Frank Turner started solo acoustic shows prior to Million Dead's break up. The first official performance was at the first Small Town America all dayer at 93 Feet East on September 18th 2004. The solo performances were, in a sense, a sideline to Million Dead. They did allow Turner to display some of his own songwriting capabilities (without a band) as well as some covers of songs and bands he enjoyed, in some cases the songs were much re-worked to fit an acoustic atmosphere. Solo performances were also used to help bolster or expose Million Dead to new individuals as well, with some acoustic in-store and radio performances of Million Dead songs.
At the end of February and start of March (2006) Frank went to Oxford to record the "Campfire Punkrock" EP with Dive Dive as the backing band for three of the songs. This EP was released on May 15 2006 on a limited run through Xtra Mile recordings. It sold out after only a few weeks on sale and had to be re-pressed to meet demand.
With Jonah Matranga doing some touring in June 2006 in support of his CD/DVD album "Jonah Matranga" there was some discussion of Frank doing supports with Jonah, this only ended up with one show featuring both at The Peel in Kingston. The discussion however lead to the creation of the Jonah Matranga and Frank Turner split 12" vinyl. Released in the USA on Welcome Home Records and in the UK via Xtra Mile Recordings. The release features Frank covering two songs by American songwriters and Jonah covering two songs by British songwriters. He was recently (September 18 2006) the last ever artist to perform on BBC Radio 1's Lamacq Live program, unveiling two new songs from "Sleep Is For The Week".
The good sales of "Campfire Punkrock" meant good news as this allowed Frank to record his debut album "Sleep Is For The Week" in August and September 2006. Recorded in Oxford with Dive Dive as extra band on a selection of the 13 tracks. The last track, "The Ballad Of Me And My Friends", is a live recording from a sold out show at the London Barfly and features the vocal contribution of the (approximately) 200 strong audience during a verse. Those in attendance and gave their names to Xtra Mile Recordings will have their names credited as contributers to this track.
In April 2008, his second album Love, Ire and Song was released to critical acclaim.
His third full-length album, Poetry Of The Deed, was released September 7th 2009, and includes the singles The Road, Try This At Home and Isabel. An accompanying DVD, Take To The Road, was released in March 2010.
Amidst extensive touring in support of Poetry of the Deed, Turner and his then-untitled backing band recorded Rock & Roll, an EP consisting of tracks written at the same time as Poetry of the Deed alongside new material. Following its release, Turner and the band spent twenty days in January 2011, recording their next studio album with producer Tristan Ivemy. The result was England Keep My Bones, the fourth studio album by Frank, released on June 6, 2011, on Xtra Mile in the United Kingdom, and on June 7, 2011, on Epitaph Records worldwide. Preceded by the single, "Peggy Sang the Blues", the album was produced and mixed by Tristan Ivemy, who had previously mixed Love, Ire and Song, Rock & Roll and Campfire Punkrock.
The album's title is taken from William Shakespeare's play, The Life and Death of King John, with Turner noting, "I knew that the album was, for the most part, about mortality, and about Englishness. Shakespeare seemed like a good place to go hunting for some pearls of wisdom, and with a little help from my friend Ben we came across this one, and it just seemed to fit the work really well."
Following the completion of the album, Turner subsequently announced his backing band had named themselves The Sleeping Souls, after a lyric in the track, "I Am Disappeared". The Sleeping Souls are Nigel Powell, Ben LLoyd, Tarant Anderson and Matt Nasir.
Turner recorded his fifth studio album in Burbank, California, in October 2012. The reason for recording first time abroad in California was, that producer Rich Costey wouldn't come to England with all his equipment so he convinced Turner to record it in Burbank. Frank Turner announced via Twitter on 28 October 2012 that recording was completed, and mixing and mastering would be done in time for a March 2013 release date. During the November and December UK tour a free CD titled Good Hangs from Xtra Mile Recordings was distributed for free at Frank Turner shows, this included a yet-to-be-released Turner song titled "Tattoos" plus the Möngöl Hörde song "Casual Threats From Weekend Hardmen". On Christmas Day 2012, the song "Four Simple Words" was released on Xtra Mile Recordings' website as a free download along with the b-side "Cowboy Chords". On 4 January 2013, a video was shot for what would be the first single. On the same day Frank announced on Twitter that the single was the song "Recovery". On 9 January, Frank uploaded a photo to his Instagram page showing the names of all 13 songs that would feature on his new album. This included songs played during the UK and US tours of 2012 such as "Anymore", "Plain Sailing Weather", "We Shall Not Overcome" and "Tell Tale Signs". Frank also posted on his fan forum that an extended edition of his new album would be released that includes an extra 5 or 6 songs. On 19 February 2013, it was announced that Turner had signed a licensing deal with Interscope Records in the US for Tape Deck Heart. Following the release of the album Frank Turner embarked on a short U.K tour.
[this section requires expansion, to cover the period 2013 to 2018]
Discography:
2005 - Frank Turner's Demo
2007 - Campfire Punkrock
2007 - The Real Damage
2007 - Sleep Is For The Week
2008 - Love Ire & Song
2008 - The First Three Years
2009 - Poetry Of The Deed
2010 - Take to the Road: Live 2009
2010 - iTunes Festival: London 2010
2011 - 2011-11-17: Daytrotter Session, Big Orange Studios, Austin, TX, USA
2012 - The Second Three Years
2012 - Last Minutes and Lost Evenings
2013 - Tape Deck Heart
2014 - Polaroid Picture
2014 - The Third Three Years
2015 - Positive Songs for Negative People
2017 - Songbook
2018 - Be More Kind
2019 - No Man's Land
2020 - West Coast vs. Wessex
2020 - Buddies II: Still Buddies
Dancing Queen
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
Friday night and the lights are low
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
The lyrics to Frank Turner's version of Dancing Queen are a tribute to the classic song by ABBA released in 1976. The lyrics follow the persona of a young woman who is out on the town looking for a good time. The opening lines are an invitation to dance, stating that you can dance and jive and have the time of your life. The persona is also excited to see the other people in the club who are also dancing, calling them the "dancing queen."
The lyrics then go on to describe the setting of the club-- it's a Friday night and the lights are low, and the persona is on the lookout for a place to go where the music is right. She's looking for a king, but anyone will do. When the music starts, and it's the right kind of rock music, everything is fine, and she's in the mood for a dance. The chorus repeats that she is the dancing queen, young and sweet at only seventeen, and feeling the beat of the tambourine.
The lyrics then take a more flirtatious and teasing turn. The persona is described as a teaser, turning people on and leaving them burning, and looking out for another person to dance with. Anyone will do, the persona is just in the mood for a dance and will take any opportunity to do so. The final chorus repeats that the persona is the dancing queen, and everyone in the club is encouraged to dig in and join her.
Overall, the lyrics to Frank Turner's version of Dancing Queen is a celebration of youth, fun, and dancing. Although the lyrics are slightly cheeky, they maintain the positive, upbeat feel of the original and encourage listeners to dance and have a good time.
Line by Line Meaning
You can dance
You have the ability to move your body rhythmically to music
You can jive
You can dance to a style of lively and spirited music
Having the time of your life
Enjoying yourself immensely and creating unforgettable memories
See that girl
Notice that girl who is drawing attention
Watch that scene
Observe the activity and energy of the dance floor
Dig in the dancing queen
Join in and fully immerse yourself in the dance party
Friday night and the lights are low
It's the start of the weekend, the lighting is dimmed, and the mood is set
Looking out for a place to go
Searching for a destination to have fun at
Where they play the right music
A locale that has the perfect tunes to dance to
Getting in the swing
Feeling the rhythm of the music and getting into the groove
You come to look for a king
You are seeking a partner or someone to dance with
Anybody could be that guy
Anyone has the chance to be that special dance partner
Night is young and the music's high
The night is just beginning and the music is at a high volume
With a bit of rock music
The addition of rock music makes everything more thrilling and energetic
Everything is fine
All is going well and you are having a great time
You're in the mood for a dance
You want to let loose and move your body to the music
And when you get the chance
As soon as the opportunity arises
You are the dancing queen
You are glowing and full of life, shining brightly on the dance floor
Young and sweet
Youthful and charming
Only seventeen
At the early stages of your prime years
Feel the beat from the tambourine
Sensing the rhythm of the music clearly, even its most subtle components like percussion
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Your flirtatious and playful demeanor excites and entices others
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
After arousing their attention or desire, you move on and leave them wanting more
Looking out for another
Searching for another person to connect with, either for instant gratification or longer term companionship
Anyone will do
Not being too picky or selective about who to connect with or spend time with
You are the dancing queen
You are the star of the dance floor, owning every move you make
Young and sweet
Taking advantage of your youthful energy and beauty to live in the moment and savor the fun
Only seventeen
Enjoying your teenage years to the fullest
Having the time of your life
Engaging in exhilarating and unforgettable experiences
See that girl
Spotting another girl who seems to be enjoying herself and having a great time
Watch that scene
Observing the atmosphere of the dance floor and the way people interact with each other
Dig in the dancing queen
Getting swept up in the excitement and joy of the dancing queen's energy and spirit
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K. Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind