Primarily influenced by the recent post-folk scene raised from the ashes of Red Red Meat, they released a demo on Zahr Records: All My Senses Are Senseless Today (2004) was a mixture of slow pace folk-rock songs, often arranged with a dark Slint-style attitude, that created some excitement among Italian press. Perishable records distributed the record through their online shop.
By that same year the core of the group comprised the trio of Iocca, Riccardi and Vittoria Burattini on drums. Franklin Delanos second effort, Like A Smoking Gun In Front Of Me (2005), marked a slight change in the groups sound. While remaining steeped in the dark slow cored style of their previous album, the songs took influencial benefits from a series of new musical inputs, from psychedelia to Alt-country.
Produced at Clava Studios in Chicago by Brian Deck (former Red Red Meat and Califone member and producer for Modest Mouse, Ugly Casanova, Iron&Wine), the album includes musical contributions by Califone members Ben Massarella, Tim Rutili, and Jim Becker. Like A Smoking Gun saw the band moving on Madcap Collective (Italy) and File 13 Records (Chicago, IL). It was promoted and distributed in the United States and garnered plaudits from the local music press. Most italian critics judged it to be among the year best records. Shortly after the release, Franklin Delano embarked on their first U.S. tour that helped them win fans and also spread the name all over the United States. Soon after, the group suffered an internal shake-up with Burattini replaced by Lucio Sagone at drums, and Marcello Petruzzi at bass.
At the end of 2005 the line-up included Vittorio Demarin at violin, piano, organ and Michele Sarti at percussions and glockenspiel. In 2006 the band signed with Italys Ghost Records, flew to Chicago where they recorded their third album, Come Home with Brian Deck, between Engine and Soma music studios, and toured the U.S. a second time. The album, Come Home, has been released in October. The band has been on tour since then, with a freshly new line-up, including the comeback of Vittoria, and new entry Nicola Manzan at violin and electronics, to join Paolo, Marcella and Marcello.
At the end of 2007 the project cease its activity. Paolo and Marcella have just started a new project joining two midwestern multi-instrumentalists, Davy DelaFuente and Oren Wagner.
No Man's Land
Franklin Delano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're more than welcome
But hey, lift up your chin
Cause I like you better
I want a smile from you
All over your face
I got a cool secret in a secret place
About this boy
He felt so inexpensive
Until someone bought him
Supposed to be happy
Cause he discovered his price
But he had lost the secret, he hadn't realized
You won't need to cover your broken heart
And you won't need to fake a smile
All I want you to understand
All around your happiness there's no man's land
The song "No Man's Land" by Franklin Delano is an introspective and emotional piece about the fragility of happiness and the search for self-worth. As the song opens, Delano invites the listener into the space, imploring them to lift their chin and smile. He admits that he finds them pleasing and likable, and he shares a secret with them that he keeps hidden in a private place. The song then transitions into a story about a boy who feels worthless until someone places value on him. However, in the process of being recognized, he loses a sense of himself and the secret that once made him truly happy.
The lyrics of this song are layered with meaning and symbolism. The uplifting opening lines are a call to action for the listener to be happy and confident in their own skin. However, the shift to the story of the boy is a cautionary tale about not losing oneself in the pursuit of validation. The value placed on the boy by someone else is fleeting, but it comes at the expense of his own inherent worth. The final lines of the song reveal the title's meaning, that true happiness can only be found in a personal "no man's land," an inner sanctum that is unique to each person and cannot be taken away.
Line by Line Meaning
Please come in
You are invited with open arms to this space
You're more than welcome
Your presence is appreciated and celebrated
But hey, lift up your chin
I want you to feel confident and assured
Cause I like you better
Your unique qualities make you a valuable individual
I want a smile from you
Your happiness is important to me
All over your face
I want your joy to radiate and illuminate your entire being
I got a cool secret in a secret place
I have a special insight or knowledge that I am eager to share with you
I wanna tell you a story
I have an experience or lesson to convey
About this boy
There was a young man who went through a challenging experience
He felt so inexpensive
He didn't value himself or feel like he had much worth
Until someone bought him
Someone showed him love and appreciation, which boosted his self-esteem
Supposed to be happy
Society tells us that material possessions and external validations should make us happy
Cause he discovered his price
He began to value himself based on external factors
But he had lost the secret, he hadn't realized
He lost sight of the intrinsic value that he possessed and didn't realize his worth beyond material possessions
You won't need to cover your broken heart
You don't have to hide or suppress your pain or vulnerability
And you won't need to fake a smile
You don't have to pretend or force yourself to appear happy
All I want you to understand
My primary hope is for you to comprehend
All around your happiness there's no man's land
The notion of happiness is often associated with external factors, but true happiness comes from within and cannot be achieved through outside validation alone
Contributed by Anna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel Burch
We need you now Mr.Roosevelt😢
Sara Monson
Amen!!
Thomas Raymer
He brought back a level of dignity. He salvaged a way of life in America.
buckeyewill216
“…Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.”
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
karen Carter
He was controlled by both.
Andra McDowell
My grandparents told me all about FDR . They loved him. I love him. I want a president like FDR. Money out of politics. No more loopholes.
SneakySteve414
@Squid.com89 being part of the swamp doesn’t mean you can’t to great things
Squid.com89
@David Duncan sure, whatever you say
David Duncan
@Squid.com89 and your still a Bot at the end of the day.
Squid.com89
@David Duncanyour not being censored, other people are exercising their right to shut you up