The roots of Gorillaz can be traced back to 1990, when guitarist Graham Coxon asked cartoonist Jamie Hewlett to interview his newly formed band, Blur. Coxon knew of Hewlett's work drawing the Tank Girl comic strip in Deadline magazine. When Jamie first met the band's lead singer Damon Albarn, the two did not hit it off well. Hewlett initially thought Albarn was "arsey" and "a wanker," but the two remained acquainted and would eventually become roommates in 1997, living in London.
Both Jamie and Damon tell the story of Gorillaz came to be about the same way. They were in their flat watching TV, specifically MTV, and came up with the idea of a "virtual band" as commentary on the vapidity of popular music at the turn of the millennium. Previously the best-known '"cartoon bands" were animated versions of The Monkees and The Beatles that kids could watch on Saturday mornings. But Gorillaz (initially called just "Gorilla") was to be an ambitious musical project with eclectic, genre-bending tunes, unique visuals, and a detailed backstory for how the virtual band came to be.
With Gorillaz, Albarn departed from the distinct Britpop of Blur and explored influences including hip hop, electronic music, and world music through an "eccentrically postmodern" approach. The band's 2001 debut album Gorillaz sold over seven million copies worldwide. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize, but the nomination was withdrawn at the band's request. Their second studio album, Demon Days (2005), went six times platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US, and has sold over eight million copies worldwide. The band has won other awards, including one Grammy Award, two MTV Video Music Awards, an NME Award and three MTV Europe Music Awards.
The third Gorillaz studio album, Plastic Beach, was released in March 2010. The fourth, The Fall, was released in December 2010 as a free download for fan club members, then in April 2011 as a physical release. In 2017, after a five-year hiatus, Gorillaz announced their fifth studio album Humanz. Their sixth studio album, The Now Now, was released on 29 June 2018. Their seventh album, Song Machine, Season 1: Strange Timez, was released in 2020 through a series of episodical music videos. Cracker Island, the band's eighth album, was released on February 24, 2023. Gorillaz have been nominated for ten Brit Awards and won Best British Group at the 2018 Brit Awards.
The Gorillaz characters only appear in animated form and are not alter-egos of real people, as is often mistakenly assumed. There is an extensive fictional back-story behind these band members, written by Albarn and Hewlett. Their albums, several of their music videos, and their autobiographical book Rise Of The Ogre all tell the saga. Damon Albarn is the only permanent musical contributor to the band, which is also a collaboration between various musicians. Their style is broad with a large number of alternative influences including rock, hip-hop, and electronica.
They have released eight studio albums: Gorillaz (2001), Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (Also in 2010), Humanz (2017), The Now Now (2018), Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez (2020), and Cracker Island (2023). Additionally, they have put out two B-side collections, G-Sides (2001) and D-Sides (2007), and a reggae remix of the Gorillaz album entitled Laika Come Home (2002). The band has also released three DVDs: Phase One: Celebrity Takedown, Demon Days: Live at Manchester Opera House, and Phase Two: Slow Boat To Hades. At the end of 2010, Gorillaz released their next album, The Fall, which was recorded during their US 'Escape to Plastic Beach' tour. It is promoted as being the first album made entirely on iPad. The album is streamed on the Gorillaz website.
The band's first single, Clint Eastwood, was released on 5 March 2001. This single was the first of four from Gorillaz, which was released on 26 March 2001. The other three singles were released over the next year. These were: 19-2000, Rock the House, and Tomorrow Comes Today. The album sold over 7 million copies worldwide and has gone platinum twice in the United Kingdom earning them an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize, but the nomination was later withdrawn at the band's request. Collaborators on the first album included Del tha Funkee Homosapien (often mistaken for a full-time band member), Miho Hatori (formerly of Cibo Matto), Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads.and Ibrahim Ferrer. The album was produced by Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030.
At the end of 2001 the band released another single, 911, which was a collaboration between Gorillaz and rap artists D12, Eminem and Terry Hall. The single would find its way onto the soundtrack to the 2002 action comedy Bad Company.
Their second studio album, Demon Days, was released on 11 May 2005 and included the hit singles Feel Good Inc., DARE, Dirty Harry and Kids With Guns / El Mañana. Demon Days went five times platinum in the UK, double platinum in the United States, and earned five Grammy award nominations for 2006 and won one of them (Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals). Collaborators on this album – produced by Dj Danger Mouse – include De La Soul, Bootie Brown of The Pharcyde, Shaun Ryder of the Happy Mondays, Neneh Cherry, Ike Turner, MF Doom, Roots Manuva, and Martina Topley-Bird, among others. DARE – the first Gorillaz track featuring lead vocals by Noodle – reached #1 in the UK charts.
In late 2007, Albarn and Hewlett began working on Carousel, a new Gorillaz project which eventually evolved into the band's third studio album, Plastic Beach, which was released 9 March 2010. Albarn said, "I'm making this one the most pop record I've ever made in many ways, but with all my experience to try and at least present something that has got depth.” The album features guest performances by Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Bobby Womack, Gruff Rhys, Mark E. Smith, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Bashy, Kano, De La Soul, Little Dragon, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, sinfonia ViVA, and The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music.
A 3D projection of the group was shown at the 2005 MTV Music Awards and the 2006 Grammys. They also performed at the Brits, in a different format, using screens rather than projections. Gorillaz have performed live in other occasions as well: in 2001 & 2002 they did tours where the musicians played behind screens, and in 2005 & 2006, Gorillaz had five nights in Manchester and New York respectively. This time the screens were behind the musicians, who were visible to the audience only as silhouettes (except for the guest-stars).
Since the band began to achieve mainstream success, there have been rumours of them working on a full-length movie. Some of these have been confirmed, but nothing has gotten beyond planning stages, mainly due to conflicts between the band and studios involved. In 2008, Hewlett said "Ultimately we didn't think that feel we're in a position to make the kind of movie we want to make with Gorillaz at the moment. [...] But I'd still like to make a full, lavishly-animated Gorillaz movie someday."
Albarn and Hewlett created a Pop Opera called Monkey: Journey to the West, which premiered in the summer of 2007 at the Manchester International Festival. A soundtrack album was recorded in the summer as well (initially only digitally available though a CD version was released in 2008). The production went on to show at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in September-October 2007, the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, USA in May 2008, and the Royal Opera House in London in July 2008.
The duo behind the Pop Opera built on ideas from Monkey: Journey to the West to release a short film in the Summer of 2008 which accompanied the United Kingdom's coverage of the BBC Olympic Coverage in Beijing. It featured a basic outline of the main plot elements of the Opera, reworked into a "Journey to the East", with the characters finishing in the Beijing Olympic Stadium.
Gorillaz headlined the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2010, as an immediate replacement for U2, who dropped out of performing at the festival.
At the end of 2010 Gorillaz released their next album The Fall made in the hotel rooms during their US tour. It was, when released, the first album to be recorded entirely on an iPad. The album was made available for free to Gorillaz fan club members for a limited time as a digital download – and hard copies were released to worldwide markets in the following year.
In April 2012, Albarn told The Guardian that he and Hewlett had fallen out and that future Gorillaz projects were "unlikely". However, it was later announced by the duo that they had reconciled their difference – and that Noodle, Russel, Murdoc and 2-D would return with a new album in 2017. Featuring collaborations by artists such as album Grace Jones, Kali Uchis, Popcaan, Vince Staples, Mavis Staples, Peven Everett, Pusha T, Kelela, Jamie Principle, D.R.A.M. and Graham Coxon, Humanz was released to critical acclaim; the album would go on to win Gorillaz the 2018 Brit Award for Best British Group. Gorillaz would also collaborate with Carly Simon, Kilo Kish and Rag'n'Bone Man on the Deluxe edition of Humanz, while Little Simz would feature on the single Garage Palace. Another 2017 release was the single Sleeping Powder – supposedly written and recorded in a day. Meanwhile, a solar energy-themed collaboration with E.ON, released in 2017, would later win Gorillaz a Webby Award.
A new album, The Now Now, would follow in 2018. Written by Albarn whilst touring Humanz – and featuring two collaborations, including the return of Snoop Dogg and Jamie Principle as well as George Benson and Graham Coxon – The Now Now spawned six singles, including Humility, Tranz, and Lake Zürich. Murdoc was unable to enjoy the band's success for the time being as he was undergoing a stint in jail for an undisclosed malefaction; he was replaced on bass for Ace Copular – who most famously played Ace of the Gangreen Gang in the Powerpuff Girls TV series – for the recording of The Now Now; however, Murdoc would later break his way out of prison. Gorillaz saw the year out by securing another Brits nomination for Best British Group as well as winning a second consecutive Webby Award; this time, for the FreeMurdoc chatbot, which provided a way for Gorillaz fans to interact with Murdoc Niccals during his incarceration.
The Swagga
Gorillaz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get to come in naked ?cause it's clean
I wanna be your make-up with the seam
Just take a shaker, make it mean
I won't get over the dam
?Cause it's just like that old mile
Every four o'clock in the morning
Check, I'll hold you
I wish it was you
Gotta get a cat up a CK
?Cause that's where we're at
Gotta give a car the beetles
?Cause they're just sad
But I won't get over it now
?Cause it's half-drawn on the shout
It could be four o'clock in the morning
If you wish it'd got no style
I gotta shit out like I was never
On the fallest town to be
I could wish this way forever
But I ain't ever gonna be clean
No, I can't get shot, albeit, no
I can't get shot, albeit, no
I can't get shot, ooh
Wanna grow to keep it in tune
Gonna make it easy for you
Wanna be the cavern in the cold
Just get this on with everything the kids enjoy
But I won't get over it soon
?Cause it ain't light at full noon
At four o'clock in the morning
I got cheering up to do
If that's not you there, there ain't no shot
It's just like walls I never trod
But I go, ooh
I just go, ooh
We all go, ooh, yeah
We all go, ooh, alright
"The Swagga" by Gorillaz is a song with an interesting blend of lyrics, touching on themes of identity and ambition, as well as some absurdist and cryptic elements. The opening lines of the song suggest that the singer desires to be a leader and mentor ("wanna be a teacher in the team") but finds themselves in a situation where they must strip down ("get to come in naked") as a symbol of starting fresh and with a clean slate. They also express a desire to be a transformative force in someone's life ("wanna be your makeup with the seam"), and by taking a shaker and making it mean, they suggest they have the power to imbue something ordinary with a deeper or more profound significance.
The lyrics then take a surreal turn as the singer talks about a "dam" and an "old mile" that they cannot get over, which may be interpreted symbolically as emotional or psychological barriers that they are struggling to break through. The song continues with references to various objects and activities, such as a "cat up a CK" and the band The Beatles, which may suggest pop culture references or personal associations that the singer has. The refrain "I can't get shot" may be interpreted as a declaration of defiance or resilience, something the singer is determined to hold onto in the face of struggles.
Overall, "The Swagga" may be seen as a poetic exploration of personal identity, ambition, and the struggle for self-expression and transformation.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright, wanna be a teacher in the team
The singer wants to lead and educate the others in their group
Get to come in naked ?cause it's clean
They want to approach the situation with a fresh start and without any preconceived notions or prejudices
I wanna be your make-up with the seam
The singer wants to be the glue that holds things together and makes things look good
Just take a shaker, make it mean
They want to add some excitement and energy to the situation
I won't get over the dam
The artist won't let any obstacles or challenges stop them
?Cause it's just like that old mile
Because it's a difficult and tiring journey, like the last mile of a marathon
Every four o'clock in the morning
The singer is haunted by their anxieties and fears in the middle of the night
I think I'm gonna die
The artist feels overwhelmed and hopeless
Check, I'll hold you
The artist reassures their friend that they have their back
I wish it was you
The artist would rather switch places with their friend and take on their burden
Gotta get a cat up a CK
The singer needs to hustle and work hard to succeed
?Cause that's where we're at
Because that's the current situation they're in
Gotta give a car the beetles
The singer needs to let go of the past and move on
?Cause they're just sad
Because dwelling on past regrets will only bring them down
But I won't get over it now
The singer is still struggling to let go of the past
?Cause it's half-drawn on the shout
Because they haven't fully expressed their emotions and grievances yet
It could be four o'clock in the morning
The artist's anxieties and fears are always present, at any time of day
If you wish it'd got no style
If the situation seems hopeless or pointless
I gotta shit out like I was never
The singer wants to forget about their past and start anew
On the fallest town to be
In the worst place imaginable
I could wish this way forever
The artist wishes they could keep a positive mindset and outlook forever
But I ain't ever gonna be clean
The artist knows they can never fully escape their past and the mistakes they've made
No, I can't get shot, albeit, no
The singer won't let anyone or anything bring them down
I can't get shot, ooh
The artist is invincible and resilient
Wanna grow to keep it in tune
The singer wants to improve and maintain a harmonious and productive environment
Gonna make it easy for you
The singer will do their best to alleviate the stress and pressure on their friend
Wanna be the cavern in the cold
The singer wants to be a source of comfort and shelter for their friend
Just get this on with everything the kids enjoy
The artist wants to focus on the fun and positive aspects of life
But I won't get over it soon
The artist is still struggling to move on from their past and the challenges they face
?Cause it ain't light at full noon
Because the situation is still serious and difficult
I got cheering up to do
The singer needs some encouragement and positivity
If that's not you there, there ain't no shot
If their friend isn't by their side, they won't make it through
It's just like walls I never trod
The artist feels trapped and limited by their circumstances
But I go, ooh
The artist is determined and resilient
I just go, ooh
The singer is single-minded and focused
We all go, ooh, yeah
Everyone faces struggles and challenges
We all go, ooh, alright
But they will persevere and overcome them
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAMON ALBARN, JAMIE HEWLETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MeatFurfur
Alright, wanna be a teacher in the team
Get to come in naked cause it's clean
I wanna be your make-up with the seam
Just take a shaker, make it mean
I won't get over the dam
Cause it's just like that old mile
Every four o'clock in the morning
I think I'm gonna die
Check, I'll hold you
I wish it was you
Gotta get a cat up a CK
Cause that's where we're at
Gotta give a car the beetles
Cause they're just sad
But I won't get over it now
Cause it's half-drawn on the shout
It could be four o'clock in the morning
If you wish it'd got no style
I gotta shit out like I was never
On the fallest town to be
I could wish this way forever
But I ain't ever gonna be clean
No, I can't get shot, albeit, no
I can't get shot, albeit, no
I can't get shot, wooh
Wanna grow to keep it in tune
Gonna make it easy for you
Wanna be the cavern in the cold
Just get this on with everything the kids enjoy
But I won't get over it soon
Cause it ain't light at full noon
At four o'clock in the morning
I got cheering up to do
If that's not you there, there ain't no shot
It's just like walls I never trod
But I go, wooh
I just go, wooh
We all go, wooh, yeah
We all go, wooh, alright
Peppamint teeeaa!!! *
Lyrics for your singing pleasure:
Wooh!
Wooh!
Wooh!
Alright!
I wanna be a teacher in the team
Get to come in naked cause it's clean
I wanna be your make-up with the seam
Just take a shaker make it mean
I won't get over the dam
Cause it's just like that old mile
Every four o'clock in the morning
I think i'm gonna die
Check i'll hold you
I wish it was you
Gotta get a cat up a CK
Cause that's where we're at
Gotta give a car the beatles
Cause they're just sad
But I won't get over the dam
Cause it's half-drawn on the shout
It could be four o'clock in the morning
If you wish it'd got no style
I gotta shit out like I was never
On the fallest town to be
I could wish this way forever
But I ain't ever gonna be clean
No,I can't get shot
Albeit, no!
I can't get shot
Albeit,no!
I can't get shot!!!!
Wooh!
Wanna grow to keep it in June
Gonna make it easy for you
Wanna be a carever in the coal
Just get it on with everything the kids enjoy
But I won't get over it now
Cause there ain't light at full noon
Cause at four o'clock in the morning
I got cheering up to do
If not you get a real shot
Just like walls I never drived
But I go:"Wooh!"
I just go:"Wooh!"
We all go:"Wooh!"
Yeah!
We all go:"Wooh!"
Alright!
Unicorn Queen
I'm obsessed with this fricken band
Laurie Casano
God, me too...
• l a v e n d e r •
same
Inside Pat’s mind
Who isn’t
Nova uzumaki 1999
Me too
Sharkbear
Welcome to the club :)
Dango
This is painfully underrated
VickY
Y E S 😥👊
Lord Potsmoke
More like this is painful.
Claudia Ancuta
you commented this 4 years ago and here I am a new fan who just got in the fandom cuz of a artist's OC
I just love their old songs can't wait to listen to the new ones too
also I'm saying this cuz you said "the only good fans" and I can't call myself that Ik know this band for just three days now :0