The band first experienced chart success when their second single "Take Me Out" reached #3 in the UK Charts, followed by their debut album Franz Ferdinand which entered the UK album chart at #3. The band went on to win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize and two BRIT Awards in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. NME named Franz Ferdinand as their Album of the Year. From the album, three top-ten singles were released, "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée" and "This Fire". The band has also received several Grammy Award nominations.
The band is named after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria whose assassination was one of the main reasons for the start of the First World War. The band decided on the name after seeing a racehorse named Archduke Ferdinand win the Northumberland Plate in 2001, eventually coming to the decision as the alliteration and sound of the name appealed to them.
- Discography
Franz Ferdinand (2004)
You Could Have It So Much Better (2005)
Blood; Franz Ferdinand (2009)
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2009)
Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action (2013)
FFS (2015) (Collaborative album with the band Sparks)
Always Ascending (2018)
Hits to the Head (2022)
40`
Franz Ferdinand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forty feet beneath my feet
The coldest calm falls
Through the molten veins
Cooling all the blood to slush
That congeals around the brain
La la la
Salt scales upon my drying arms
Burn my back beneath the sun
But I am cold beneath the burning haze
Looking down, looking down
Down, down again
La la la
Forty feet remain
Franz Ferdinand's song "40' is a reflective piece that invites the listener to join the singer as he looks down upon the ocean from a height of 40 feet. The song begins with the viewpoint of the singer, who briefly glances upon the ocean's vast emptiness. The atmosphere is tranquil, and the coldest calm falls through the molten veins, cooling all the blood to slush around the brain. The singer has a fascination with looking down and realizes that he is indifferent to the world around him. The symbolism of being 40 feet high adds to the melancholic feel of the song - a feeling of separation from society.
In the second verse, there is a feeling of detachment from the singer's body, as the salt scales appear on his drying arms, and the sun burns his back. He acknowledges the burning haze but feels numb inside. He continues to look down once again and repeats the words, "down," as he recognizes the vast emptiness before him. As he stares down into the abyss, he realizes that he is only 40 feet away from joining the emptiness below, and yet he remains numb to it.
Overall, Franz Ferdinand's "40" is a song about isolation, separation, and detachment. The song's melancholic tone and lyrics are intended to be reflective, inviting listeners to think about their own experiences of disconnection and indifference.
Line by Line Meaning
As I glance once upon the foam
As I take a look at the sea froth
Forty feet beneath my feet
Below my feet lies 40 feet of water
The coldest calm falls
A freezing calmness descends
Through the molten veins
The veins feel like they are melting
Cooling all the blood to slush
Lowering the temperature of the blood to a slush-like substance
That congeals around the brain
Which thickens and solidifies in the brain
La la la
Non-lyrical part of the song
Forty feet remain
Still 40 feet of water to go
Salt scales upon my drying arms
Crusts of salt on my drying arms
Burn my back beneath the sun
My back is getting burnt from the hot sun
But I am cold beneath the burning haze
Despite the heat around me, I am still cold
Looking down, looking down
Watching intently into the water
Down, down again
Going deeper into the water
La la la
Non-lyrical part of the song
Forty feet remain
Still 40 feet of water to go
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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