I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous
FrankTurner Lyrics

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Let's begin at the beginning:
We're lovers and we're losers,
We're heroes and we're pioneers,
And we're beggars and we're choosers.
We're skirting round the edges
Of the ideal demographic.
We're almost on the guestlist,
But we're always stuck in traffic.

We've watched our close associates
Up and play their parts;
They're chatting up the it girls,
And they're tearing up the charts,
While we were paying with coppers
To get our round in at the bar.
We're the see-Team, we're the almost famous
Old friends of the stars.

Justin is the last
Of the great romantic poets,
And he's the only one among us
Who is ever going to make it.
We planned a revolution
From a cheap Southampton bistro.
I don't remember details
But there were English boys with banjos.

Jay is our St George, and he's standing on a wooden chair,
And he sings songs and he slays dragons, and he's losing all his hair.
Adam is the resurrected spirit of Gram Parsons, In plaid instead of rhinestone and living in South London.
And no one's really clear about Tommy's job description,
But it's pretty clear he's vital to the whole damn operation.
Dave Danger smiles at strangers, Tre's the safest girl I know,
Zo and Harps will skamper up to victory in the city we call home.

We won't change our ways, we will proud remain when the glory fades.

I am sick and tired of people
Who are living on the be-list.
They're waiting to be famous
And they're wondering why they do this.

And I know I'm not the one who is habitually optimistic,
But I'm the one who's got the microphone here so just remember this:

Life is about love, last minutes and lost evenings,
About fire in our bellies and furtive little feelings,
And the aching amplitudes that set our needles all a-flickering,
And help us with remembering that the only thing that's left to do is live.

After all the loving and the losing,
For the heroes and the pioneers,

The only thing that's left to do
Is get another round in at the bar.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Frank Turner's "I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous" explore the idea of the struggle for recognition in the music industry. Turner describes himself and his friends as "lovers and losers," "heroes and pioneers," and "beggars and choosers," navigating their way through an industry that values fame over art. They may be "almost on the guestlist," but they are "always stuck in traffic," unable to break through to the coveted ranks of the rich and famous.

Turner's lyrics then introduce us to some of his friends - Justin, Jay, Adam, Tommy, Dave Danger, Tre, Zo and Harps - and their different personalities and talents. Justin is the "last of the great romantic poets" and the only one who will make it, while Jay is their hero St. George, and Adam is a resurrected spirit of Gram Parsons. Tommy's role in the group is unclear, but he is still "vital to the whole damn operation." Dave Danger smiles at strangers, Tre is the safest girl they know, and Zo and Harps are ready to "skamper up to victory."

Overall, the song emphasizes the importance of living life to the fullest and not getting too focused on fame or success. The last line of the song, "the only thing that's left to do is get another round in at the bar," suggests that the real reward is in the company of friends and the experiences they share.

Line by Line Meaning

We're lovers and we're losers,
We are people who have loved and lost in life

We're heroes and we're pioneers,
We are people who have accomplished great things and explored new territories

And we're beggars and we're choosers.
We are people who have had both good and bad times

We're skirting round the edges
We are not the centerpiece of the action but doing our thing at the fringe

Of the ideal demographic.
We don't fit into the mainstream target segment of society

We're almost on the guestlist,
We are very close but not quite there yet

But we're always stuck in traffic.
We are always encountering obstacles and delays

We've watched our close associates
We have seen our friends and peers

Up and play their parts;
Succeeding in their respective roles

They're chatting up the it girls,
They're popular and socializing with high-status people

And they're tearing up the charts,
They're topping the charts and other forms of recognition

While we were paying with coppers
We were making ends meet with whatever little money we had

To get our round in at the bar.
Buying drinks for our group at a bar

We're the see-Team, we're the almost famous
We're the unsung heroes, almost getting recognition

Old friends of the stars.
We are friends of famous people

Justin is the last
Justin is the final member mentioned

Of the great romantic poets,
He is a romantic poet

And he's the only one among us
He is the only one of us

Who is ever going to make it.
Who is destined to succeed

We planned a revolution
We had grand plans for change

From a cheap Southampton bistro.
In a cheap restaurant in Southampton

I don't remember details
Cannot recall specifics

But there were English boys with banjos.
But there were English musicians with a type of stringed instrument

Jay is our St George, and he's standing on a wooden chair,
Jay is compared to the legendary knight St George and an unconventional leader

And he sings songs and he slays dragons, and he's losing all his hair.
He is a talented musician who bravely confronts challenges and getting old

Adam is the resurrected spirit of Gram Parsons, In plaid instead of rhinestone and living in South London.
Adam reminds the singer of the late musician Gram Parsons, but he has his own style and lives in South London

And no one's really clear about Tommy's job description,
No one can define Tommy's precise occupation

But it's pretty clear he's vital to the whole damn operation.
But he is clearly essential to the group's success

Dave Danger smiles at strangers,
Dave is friendly to everyone

Tre's the safest girl I know,
Tre is the most reliable person I know

Zo and Harps will scamper up to victory in the city we call home.
Zo and Harps will make progress and achieve success where we all live

We won't change our ways, we will proud remain when the glory fades.
We will stick to our values and stay proud even if our fame and success diminish

I am sick and tired of people
I am fed up with people

Who are living on the be-list.
Who are disappointed about not being on VIP lists or getting recognition

They're waiting to be famous
They are hoping for fame

And they're wondering why they do this.
They are questioning the purpose of their pursuits

And I know I'm not the one who is habitually optimistic,
I am not typically optimistic

But I'm the one who's got the microphone here so just remember this:
But I am the one speaking here, so listen up

Life is about love, last minutes and lost evenings,
Life is about love, treasuring moments, and lost opportunities

About fire in our bellies and furtive little feelings,
About passion and fleeting emotions

And the aching amplitudes that set our needles all a-flickering,
About vivid experiences that move us deeply

And help us with remembering that the only thing that's left to do is live.
And remind us that the only thing left is to live our lives fully

After all the loving and the losing,
After experiencing love and loss

For the heroes and the pioneers,
For those who have achieved greatness and explored new frontiers

The only thing that's left to do
The only option remaining

Is get another round in at the bar.
Is to order another round of drinks at the bar

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS EDWARD TURNER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@Kloobgumph

7y↑11

Let's begin at the beginning
We're lovers and we're losers
We're heroes and we're pioneers
And we're beggars and we're choosers
We're skirting around the edges
Of the ideal demographic
We're almost on the guestlist
But we're always stuck in traffic

We've watched our close associates
Up and play their parts
Chatting up the it girls
And they're tearing up the charts
While we were paying with coppers
To get our rounds in at the bar
We're the C-Team, we're the almost famous
Old friends of the stars

Justin is the last
Of the great romantic poets
And he's the only one among us
Who is ever gonna make it
We planned a revolution
From a cheap Southampton bistro
I don't remember details
But there were English boys with banjos

Jay is our St George, and he's standing on a wooden chair
And he sings songs and he slays dragons, and he's losing all his hair
And Adam is the resurrected spirit of Gram Parsons
In plaid instead of rhinestone and living in South London
And no one's really clear about Tommy's job description
But it's pretty clear he's vital to the whole damn operation
And Dave Danger smiles at strangers, Tre's the safest girl I know
Zo and Harps will scamper up to victory in the city we call home

We won't change our ways, we will proud remain when the glory fades
When the glory fades

Yeah, I am sick and tired of people
Who are living on the B-list
Yeah, they're waiting to be famous
And they're wondering why they do this

And I know I'm not the one who is habitually optimistic
But I'm the one who's got the microphone here, so just remember this

Yeah, well life is about love, last minutes and lost evenings
About fire in our bellies and furtive little feelings
And the aching amplitudes that set our needles all a-flickering
And help us with remembering that the only thing that's left to do is live

Yeah, the only thing that's left to do is live

After all the loving and the losing
For the heroes and the pioneers
The only thing that's left to do
Is get another round in at the bar