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)
Outsiders
Franz Ferdinand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we're still outsiders
If everybody's here
Then hell knows
We ride alone
I've seen some years
But you're still my Caesar
I feel you've already been here
The only difference is all I see is now all that I've seen
It's bright on the outside
The bright love, the dark side
I know
It's obvious but sometimes
You just have to say it so
You don't feel so weak
About being such a freak
Or alone
In seventeen years
Will you still be Camille
Lee Miller, Gala or whatever
You know what I mean, yeah
Love'll die
Lovers fade
But you still remain there
Squeezing in your fingers
What it means for me to be, yeah
The only difference is what might be is now what might have been
When you saw me sleeping
You thought I was dreaming of you
No, I didn't tell you
That the only dream
Is Valium for me
I've seen some years
But you're still my Caesar
With everything I feel
I feel you've already been here
Love'll die
Lovers fade
But you still remain here
Squeezing in your fingers
What it means for me to be, yeah
The only difference
Is what might be is now
The lyrics to Franz Ferdinand's Outsiders speak to the feeling of being an outsider and the idea that even when things change, there's a sense of still not quite fitting in. The first stanza addresses the fact that despite seeing some change, the singer and their group are still outsiders. They ride alone, even when others are present. The second stanza seems to be directed towards someone that the singer cares deeply for, perhaps a lover or close friend. The singer suggests that with everything they feel, that person has already been there. They discuss the fleeting nature of love and ask whether the person they care for will still be the same in seventeen years. They then suggest that while love and lovers may fade, that person remains, holding on to what it means for the singer to be. The third stanza is about being honest and transparent about feeling different, even when it's tough. The singer acknowledges that it's obvious, yet it still needs to be said. Sometimes, it's necessary to speak the truth in order to not feel weak about being a "freak" or being alone. The final stanza is about the singer's dream life being Valium. The person they care for remains the same and while love and lovers may die, that person is still squeezing in their fingers what it means for the singer to be.
One of the most interesting things about the song Outsiders is that it was originally released as a B-side, so it didn't get much attention at first. However, it eventually became a fan favorite and was included on the album You Could Have It So Much Better. Another interesting fact is that the song was produced by Rich Costey, who has also worked with bands like Muse and Rage Against the Machine. Additionally, the lyrics were written by lead singer Alex Kapranos and the music was written collaboratively by the entire band. The song's sound is often described as post-punk revival or indie rock. The line "bright love, dark side" in the chorus is a nod to the Star Wars franchise. The song was performed live on popular late night talk shows like David Letterman and Conan O'Brien in 2006. One interpretation of the song is that it's about the band's own feelings of being outsiders in the music industry. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Brad Mehldau and Fanfarlo. Lastly, the chords for the song, according to UltimateGuitar.com, are Dm, F, Am, C for the verses and F, C, Dm, Am for the chorus.
Chords (Verse): Dm F Am C
Chords (Chorus): F C Dm Am
Line by Line Meaning
We've seen some change
We have witnessed some changes
But we're still outsiders
Nevertheless, we remain outcasts
If everybody's here
If everybody exists
Then hell knows
It is impossible to know what’s happening
We ride alone
We are solitary riders
I've seen some years
I have lived a long time
But you're still my Caesar
You are my emperor, my leader
With everything I feel
With every emotion that goes through me
I feel you've already been here
It feels like you’ve experienced this before
The only difference is all I see is now all that I've seen
The sole distinction is that I now see everything I had seen previously
It's bright on the outside
The exterior appears to be vivid
The bright love, the dark side
However, it has a hidden, shadowy, darker nature
I know
I am aware of it
It's obvious but sometimes
It's evident but occasionally
You just have to say it so
Perhaps you need to articulate it
You don't feel so weak
So that you don't feel frail
About being such a freak
About being such an oddity
Or alone
Or being by yourself
In seventeen years
After a duration of seventeen years
Will you still be Camille
Will you continue to be Camille
Lee Miller, Gala or whatever
Or Lee Miller, Gala or anything else
You know what I mean, yeah
You apprehend what I signify
Love'll die
Love is transient
Lovers fade
Lovebirds become weak
But you still remain there
But you linger on
Squeezing in your fingers
Grasping tightly with your fingers
What it means for me to be, yeah
What it is for me to exist, yeah
The only difference is what might be is now what might have been
The solitary dissimilarity is that the likelihood of something happening is now akin to something that probably would have happened
When you saw me sleeping
When you noticed me sleeping
You thought I was dreaming of you
You imagined that I was dreaming about you
No, I didn't tell you
No, I didn’t disclose to you
That the only dream
That the only aspiration
Is Valium for me
Is the medicinal drug Valium for me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robert Hardy, Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley, Nicholas John McCarthy, Paul Robert Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind