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
Tattoos
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got my pay check from the man
There's not so many jobs that I can get these days
With these marks all over my hands
But I'm gonna take that check
I'm gonna head across the track
To the wrong side of this town
I'm gonna bask in the roar
Of that familiar buzzing needle sound
Because the ink in my skin
Where the needle went in
However many years ago
Has left marks on my arms
And they say who I am
Everywhere that I go
Some people have one and
Some have one that they're ashamed of
Most people think that we're fools
Some people don't get it and
Some people don't care
And some of us we have tattoos
Oh it's fading, yes it's fading
Some of the things that I believed back then
Yes my skin has started sagging and
The ink has started running
And I've got buddy tattoos with people
Who aren't friends
Oh I've even got black X's from when I was straight edge
So crack open a beer friends now
And let's make a pledge
If we had the luck to live our lives
A second time through we'd be sure to get the same tattoos
Because the ink in my skin
Where the needle went in
However many years ago
Has left marks on my arms
And they say who I am
Everywhere that I go
Some people have one and
Some have one that they're ashamed of
Most people think that we're fools
Some people don't get it and
Some people don't care
And some of us we have tattoos
We've got hearts for the lovers
And playing cards for the gamblers
Black flag bars for the punks
And sailing ships for the ramblers
We got skulls for the living
And the pain pays our dues
And some of us we have tattoos
The song "Tattoos" by Frank Turner deals with the theme of identity and how people express it through tattoos. The lyrics talk about the singer's trip to a tattoo parlor after getting his paycheck. The singer acknowledges the societal judgment that those with tattoos face, but still sees them as a significant part of his identity. He identifies that the ink in his skin and the marks of tattoos tell a story about who he is, despite the physical changes that have come as a result of ageing. The song recognizes that people choose to have tattoos for many reasons, whether out of love, rebellion, or self-expression, and that these individual stories are worth celebrating.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the individuality of people's tattoos and how they can often be a source of pride and meaning. "Some people have one, and some have one that they're ashamed of. Most people think that we're fools. Some people don't get it, and some people don't care. And some of us, we have tattoos." Through this repetition, Frank Turner emphasizes that while some may not understand or value tattoos, they remain an essential part of the identities of those who have them.
Overall, Frank Turner's "Tattoos" is an ode to people's self-expression through tattoos and the unique stories they tell. The song encourages the listener to think about the significance of their own tattoos and how they contribute to their overall identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh it's payday, yes it's payday
I have received my salary from my job.
I got my pay check from the man
I have received my salary from my employer.
There's not so many jobs that I can get these days
With these marks all over my hands
It's difficult to get a job with tattoos.
But I'm gonna take that check
I'm gonna head across the track
To the wrong side of this town
I'm going to use my paycheck to get more tattoos.
I'm gonna open the door
I'm gonna bask in the roar
Of that familiar buzzing needle sound
I'm excited to get more tattoos and hear the sound of the tattoo needle.
Because the ink in my skin
Where the needle went in
However many years ago
Has left marks on my arms
And they say who I am
Everywhere that I go
My tattoos are a permanent part of me and represent my identity.
Some people have one and
Some have one that they're ashamed of
Most people think that we're fools
Some people don't get it and
Some people don't care
And some of us we have tattoos
Some people have tattoos, but not everyone understands or approves of them.
Oh it's fading, yes it's fading
Some of the things that I believed back then
Yes my skin has started sagging and
The ink has started running
And I've got buddy tattoos with people
Who aren't friends
Oh I've even got black X's from when I was straight edge
My tattoos are starting to fade and change as I age, and some of the people I got tattoos with are no longer in my life.
So crack open a beer friends now
And let's make a pledge
If we had the luck to live our lives
A second time through we'd be sure to get the same tattoos
Let's toast to our tattoos and pledge that if we could do it all over again, we'd get the same tattoos.
We've got hearts for the lovers
And playing cards for the gamblers
Black flag bars for the punks
And sailing ships for the ramblers
We got skulls for the living
And the pain pays our dues
And some of us we have tattoos
Our tattoos represent different aspects of our lives and personalities, and the pain of getting a tattoo is a rite of passage.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANK TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind