Franz Ferdinand is a Scottish rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland, U… Read Full Bio ↴Franz Ferdinand is a Scottish rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, in 2002 and played an important part in the post-punk revival of the 2000s. The band was composed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals and guitar), Bob Hardy (bass guitar), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals) and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion and backing vocals) until 2016 when McCarthy left them. The next year Julian Corrie (keyboards, synthesiser, guitar and backing vocals) and Dino Bardot (guitar and backing vocals) joined the band. As of October 2021, Audrey Tait (drums) has replaced Paul Thomson, after he amicably separated from the band.

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)

Treason! Animals.
Franz Ferdinand Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey friends when will you get here?
Hey friends I need to hear voices
I don't care what you talk about
Hey friends I just need to hear voices
Could you bring the manual?
Bring the repair manual?
Something has really gone wrong here, here
Something has really really gone wrong

I'm the king of the animals
I'm the king of the trees and animals
Self-crowned king of the trees and the animals
I'm a king so give me a crown
I am an animal
Give me an animal crown

Hey friends when will you get here?
Hey friends this is my kingdom
This is a tree
This is an animal
Ask any one of them
And they daren't deny it
Ask any one of them
And they daren't deny it
No don't you dare deny it
This is my tree
This is my animal
But something has really gone wrong

I'm the king of the animals
I'm the king of the trees and animals
Self-crowned king of the trees and the animals
I'm a king so give me a crown
I am an animal
Give me an animal crown

I am an animal, oh give me an animal crown...

I'm in love with a narcissist
And I know for the mirror told me
I'm in love with my nemesis
And I know for the mirror told me
I'm in love with a narcissist
And I know for the mirror told me
I'm in love with my pharmacist
And I know for the mirror told me
I'm in love with a narcissist
And I know for the mirror told me
I'm in love with my analyst
And I know for the mirror told me
I'm in love with my nemesis
And I know for the mirror told me
I'm in love with a narcissist
And I know for the mirror told me

Hey friends when will you get here?
Hey friends I need to hear voices
I don't care what you talk about

Hey friends I just need to hear voices
Something has really really gone wrong

Overall Meaning

The song "Treason! Animals." by Franz Ferdinand is an interesting and cryptic piece of music that can be interpreted in different ways. The chorus of the song repeats a few times, with the lead singer proclaiming himself as the self-crowned king of the animals and trees, and demanding a crown. He sounds like someone who is in a state of mental unrest or feeling lost, looking for meaning and purpose in his life. He repeatedly asks his friends to come and talk to him, to give him some company and fill the void.

The second part of the song seems to be about the lead singer's relationships with different people, including a narcissistic lover, a nemesis, a pharmacist, and an analyst. He claims that he knows these things about himself because the mirror told him. It's unclear whether the mirror refers to a real mirror, or it's a metaphor for his self-reflection and introspection. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, suggesting that the lead singer is still searching for something, and he believes that he can find it by asserting his dominance over the natural world.

Overall, "Treason! Animals." deals with themes of identity, power, and relationships. It's a complex and introspective song that invites the listener to reflect on their own struggles with self-discovery and belonging.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey friends when will you get here?
I feel lonely and I need someone to talk to

Hey friends I need to hear voices
I need someone to break the silence and make me feel less alone

I don't care what you talk about
Any conversation is better than no conversation at all

Could you bring the manual?
I need help fixing something that's broken

Bring the repair manual?
I need help fixing something that's broken

Something has really gone wrong here, here
I acknowledge that something is wrong and needs to be fixed

I'm the king of the animals
I see myself as powerful and in control

I'm the king of the trees and animals
I see myself as powerful and in control of nature

Self-crowned king of the trees and the animals
I have given myself this title and believe it to be true

I'm a king so give me a crown
I deserve recognition and praise for my perceived power

I am an animal
I see myself as a part of nature

Give me an animal crown
I want to be recognized and praised for my connection to nature

Ask any one of them
I am certain of my power and believe others will confirm it

And they daren't deny it
I see myself as so powerful that no one would dare to question me

No don't you dare deny it
I am very defensive and will not tolerate anyone challenging my power

This is my tree
I feel ownership and control over nature

This is my animal
I feel ownership and control over nature

But something has really gone wrong
Despite my perceived power, there is still something broken or wrong

I'm in love with a narcissist
I am drawn to someone who is obsessed with themselves

And I know for the mirror told me
I see this person as a reflection of myself and my own narcissism

I'm in love with my nemesis
I am attracted to someone who opposes me or challenges me

I'm in love with my pharmacist
I am attracted to someone who gives me what I need, like medication for my problems

I'm in love with my analyst
I am attracted to someone who listens to me and helps me understand myself

Hey friends this is my kingdom
I see myself as the ruler of my own world

Hey friends I just need to hear voices
I am desperate for any kind of human connection

Something has really really gone wrong
My problems are becoming more and more serious, and I need help

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER PAUL KAPRANOS HUNTLEY, NICHOLAS JOHN MCCARTHY, PAUL ROBERT THOMPSON, ROBERT HARDY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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