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)
L. Wells
Franz Ferdinand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flicks it round your face like flames around the sun
In the bright cold air you seem as innocent and fair
As Rita Tushingham in 1961
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
LP records in your little hands
Put them on your little dansette for a dance
All those men sing you'll never walk alone
But you'll never let them break your little heart
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
If you have some sort of secret
If you need someone to tell
You can tell me
Because my memory
Always fails
I will forget
And your secret
Will remain
Yes the secret
The secret
Will remain
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
In Franz Ferdinand’s song “L. Wells”, the singer sings about a woman named Lindsey Wells whom he admires greatly. He describes her as having Celtic hair that dances in the wind and a bright innocence that reminds him of Rita Tushingham, a British actress known for her portrayal of naive and innocent young women in the 1960s. The singer goes on to express his admiration for Lindsey’s ability to feel “the good” despite the “poison in us” and wishes that he could be more like her.
The second verse describes Lindsey’s love of music, particularly LP records which she dances to on her “little dansette”. The men in her life may sing that she will never walk alone, but the singer notes that she will never let them break her heart. In the final verse, the singer offers to be someone that Lindsey can confide in, even if his memory will fail him and her secret will remain safe.
Overall, “L. Wells” is a song about admiration and longing for someone who seems to possess a sense of innocence and resilience that the singer wants for himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Great Western Wind catches in your Celtic hair
The wind has caught in Lindsey's hair and it looks like flames around the sun.
Flicks it round your face like flames around the sun
The wind flicks Lindsey's hair around her face, resembling flames around the sun.
In the bright cold air you seem as innocent and fair
Despite the cold air, Lindsey appears innocent and fair.
As Rita Tushingham in 1961
Lindsey looks like Rita Tushingham did in 1961.
Well, Lindsey Wells
Addressing Lindsey Wells.
How I wish that I could feel so good
Expressing the desire to feel as good as Lindsey.
I wish that I could be as good as you
Expressing the wish to be as good as Lindsey.
How I wish that I could feel the good
Expressing the desire to feel the same good vibes as Lindsey does.
Beyond the poison in us like you do
Wishing to feel good, despite the poison in oneself, like Lindsey does.
LP records in your little hands
Lindsey holds LP records in her hands.
Put them on your little dansette for a dance
Lindsey puts the LP records on her little dansette for a dance.
All those men sing you'll never walk alone
Men sing that Lindsey will never walk alone.
But you'll never let them break your little heart
Despite the men's singing, Lindsey won't let them break her little heart.
If you have some sort of secret
Asking Lindsey if she has a secret.
If you need someone to tell
Offering to be a listening ear for Lindsey.
You can tell me
Encouraging Lindsey to confide in the artist.
Because my memory
Explaining why Lindsey can trust the artist to keep the secret.
Always fails
Admitting that the singer's memory always fails, so the secret will be safe.
I will forget
The singer will forget the secret, allowing Lindsey to confide without fear.
The secret, the secret, will remain
Reiterating that the secret will remain safe with the artist.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER PAUL KAPRANOS HUNTLEY, NICHOLAS JOHN MCCARTHY, PAUL ROBERT THOMPSON, ROBERT HARDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marufrj29
Great Western Wind catches in your Celtic hair
Flicks it round your face like flames around the sun
In the bright cold air you seem as innocent and fair
As Rita Tushingham in 1961
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
LP records in your little hands
Put them on your little dansette for a dance
All those men sing you'll never walk alone
But you'll never let them break your little heart
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
If you have some sort of secret
If you need someone to tell
You can tell me
Because my memory
Always fails
I will forget
And your secret
Will remain
Yes the secret
The secret
Will remain
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
@dhuitzil101
Great Western Wind catches in your Celtic hair
Flicks it round your face like flames around the sun
In the bright cold air you seem as innocent and fair
As Rita Tushingham in 1961
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
LP records in your little hands
Put them on your little dansette for a dance
All those men sing you'll never walk alone
But you'll never let them break your little heart.
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
If you have some sort of secret
If you need someone to tell
You can tell me
Because my memory
Always fails
I will forget
And your secret
Will remain
Yes the secret
The secret
Will remain
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel so good
I wish that I could be as good as you
Well, Lindsey Wells
How I wish that I could feel the good
Beyond the poison in us like you do
@dominorecordco
Franz Ferdinand’s latest album ‘Always Ascending’ is out now on Domino Record Co.
Listen & Buy here: http://smarturl.it/AlwaysAscending
More from Franz Ferdinand on YouTube: http://smarturl.it/BestOfFranzFerdinand
@jis87BE
This is in my opinion THE most underrated FF song and one of the most underrated indie rock of the century.....simply amazing!! FF AT THEIR BEST!!!!
I'm glad it has over 1 million view now after watching this for so long :)
@suyci
I don't want to ruin the moment but I am pretty sure 300.000 of those views are mine.
@at4steforsolz
@Desiredpotato good
@dorinc1987
I miss this songs and the era of true indie rock going mainstream...
@constanzafgm
same here!
@jimtim8805
Me too..glad that as a 1990 born person I had 90's-early 2000's as my childhood and rest of the 2000's as my teenage years..in the prcess I loved alternative rock and Indie rock in the mainstream as a teenager. The teens these days are unlucky not to see these genres in the mainstream.
@sww3679
@Jim Tim i still don't get hip hop tbh
@180digi
I think they just looked for the happiest girl they could find in Edinburgh and followed her around all day.
@user-tl4ur8ib1l
And then theywe making the wine afternoon with her