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
We Shall Not Overcome
Frank Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the girls I like, they don't kiss too many boys
Books I read will never be best sellers, yeah
But come on fellas at least we made our choice, hey!
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
What do we want?
And how would we feel if we knew that we were never gonna get it?
And where did we start from?
And where are we going?
Can anyone here say with any certainty that they know what they're doing?
Ever feel like an awkward understudy thrown into a cast where you just don't get along?
Crowd and the crew all standing silent staring and you can't shake the feeling that somehow you're doing it wrong
What do we want?
Mum and dad always seem like that had a plan
Everything fell apart when mum moved on, now dad's a broken man
And all these decisions that keep getting made
I can't remember making them and nobody wants to explain
We're all awkward understudies wearing comfortable shoes getting comfortable with doing it wrong
Missed the dress rehearsals and we had to rush a drink before the show but now it's show time and we're singing our song!
Because the bands I like, they don't sell too many records
And the girls I like, they don't kiss too many boys
Books I read will never be best sellers, yeah
But come on fellas at least we made our choice
The bands I like, they don't sell too many records
And the girls I like, they don't kiss too many boys
Books I read will never be best sellers, yeah
But come on fellas at least we made our choice
Be a fan of every band that made you want to move your feet
Fall in love with every person who ever made your heart want to skip a beat
So come on, come on, come on!
What do we want?
We shall not overcome!
We shall not go well!
Hey, hey!
Because the lives we lead, they will be so very perfect
And the plans we make made us serve some kind of purpose
But the hearts we meet still beat the way they used to
If you're doing it wrong, well yeah what you gunna do?
What do we want?
The lyrics to “We Shall Not Overcome” by Frank Turner are a reflection on the struggles of trying to make it in the music industry, to find love, and to find purpose in life. The opening lines, “The bands I like, they don't sell too many records, and the girls I like, they don't kiss too many boys” sets a melancholic tone, conveying that the things that the singer loves and is passionate about are often overlooked or undervalued by society. However, this doesn’t discourage the singer, who explains that at least they made their choice, holding on to their individuality and the things that make them happy.
The song then transitions to a more universal message, with the repeated question of “What do we want?” being asked. The singer prompts the listener to think about what they want from life, what their goals are, and whether they are on the right path. The line “Can anyone here say with any certainty that they know what they're doing?” shows that the singer is also questioning their own choices and the direction they are headed in life.
The final lines of the song bring it together with a message of perseverance and self-acceptance. The singer encourages the listener to continue enjoying the things they love and to be open to falling in love, as well as to not give up on their dreams. The line, “If you're doing it wrong, well yeah what you gonna do?” is a reminder that everyone makes mistakes and takes wrong turns, but it’s important to keep moving forward and to keep learning.
Line by Line Meaning
The bands I like, they don't sell too many records
The musical artists that I admire do not achieve significant commercial success
And the girls I like, they don't kiss too many boys
The women I am attracted to are not promiscuous
Books I read will never be best sellers, yeah
The literature that I consume is unlikely to become popular with mainstream audiences
But come on fellas at least we made our choice, hey!
Regardless, we still have the freedom to make our own choices and pursue our interests
What do we want?
What are our desires and goals?
And when do we want it?
When do we wish for our desires and goals to be fulfilled?
And how would we feel if we knew that we were never gonna get it?
How would we react if we knew that our desires and goals were unattainable?
And where did we start from?
What was our starting point in pursuing our aspirations?
And where are we going?
What is our intended destination or outcome?
Can anyone here say with any certainty that they know what they're doing?
Is there anyone here who is absolutely certain about their path or direction in life?
Ever feel like an awkward understudy thrown into a cast where you just don't get along?
Have you ever felt like an outcast or misfit among a group of people that you do not connect with?
Crowd and the crew all standing silent staring and you can't shake the feeling that somehow you're doing it wrong
Everyone is silently judging and evaluating you, and you feel like you are not measuring up to their expectations
Mum and dad always seem like that had a plan
My parents always appeared to have a clear and defined plan for our family's future
Everything fell apart when mum moved on, now dad's a broken man
However, everything fell apart after my mother left, and my father has been struggling ever since
And all these decisions that keep getting made
Numerous decisions are being made without my knowledge or consent
I can't remember making them and nobody wants to explain
I have no recollection of making these decisions, and no one is willing to provide any clarification
We're all awkward understudies wearing comfortable shoes getting comfortable with doing it wrong
We are all inexperienced and unprepared, but we are slowly getting used to making mistakes and being outside of our comfort zone
Missed the dress rehearsals and we had to rush a drink before the show but now it's show time and we're singing our song!
We may have missed the opportunity to practice, but now it is time to perform and express ourselves
Be a fan of every band that made you want to move your feet
Show appreciation for every musical artist that inspires you to dance or move in some way
Fall in love with every person who ever made your heart want to skip a beat
Experience affection for every individual that has made your heart flutter or race with excitement or joy
We shall not overcome!
We will not triumph or succeed over the obstacles and challenges we face
We shall not go well!
Our situation or circumstances will not improve or turn out favorably
Because the lives we lead, they will be so very perfect
Our lives may appear perfect to others, but in reality they are far from it
And the plans we make made us serve some kind of purpose
Our plans intend to benefit us or others in some way
But the hearts we meet still beat the way they used to
However, the people we encounter have not changed their hearts or personalities
If you're doing it wrong, well yeah what you gunna do?
If you are going about things the wrong way, what else can you do but keep trying and hope for the best?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANK TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind