History
Formation and first albums: 1993–1999
The band was formed in 1993 by Huey Morgan, Brian "Fast" Leiser and Steve Borgovini after Leiser, who was already friends with Borgovini, met Morgan at the club where they both worked.[14] They started playing together and would provide the entertainment for the club when a booked act failed to show up. It was during one of these stand-in gigs that they came to the attention of EMI and they were offered a record deal.
Come Find Yourself, the band's first album, was released in the summer of 1996 by Chrysalis Records and followed their single "The Grave And The Constant" (UK No. 72), which was released a month earlier, into the UK charts. The album also featured the UK Top 40 hits, "Scooby Snacks" (UK No. 22), "The Fun Lovin' Criminal" (UK No. 26) and "King Of New York" (UK No. 28). The subject of latter touched on the imprisonment of Italian-American mafioso John Gotti, the wannabe gangsters emulating his style, and his fans and followers in his community that maintained his innocence. The biggest hit, "Scooby Snacks", features samples from films by Quentin Tarantino and a guitar sample from Tones On Tail song "Movement of Fear", interspersed with rap verses and a sung, anthemic, chorus. Come Find Yourself had a slow rise up the UK Albums Chart, finally peaking at No. 7 and spending well over a year in the chart, however it failed to make any impact in the US. The success of the album prompted the re-release of "Scooby Snacks" as a single, alongside a cover of the 10cc classic "I'm Not In Love", which this time reached UK No. 12.[14]
100% Colombian, released in August 1998 by Virgin Records,[14] had a far grittier sound to it tempered by three upbeat songs, and several downtempo tracks, including "Love Unlimited", a tribute to Barry White. "Korean Bodega", one of the aforementioned upbeat songs, was the biggest hit from the album, reaching No. 15, their second-highest placing single so far after the re-release of "Scooby Snacks".[14]
In June 1999 the band played at Glastonbury Festival on the Pyramid Stage. Their December 1999 album Mimosa, released by EMI was a compilation album consisting mostly of laid back lounge style covers and different versions of earlier released tracks. While making reasonable sales, the album was their weakest selling album yet and remained so for some years. It was around this time, in 1999, that Steve Borgovini left the band. He was replaced by Maxwell "Mackie" Jayson. A permanent replacement was found in 2003 in the form of Mark Reid (aka Frank Benbini) from Leicester, United Kingdom, who had previously worked with the band as Jayson's technician.
Mainstream success: 2000–2008
The band's third studio album, Loco, was released in early 2001. Back under EMI, the album had all new songs including the eponymous single which became their biggest hit yet, reaching No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart. It was the only single release from the album to reach the UK Top 40, and its success helped Loco to reach No. 5 in the UK Albums Chart.
Their final album under EMI was a "best of" compilation called Bag of Hits released in 2002. It was released in both one and two disc versions, with the second disc featuring remixes of Fun Lovin' Criminals songs by other artists. EMI released this album against the wishes of the band, who were not happy with the two disc version. However, despite their objections it reached No. 11 in the UK Albums Chart.
After parting company with EMI the band was picked up by Sanctuary Records in the UK, under which they released their fourth studio album Welcome to Poppy's (2003). While it received strong, but not fantastic, music reviews it failed to live up to the commercial success of any of the previous albums, peaking at No. 20 in the UK Albums Chart. The best-selling single from the album reached No. 61.
EMI continued to release the band's back catalog, as well as unreleased songs on two more albums. The Fun Lovin' Criminals made no further releases until 2005 album Livin' in the City, still under Sanctuary Records. This was very much a love letter to New York with many songs extolling the virtues of the city.
In June 2008 they made their second appearance at the Glastonbury Festival, this time on the Jazz World Stage.
2009–present
In April 2010 Classic Fantastic was released, kicking off a European tour which began in Manchester. Legal wranglings with their previous manager meant that this album was their first official output in five years, although they had played live during this period. Leiser and Benbini had produced much of the album in London, while Morgan recorded his parts in New York.
Classic Fantastic was the first album on Kilohertz, the band's own label, and signaled a new business model for the Fun Lovin' Criminals based on touring their live shows rather than relying on record sales alone. Singles from the album were the title track "Classic Fantastic" followed by "Mr Sun". The official video for "Mr Sun" was cancelled due to volcanic ash, and a montage of old home movies was used in its place.
The third single was the double A-side "We The Three" and "Keep On Yellin" featuring South London's Roots Manuva, released August 16, 2010. During July 2010 the band recorded a special series of songs with Roots Manuva. The project, dubbed "Criminal Manuvas", was recorded at Maida Vale studios for BBC Radio 6 Music; songs included a reggae version of "Scooby Snacks" and an alternative version of "Witness".
In September 2010 the band were touring, and they announced a live album: Fun, Live and Criminal via Pledge Music.
In March 2014 they released The Bong Remains The Same, a live concert video.
In February 2016, they released a deluxe, expanded edition of debut album "Come Find Yourself" to mark its 20th anniversary, and the band toured the album by performing it in full alongside some of their other tracks, throughout the UK and Europe, and at a number of festivals that Summer and into 2017. In January 2019, The band released the follow-up to their "Mimosa" compilation, titled "Another Mimosa", which features covers of some of their favourite songs. The band have also been working on their 7th studio album of new original material, expected in 2020.
Side projects
Huey Morgan is a radio personality on BBC.[11][15]Morgan has appeared on Jack Osbourne's Adrenaline Junkie, a boy racer show Slips, sat in for Jonathan Ross and Dermot O'Leary on BBC Radio 2, appeared in Soulboy (film) as a Dick Van Dyke accented London record shop owner, voiced a character in the Scarface: The World Is Yours video game, and most bizarrely appeared with Liza Tarbuck on Liza & Huey's Pet Nation on prime-time SKY TV.
All three band members have released side-projects. Benbini's band Uncle Frank has released an album, as has Leiser, albeit some of his previous 'unreleased' work. Both Leiser and Benbini have collaborated on myriad remixes as well as a full remix album in a reggae-dub style under the moniker Radio Riddler. Morgan has released an album Say it to my Face and toured with several acquaintances, including Benbini, as Huey and the New Yorkers, raising money for veterans as he did so.
Run Daddy Run
Fun Lovin' Criminals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
another one runnin' and another one gunnin'
?? from random slums and I ain't down with those bums
Some fun it's gotta be to grab your pee pee
and sing so sweetly to the front row seat
Buts that's the way it be watchin' that damn TV
since you free come and spread it up Missouri
Yea I fires them all but they be commin back
Run daddy run
Black hat and black hearts to match
Run daddy run
See you give em a yard you best forget the vig
cause this ain't the next whomever it's the new kid
Let me see what you got baby open it up
If that's a big bag of money we be divvyin' up
If that's a spliff in your mouth best be lightin' it up
I need a drink cause the bass is spillin' my cup
I get up I get down god willin' and able
Bumps to many friends stole some cable
Some time I speak my mind rather plainly but I'm not a dick like Cheney
You take 10 drug dealers and a Chinese bordello stick em out
in Arkansas I sure do do well
for commin' straight out the ground born fighter fuckin' up your Christmas
like I'm scammin' a lighter.
Now look at yourself rollin' in the blues.
You do it to yourself you do, you do
Run Daddy run
See I fires them all but they be comin' back
Run daddy run
Black hats and black hearts to match
Run daddy run
Yea you give em a yard best forget the vig
cause this ain't the next whomever it's the new kid
Let me see what you got baby open it up
If that's a big bag of money we be divvyin up
If that's a spliff in your mouth best be lightin' it up
I need a drink cause the bass is spillin' my cup
Let me see what you got baby open it up
If that's a big bag of money we be divvyin' up
If that's a spliff in your mouth baby pass it up
I need a drink cause the bass is spillin' my cup
Run Daddy run
Yea I fires them all but they be commin' back
Run daddy run
Black trench and black hearts to match
Run daddy run
Yea give 'em a yard best forget the vig
cause this ain't the next whomever it's the new kid
Run daddy run
Run daddy run
The lyrics to Fun Lovin' Criminals' song Run Daddy Run are a commentary on the constant struggle and violence in everyday life. The verses speak to the idea that there is always someone new who is coming up to try and take what is not theirs. The reference to "random slums" and not being "down with those bums" suggests that the violence and struggle is often perpetuated by those from less fortunate backgrounds. The lyrics also touch on the idea of performance and entertainment, with the lines "some fun it's gotta be to grab your pee pee and sing so sweetly to the front row seat." This suggests that even those who are not directly involved in the violence may get some sort of enjoyment or satisfaction from it, particularly if they are distanced from the situation and only observing through the media. There is an underlying message that this cycle of violence and greed is perpetuated by those who have power and control.
The chorus, "Run Daddy Run," reinforces this idea of constantly being on the run and trying to stay ahead of those who are coming after you. The references to "black hat and black hearts" indicate that these are not good people who are after the singer. The line "see you give em a yard you best forget the vig" suggests that if you give these people an inch, they will take a mile, and you will end up paying for it in some way. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the hopelessness and exhaustion of constantly running from these people.
Overall, this song is a commentary on the societal issues of greed, violence, and power. The lyrics suggest that these issues are perpetuated by those in positions of privilege and control, and that regular people are left to suffer the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems like every day there's another one commin', another one runnin' and another one gunnin'
Every day there seems to be a new person causing trouble, running around and pointing guns.
?? from random slums and I ain't down with those bums
They could be from the poorest of places, but the singer doesn't want to associate with them.
Some fun it's gotta be to grab your pee pee and sing so sweetly to the front row seat
It may seem like fun to behave inappropriately and perform in front of an audience, but it's not really about the music.
But that's the way it be watchin' that damn TV, since you free come and spread it up Missouri
That's just the way things are when you're watching television. If you're free come and cause some trouble in Missouri.
Run Daddy run
The artist is urging someone to run away from a dangerous situation.
See you give em a yard you best forget the vig cause this ain't the next whomever it's the new kid
If you give someone an inch, they'll take a mile. It's not about the previous person you dealt with, but rather a new individual causing trouble.
Let me see what you got baby open it up
The singer is asking to inspect something, possibly to check if it's valuable.
If that's a big bag of money we be divvyin' up
If it's a large amount of money, they'll split it among themselves.
If that's a spliff in your mouth best be lightin' it up
If the person has a joint in their mouth, they better light it up and start smoking.
I need a drink cause the bass is spillin' my cup
The artist needs a drink because the bass is so loud that it's causing their drink to spill.
Yea you give em a yard best forget the vig cause this ain't the next whomever it's the new kid
Don't give them any space because they'll take advantage of it. It's not the same troublemaker as before, but a new one.
Let me see what you got baby open it up
The artist is asking to inspect something once again.
If that's a spliff in your mouth baby pass it up
If the person has a joint in their mouth, they should pass it around for others to smoke as well.
Yea I fires them all but they be comin' back
The singer may have fired someone, but they keep returning and causing trouble.
Black hat and black hearts to match
These individuals are not good people, and their clothing and demeanor reflects that.
I get up I get down god willin' and able, bumps to many friends stole some cable
The artist has had ups and downs, but is still able to do what they need to do. They've also had some questionable experiences, like stealing cable.
Some time I speak my mind rather plainly but I'm not a dick like Cheney
The artist speaks their mind honestly, but they don't act like a bad person like Dick Cheney.
You take 10 drug dealers and a Chinese bordello stick em out in Arkansas I sure do do well for comin' straight out the ground born fighter fuckin' up your Christmas like I'm scammin' a lighter.
The singer could do well even in a situation where they're in Arkansas with drug dealers and a Chinese brothel. They come from humble beginnings and have a fighting spirit that can disrupt someone's Christmas like they're stealing a lighter.
Now look at yourself rollin' in the blues. You do it to yourself you do, you do
The singer directs the listener to take a look at themselves and their situation. They brought themselves to this point, but are still in it.
Run daddy run
The artist repeats their earlier urging to run away from trouble.
Black trench and black hearts to match
Once again, the people in question are not good, and their clothing and demeanor reflect that.
Run daddy run
The artist repeats their earlier urging again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN ANDREW LEISER, HUGH THOMAS MORGAN, STEPHEN BYRON BORGOVINI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Valliwulf
on The Fun loving criminal
This is wrong it was released in 96 are you sure it's not a music making program like studio 2000. Where no talent ppl make their fame?