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)
You Can Have It So Much Better
Franz Ferdinand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said I looked truly down
That I ought to come over
And talk about it
Well I wasn't down
I just wasn't smiling at you, yeah
As I look at us now it seems
As if it's alright
But it's not
I'm trying to get up
But you're pushing me down
Yeah, you're pushing me down
So I'll get up on my own
I'll get up on my own
Get up on my own
I'll get up on my own
Yeah, I'll get up on my own
I'll get up on my own
I'll get up on my own
I'll get up on my own, yeah
Now there's some grinning goon on my TV screen
Telling us all that
It's alright because
She wears this and
He said that and
If you get some of these
It'll all be alright
Yeah, if you get some of these
It'll all be alright
Well I refuse
To be a cynical goon
Passing the masses
An easy answer
'Cause it won't be alright
Oh no, it won't be alright
Oh no, it won't be alright
It won't be alright
Unless you get up, get up
Come on and get up, get up
Why don't you get up, get up
Come on and get up, get up
So come on get up, get up
Come on and get up, get up
Unless you get up, get up
So come on get up, get up, yeah
Well I'm just a voice in your earpieces
Telling you no
It's not alright
You know you could have it so much better
You could have it so much better
If you tried, if you tried, if you tried, if you tried
So I'll get up on my own
If you get up on my own
Get up on my own
Baby, get up on my own, yeah
Get up on my own
So come on up on my own
Get up on my own
So get up on my own, yeah
Get up, get up
Come on and get up, get up
That's right get up, get up
Come on and get up, get up
Come on and get up, get up
Get up, get up
Come on and get up, get up
Come on and get up, get up, yeah
The lyrics of Franz Ferdinand's "You Could Have It So Much Better" is about someone who refuses to be pushed down by others and is determined to get up on their own. The first verse suggests that the singer received a message that he looked down, and the sender is urging him to come over and talk about it. Despite the fact that the singer wasn't down, he concedes that he wasn't smiling at the sender, causing the sender to think that he was sad.
The second verse illustrates that the singer's upbeat disposition is a facade, and although someone is trying to cheer him up, he is not fine. He wants to get up on his own, and refuses to be pushed down by others.
The chorus suggests that society is fixated on quick and easy solutions to problems. However, the singer refuses to be swayed by people who offer simple answers to complicated issues. He urges people to get up and work hard to improve their lives, rather than searching for easy solutions.
Overall, the lyrics of "You Could Have It So Much Better" is a call to action, urging people to stand up for themselves and not be pushed down by others. It's also a critique of society's fixation on easy solutions to complicated problems.
Line by Line Meaning
The last message you sent
You said I looked down and wanted me to talk about it
Said I looked truly down
You thought I looked sad
That I ought to come over
You suggested that I should visit you
And talk about it
And have a conversation about how I'm feeling
Well I wasn't down
However, I wasn't actually feeling sad
I just wasn't smiling at you, yeah
I just wasn't in the mood to fake a smile for you
As I look at us now it seems
Now that I think about it
That you're slapping my back
You're acting friendly towards me
As if it's alright
As if everything is fine
But it's not
But it's not really okay
I'm trying to get up
I'm trying to move forward
But you're pushing me down
But your actions are making it harder for me
So I'll get up on my own
So I'll do it without your help
Now there's some grinning goon on my TV screen
I'm seeing some person on TV who is trying to convince me that things are fine
Telling us all that it's alright because
Saying that everything is okay if
She wears this and he said that and if you get some of these
A person wears certain clothes and a man says certain things and if you buy certain things
It'll all be alright
Everything will be okay
Well I refuse to be a cynical goon
I won't be a person who is dismissive of this but is also foolish
Passing the masses an easy answer
Giving a simple solution to everyone
'Cause it won't be alright
Because things won't just become okay
Oh no, it won't be alright
It really won't be okay
Unless you get up, get up
Unless you take action to make it better
Come on and get up, get up
Come on, stand up
Why don't you get up, get up
You should get up and take action
So come on get up, get up
So start standing up now
Well I'm just a voice in your earpieces
I'm just a person trying to convince you
Telling you no, it's not alright
Saying that things are not okay
You know you could have it so much better
You are capable of making things much better
If you tried, if you tried, if you tried, if you tried
If you put in the effort
So I'll get up on my own
I'll make things better by myself
If you get up on my own
And you can do the same
Get up on my own, baby
Stand up and take charge
So come on up on my own
So take action and start standing up
Get up on my own
Be independent and take action alone
So get up on my own, yeah
Start standing up now
Come on and get up, get up
Come on, start standing up
That's right get up, get up
You got it, start standing up
Come on and get up, get up
Come on, get up and take charge
Come on and get up, get up
Come on, start standing up
Get up, get up
Stand up and take action
Come on and get up, get up
Start standing up and taking charge
Come on and get up, get up, yeah
Start standing up and taking charge now
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER PAUL KAPRANOS HUNTLEY, NICHOLAS JOHN MCCARTHY, PAUL ROBERT THOMPSON, ROBERT HARDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind