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.
Take Off
Franklin Delano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wintertime pisses me off as well
Slippin'on ice
It's cold penetrating bones and nerves
It seemed me right
To punish myself
To freeze my limbs off
But it was wrong
There was no sin to be ashamed of
Didn't know what was goin'on
My dream was a take off
I hate winter just like you
But the reasons are different
Feels like dying
Freezing wind just anesthetizes me
The lyrics of "Take Off" by Franklin Delano describe the artist's attitude towards winter and how he used to deal with the season. The opening lines "Nothing wrong with it, Wintertime pisses me off as well" indicate that the artist also doesn't enjoy the winter season. He goes on to describe how slipping on ice is a common occurrence in winter and how the cold wind can penetrate one's nerves and bones leaving them feeling numb.
The following lines indicate how the artist tries to cope with the harshness of winter by punishing himself. "To freeze my limbs off 'til pain is gone" is a clear indication of how he would subject himself to the unbearable cold in a bid to alleviate the pain. However, he comes to realize that he was wrong in his approach since he denied himself the pleasures of winter by punishing himself.
The final lines depict the artist's dream of escapism, where he can take off from his current situation and find a more pleasant environment. He didn't fully understand what was wrong initially, hence the line "Didn't know what was goin' on". However, his dream of take off is an indication that he wishes to escape winter and find a place where he can fully enjoy the pleasures of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing wrong with it
The topic at hand doesn't have any moral or ethical issues.
Wintertime pisses me off as well
The singer dislikes the winter season, just like the listener.
Slippin'on ice
The singer is experiencing the danger and inconvenience of walking on icy surfaces.
It's cold penetrating bones and nerves
The winter weather is physically painful and affecting the artist's body.
It seemed me right
The artist felt justified in their behavior or decision-making.
To punish myself
The singer was intentionally causing themselves harm or discomfort.
To freeze my limbs off
The singer was exposing their body to extreme cold to the point of numbness or loss of feeling.
'til pain was gone
The artist believed that physical pain would eventually fade away with enough exposure to the cold.
But it was wrong
The artist came to understand that their previous behavior or decision-making was not justified or beneficial.
There was no sin to be ashamed of
The artist came to realize that they had no reason to feel guilty or ashamed of their previous actions.
Didn't know what was goin'on
The singer was confused or uncertain about the situation or their own feelings.
My dream was a take off
The artist's aspiration or desire was to depart or take flight, both physically and metaphorically.
I hate winter just like you
The singer feels a connection with the listener due to their shared dislike of winter.
But the reasons are different
The singer and listener both dislike winter, but have different motivations or explanations for their feelings.
Feels like dying
The singer experiences an intense aversion to winter weather, to the point of feeling like they are experiencing a slow death.
Freezing wind just anesthetizes me
Rather than feel physical pain from the cold, the artist feels numbed or deadened by the freezing wind.
Contributed by Caleb I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.