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.
The Fun Lovin' Criminal
Fun Lovin' Criminals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'cause you know I get paid by the mile, like Avis
I pave this, Fast save this, everybody smile
And act gracious
see I rob banks, I pull pranks, sometimes I eat
franks and knishes,best wishes, I'm vicious but here
I am again like CNN. Delivery my friend.
Stick 'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
Yes we bug a lot and my friends is loud and
I'm more freaky than Disco 2000
I scream, I yell, I bark, I bite
I'll hit you with an egg on a hot summer night
I never let the cops get wind of me
and I never, ever, ever say die
I never take myself too seriously
'Cause everybody knows fat birds don't fly
Stick'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
Stick'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
Stick'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
Stick'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
The Fun Lovin' Criminal
The Fun Lovin' Criminal
The Fun Lovin' Criminal
Means with the green, murder on your spleen
living in a dream do you know what I mean
goateed indeed, smart like John Steed
I'll steal your girlie and I'll steal your weed
I got so much flavor that I'll always leave you chewin'
I got so many styles you'll be thinking I'm from the U.N.
I broke into the White House and never got caught
and I'd be Neil Armstrong if I was an astronaut
I am always optimistic about human relations
I got more friends than my man Peter Gatien
We're always fun loving, so don't start bugging
If your girlie comes up and starts kissing and hugging
Stick'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
Stick'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
Stick'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
Stick'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
The Fun Lovin' Criminals' hit song “The Fun Lovin' Criminal” from their debut album of the same name, released in 1996, is a playful and tongue-in-cheek celebration of being a carefree and unrepentant criminal. The lyrics are filled with sarcasm and humor, as the singer brags about his criminal exploits, his love for mischief, and his disregard for the law. The song is an ode to the joys of living life on the edge, being different, and not taking oneself too seriously.
The opening lines of “One, two, three, and I come with the redneck style” indicate that the song is going to be a fun ride through the wild and wacky world of the singer. He is proud to be a criminal, and he wants everyone to know it. He claims to rob banks, pull pranks, and eat “franks and knishes”, which adds to his charm and makes him seem like a lovable rogue. He also says that he’s “vicious but here I am again like CNN. Delivery, my friend”. This line suggests that his antics might be seen as violent or dangerous, but he’s still amusing and entertaining. The chorus, “Stick 'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal”, is a playful jab at authority figures and the idea of being caught or punished. This line also adds to the song’s humor and theme of being a cheeky, lighthearted outlaw.
The song has a catchy and funky beat, and its humorous, ironic lyrics make it a fan favorite. The Fun Lovin' Criminals achieved critical and commercial success with this hit song, and it continues to be played on radio stations today. The song's ironic tone and humorous lyrics make it stand out as a memorable song from the 90s.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three and I come with the redneck style
I exude confidence and charisma with a redneck flair.
'cause you know I get paid by the mile, like Avis
I value money and work hard to earn it, just like a rental car company employee.
I pave this, Fast save this, everybody smile
I'm a hustler and I get things done quickly, making people happy along the way.
And act gracious
I'm always polite and respectful.
see I rob banks, I pull pranks, sometimes I eat franks and knishes, best wishes, I'm vicious but here I am again like CNN. Delivery my friend.
I'm a criminal who doesn't take myself too seriously, but I'm still swift and effective.
Stick 'em up punk, it's the Fun Lovin' Criminal
I'm announcing my presence as a gentle warning to any potential foes.
Yes we bug a lot and my friends is loud and I'm more freaky than Disco 2000
I have a wild and outgoing personality, and I surround myself with like-minded people.
I scream, I yell, I bark, I bite
I'm not afraid to speak my mind and be assertive.
I'll hit you with an egg on a hot summer night
I have a mischievous side and enjoy playing pranks.
I never let the cops get wind of me
I'm careful and calculated in my criminal activities, and I don't get caught.
and I never, ever, ever say die
I have a resilient spirit and always bounce back from adversity.
I never take myself too seriously
I have a lighthearted attitude and don't let things bother me too much.
'Cause everybody knows fat birds don't fly
I'm making a humorous comment about the fact that some things are just impossible.
Means with the green, murder on your spleen
I'm implying that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get money, even if it involves violence.
living in a dream do you know what I mean
I have a rich imagination and often live in my own world of ideas.
goateed indeed, smart like John Steed
I have a confident and suave demeanor, like a TV character from the '60s.
I'll steal your girlie and I'll steal your weed
I'm boasting about my skills as a ladies' man and a thief.
I got so much flavor that I'll always leave you chewin'
I have a unique and memorable personality that people will always remember.
I got so many styles you'll be thinking I'm from the U.N.
I have a diverse range of talents and abilities that aren't typically seen together.
I broke into the White House and never got caught
I'm fictionalizing my criminal activity, but implying that I'm skilled and brave enough to pull off a huge heist.
and I'd be Neil Armstrong if I was an astronaut
I'm imagining myself achieving great feats and becoming a legendary figure like Neil Armstrong.
I am always optimistic about human relations
I believe in the goodness of people and try to always stay positive.
I got more friends than my man Peter Gatien
I have a large social circle and know a lot of people.
We're always fun loving, so don't start bugging
My friends and I have a good time and don't let negativity get in the way.
If your girlie comes up and starts kissing and hugging
I'm implying that I'm popular with the ladies and they feel comfortable around me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ANDREW LEISER, HUGH THOMAS MORGAN, STEPHEN BYRON BORGOVINI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@slamuri2801
If you remember this from back in the day and it just randomly popped into your head you had a good childhood
@clairecarlia-jones5979
That's exactly what just happened! Id completely forgotten about it, and then..... there it was in my head! 😝 😝
@chrshuston
No. I didn't. But I get your point lol.
@fertilizerspike
I was literally listening to this on loop during a car chase on interstate 57 with like 6 LEO behind me...they rammed me
@contopus69
Exactamente hermano! 90s kid here!
@manners-84
Awesome and underrated band
@autumnmatthews3179
OMG. I heard the instrumental part of this song in the 90’s and really liked it. Heard bits of it for years and still didn’t know what it was and it was driving me crazy. In the end 20 years later I caught some of the lyrics and googled them. Finally after all that time I discovered what it is
@jonjon9135
Craig Matthews It took you 20years? Oh my goodness 😂
@fionalynch7107
d best criminals ever ! YEAH
@jasem222
Better late than never I say..