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)
Get Up and Use Me
Franz Ferdinand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They take my voice and they feed my eyes
All I read is a bed of lies
I know the truth of the idiot youth
Is nothing than a guise
And who's scared?
So g-g-g-g-get up and use me
The universe, white from a bed
And don't you know he is already dead
So g-g-g-g-get up and use me
Tell me I have everything to live for
It means nothing to me
And from what I can see
And I'm blind
So g-g-g-g-get up and use me
The dumbing down of lies
The dumbing down of a bed of lies
So tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me
To get up and use me
The lyrics to Franz Ferdinand's "Get Up and Use Me" are highly introspective, skeptical and disillusioned, focusing heavily on the way media and authorities manipulate and control people through lies and deceit, and how the masses willingly accept this suppression of truth. At the same time, there is a sense of ironic defiance and vulnerability, with the singer offering themselves up as a willing pawn for others to use and manipulate while still maintaining a sense of superiority and detachment.
The opening lines of the song set the tone of distrust and skepticism towards the media and the information they serve up, all of it being just a "bed of lies". The singer seems to be aware of the manipulations but also recognizes that the general population is blind to it. They suggest that the concept of the "idiot youth" is nothing but a guise. This is interesting because it highlights the idea that young people are not inherently foolish or easily manipulated, but rather subject to a systematic brainwashing that devalues critical thinking and social awareness.
The recurring "So g-g-g-g-get up and use me" line is another layer of ironic detachment, wherein the singer invites others to take advantage of them but in such an indifferent way that they refuse to be emotionally invested. They remain unafraid of the consequences of such action, even if it ultimately leads to their own destruction. This line could be interpreted as a call to arms for those who want to fight against the homogenization of society and the lies propagated by the media, an invitation to use the singer as a tool to that end.
The lyrics also touch upon the idea of existentialism, where the universe is described as white and the subject of the song contemplates mortality with the line "And don't you know he is already dead". This sense of despair and nihilism in contrast with a bold defiance and indifference is what makes the lyrics of this song intriguing.
Line by Line Meaning
Use me!
Asking to be used by someone
They take my voice and they feed my eyes
People manipulate what I see and hear
All I read is a bed of lies
I only see false information
I know the truth of the idiot youth, Is nothing than a guise
The real intentions of young people are not shown to society
And who's scared? Not me
I am not afraid
So g-g-g-g-get up and use me
Take advantage of me and my power
The universe, white from a bed, And don't you know he is already dead
Talking about death, meaninglessness, and the insignificant nature of the universe
Tell me I have everything to live for, It means nothing to me
Assurances of a good future mean nothing without proof
And from what I can see And I'm blind
I am uncertain and confused
So g-g-g-g-get up and use me
Take advantage in any way possible
The dumbing down of lies, The dumbing down of a bed of lies, So tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, To get up and use me
Society's lies are told more simply and falsely, so use me to reveal the truth
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sarah Neal
i really like the fire engines and i respect them for creating such amazing music but i personally like this version more
Jonathon Terrones
Franz put that little more spark that it needed
Jonathon Terrones
This is so rare now, I’d pay good money for this single track pressed on vinyl 🤘💯
R Z
I reaaaaally would like to listen to a studio version of this cover
Canal Kevin Jordan
Can't get it out of my head, sooo good
Alguien con un videojuego
In the original song there are more fans of this version.
In this song there are more fans of the other version.
I honestly just think of this as if Fire Engines digged a diamond and Franz Ferdinand refined it.
Canal Kevin Jordan
That's a fantastic way to describe it.
Alguien con un videojuego
Kevin Jordan Thank You.
DraftFX
This is amazing. :D
Ada
If you like that sort of vibe I recommend Republika Nowe Sytuacje.. gonna blow your mind 😎