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)
Jaqueline
Franz Ferdinand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Working on a desk
When Ivor
Peered above a spectacle
Forgot that he had wrecked a girl
Sometimes these eyes
Forget the face they're peering from
When the face they peer upon
That face as I do
And how in the return of the gaze
She can return you the face
That you are staring from
It's always better on holiday
So much better on holiday
That's why we only work when
We need the money
It's always better on holiday
So much better on holiday
That's why we only work when
We need the money
Gregor was down again
Said come on, kick me again
Said I'm so drunk
I don't mind if you kill me
Come on you, gutless
I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive
And how I know it
But for chips and for freedom
I could die
It's always better on holiday
So much better on holiday
That's why we only work when
We need the money
It's always better on holiday
So much better on holiday
That's why we only work when
We need the money
It's always better on holiday
So much better on holiday
That's why we only work when
We need the money
It's always better on holiday
So much better on holiday
That's why we only work when
We need the money
The song "Jacqueline" by Franz Ferdinand tells a story of people who are dissatisfied with their daily lives and long for something better. The first verse introduces us to Jacqueline, a young woman working on a desk. Ivor, who apparently has some history with her, looks at her through his spectacles and momentarily forgets that he hurt her before. The lyrics then turn to a chorus that repeats the line "It's always better on holiday" several times. The second verse introduces Gregor, who is down and wants to be kicked again. He is so drunk that he welcomes death. But he is also alive, and he knows it. He values his freedom and chips so much that he could die for them. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the idea that people only work when they need the money.
The song conveys a sense of disillusionment with the routine of everyday life and a longing for something more exciting and fulfilling. The title character is seen as an object of desire, but also as a person with agency who can gaze back and reciprocate. The chorus suggests that taking time off from work and going on a holiday is a way to escape the drudgery of life and find happiness. However, the repetition of the phrase also implies that this happiness is fleeting and impossible to sustain, and that ultimately people have to return to work to make a living.
Line by Line Meaning
Jacqueline was seventeen
The singer is referencing a girl named Jacqueline, who was seventeen years old at some point in time.
Working on a desk
Jacqueline was employed, and her work involved sitting at a desk.
When Ivor
While this is an incomplete sentence, it seems that the singer is referencing a specific moment during which Jacqueline was at her desk and Ivor appeared.
Peered above a spectacle
Ivor was wearing glasses or some other kind of eyewear, and he looked over them to see Jacqueline.
Forgot that he had wrecked a girl
Ivor had possibly done something bad to a girl in the past, which he had forgotten about until he saw Jacqueline.
Sometimes these eyes
The singer is talking about eyes in general, possibly referring to his own, and how they can sometimes forget certain details.
Forget the face they're peering from
When someone is looking at a face, their own face can sometimes become forgotten or less focused on.
When the face they peer upon
The person who is being looked at has a stronger focus and stands out more than the person who is doing the looking.
Well you know
The artist seems to be speaking directly to someone else, possibly a listener or a friend, saying that they understand this dynamic as well.
That face as I do
The artist and the person he's speaking to both know what it's like to experience this forgetting of one's own face while looking at another person's face.
And how in the return of the gaze
When the person being looked at turns their gaze back towards the person looking at them,
She can return you the face
The girl can look back at the person looking at her with a similar kind of forgetfulness, which reverses the situation.
That you are staring from
The girl is now looking back at the singer with the same kind of forgetfulness he had while originally looking at her.
It's always better on holiday
Going on vacation is consistently more enjoyable than staying at home and working.
So much better on holiday
The singer emphasizes how much more enjoyable vacation is compared to everyday life.
That's why we only work when
The artist and those he speaks for only work when they need to make money to afford travel and enjoy life during vacations.
We need the money
The only reason they work is so that they can afford to go on vacation.
Gregor was down again
The singer is now referencing a different character, Gregor, who is feeling sad or depressed.
Said come on, kick me again
Despite his state of mind, Gregor seems to want the singer to hurt him in some way, which may indicate self-destructive tendencies or a desire to feel something.
Said I'm so drunk
Gregor has been drinking heavily and is likely under the influence of alcohol.
I don't mind if you kill me
Gregor feels so low that he doesn't care about his own wellbeing and may even welcome death.
Come on you, gutless
The artist is berating Gregor for his behavior and lack of courage.
I'm alive
Despite his depressive state, Gregor asserts that he is still alive and present in the moment.
And how I know it
Gregor is confident in his own existence.
But for chips and for freedom
Gregor is only staying alive and holding on to life for simple pleasures like food and the freedom to exist.
I could die
Although Gregor is holding on to life, his fragile state of mind means that he could die at any moment and may not mind it even if he does.
Contributed by Aaliyah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.