous songs on Total Life Forever.
On 1 March 2010, the promotional single "Spanish Sahara" was first played on Zane Lowe's show Radio 1. Foals' new website was updated that night with the release of a video for the track directed by longtime collaborator Dave Ma. On 6 March, the Total Life Forever site was officially launched. Puzzles revealed images, lyrics and sound clips of songs from the album. The last clip appeared on 12 March, and resulted with a password entry for the Foals' new website. The site was opened on 13 March and presented the whole new art concept and media including samples of songs, photos and videos. Lead single "This Orient" was released on 3 May 2010. The album was finally released on 10 May 2010. "Spanish Sahara" was later released as a full physical single in September 2010, featuring an edited remix starring the strings of London Contemporary Orchestra. The album was nominated for the 2010 Mercury Prize.
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Gold Gold Gold
Foals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up up and away
Away from this town x3
These tunnels of bone
These tunnels of gold
They lead me
I am a rocket
I am a rocket
You are an anchor, down.
Out of my way
Out of my way
You are my heart
I am the voice inside your heart
I know your mouth
You know my wounds
These warrens are dark
These warrens are long
These warrens go on and on and on and on
And so we go on
And so we go on
Up up and away
Up up and away
Away from this town x3
I am a rocket
I am a rocket
You are an anchor
You are an anchor, down x3
And had we arrived
And if we had arrived
Then we would have
That there was no Home x3
To go to
And so we sit here
In the heat of the sun
the heat of the sun x5
And so we sit here
the heat of the sun x2
we opened our skulls
all out to the sky x8
let the light fallx6
let the light light fall.
The lyrics to Foals's song "Gold Gold Gold" paint a vivid picture of a person's search for freedom and escape from a difficult situation. The repeated phrase "up up and away, away from this town" serves as a metaphor for leaving behind whatever is holding them back and moving towards a brighter future. The "tunnels of bone" and "tunnels of gold" signify the various paths one can take in life, some leading to darkness and others to riches. The singer sees themselves as a rocket, ready to blast off and leave everything behind, while their counterpart is an anchor, weighing them down.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of companionship and the heavy burden that can come along with it. The line "you are my heart, I am the voice inside your heart" suggests a deep emotional connection between the two, but the following lines about knowing each other's pain and being lost in endless "warrens" hint at the difficulty of maintaining such a bond. The final verses mention the possibility of arriving somewhere only to find that there is no "home" to return to, leaving the characters to sit in the "heat of the sun" with their skulls metaphorically open to the sky.
Overall, "Gold Gold Gold" is a powerful anthem for anyone seeking to break free from the ties that bind them and find their own way in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Up up and away
Let's escape this town and its problems.
Away from this town x3
We need to leave this place behind and move forward.
These tunnels of bone
Our lives are fragile and fleeting.
These tunnels of gold
Our aspirations and desires push us forward.
They lead me
I am chasing my dreams to find something better.
I am a rocket
I am driven and motivated to succeed.
You are an anchor, down.
You are holding me back from achieving my goals.
Out of my way
I need to remove obstacles from my path to success.
You are my heart
You have a special place in my life and emotions.
I am the voice inside your heart
I am the one guiding and influencing your decisions.
I know your mouth
I am familiar with your words and actions.
You know my wounds
You have insight into my past struggles and trauma.
These warrens are dark
The future is uncertain and unclear.
These warrens are long
The journey to success is challenging and arduous.
These warrens go on and on and on and on
Hardship seems never-ending, but we must persevere.
And so we go on
We must continue forward despite difficulties.
Had we arrived
If we reached our destination.
Then we would have
Our efforts would have paid off.
That there was no Home x3
We would have found that what we were looking for wasn't there.
In the heat of the sun x5
We are facing the consequences of our choices and actions.
We opened our skulls
We exposed our deepest thoughts and vulnerabilities.
All out to the sky x8
We relinquished control and let our problems go.
Let the light fallx6
We embraced hope and positivity to move on.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACK WILLIAM BEVAN, EDWIN THOMAS CONGREAVE, WALTER JAMES MORRISON GERVERS, YANNIS BARNABAS EMANUEL PHILIPPAKIS, JAMES SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind