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)
Evil and a Heathen
Franz Ferdinand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like plates from shaking hands
Smash upon the silence
Of the smooth naked canal
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
Not a lot I couldn't do
I like how you pretend
That the end will be the end
So fill your thirst
Drink a curse
To the death of death instead
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot, not a lot I wouldn't do
Utrecht led me to the Sacre Coeur
Where the smoke curled round
Now the ice blows of Lake Michigan
When the ice blows
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
Your teeth are black with wine
As you place those lips on mine
And the moon hangs heavy and forbidden high
On the night of our lives
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot
Not a lot we couldn't do
Yeah, evil like you
Oh, evil like you
Whoa, evil like you
Oh, evil like you
The lyrics of Evil and a Heathen by Franz Ferdinand depict a dark and malevolent persona who revels in their own wickedness. The imagery described in the first stanza suggests a sense of chaos and destruction, with words smashing like plates against the silence of a canal. The chorus proclaims that the singer is both evil and a heathen, and that there is little they would not do. The second verse references various locations, perhaps suggesting a sense of rebellion against societal norms and expectations. The last stanza seems to describe a hedonistic moment between two individuals, set against the backdrop of a forbidden, ominous moon.
The song has a haunting and menacing feeling, enhanced by the driving guitars and pounding drums. While the lyrics may suggest a certain amount of bravado and bravura on the part of the singer, the tone of the music and the repetition of the chorus lend a sense of unease to the song. Ultimately, it's up to the listener to interpret the true meaning and intention behind the lyrics of Evil and a Heathen.
Line by Line Meaning
Words fall from my mouth
Like plates from shaking hands
Smash upon the silence
Of the smooth naked canal
My words come out clumsily and without tact, like plates falling out of shaky hands, and make a loud impact on the calm, quiet atmosphere around us.
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot
Not a lot I couldn't do
I am a mischievous and ungodly person, just like you. I am capable of doing most things, without much limitation.
I like how you pretend
That the end will be the end
So fill your thirst
Drink a curse
To the death of death instead
I admire your optimism that the end of everything will truly be the end. Instead of seeking eternal rest, let's indulge ourselves and toast to the idea of death no longer existing.
Utrecht led me to the Sacre Coeur
Where the smoke curled round
Now the ice blows of Lake Michigan
When the ice blows
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
I have traveled to many places, such as Utrecht and the Sacre Coeur, and now I find myself in Chicago where the wind and ice can be harsh and overwhelming.
Your teeth are black with wine
As you place those lips on mine
And the moon hangs heavy and forbidden high
On the night of our lives
Your teeth are stained with wine as we share a passionate kiss, and the moon shines bright above us, making this moment feel surreal and almost taboo.
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot
Not a lot we couldn't do
Yeah, evil like you
Oh, evil like you
Whoa, evil like you
Oh, evil like you
Just like you, I am a wicked and irreligious person. Together, there's nothing that stands in our way or anything that we cannot achieve. Yes, I am as depraved as you are.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER PAUL KAPRANOS HUNTLEY, NICHOLAS JOHN MCCARTHY, PAUL ROBERT THOMPSON, ROBERT HARDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind