In February 2007 the band released their first record, a two song vinyl with the song "That Boy That Girl", which gained mainstream popularity after the video, directed by friend Bob Harlow, made it onto MTV2. Shortly after the video, the band added bassist Chris Purcell. After releasing their 12-track mixtape "Not Here To Please You" on November 12, 2007 featuring originals and remixes, the band returned to the studio to complete their debut album Music for an Accelerated Culture. This featured nine new songs as well as the single "Liquid Lives" and was released on May 5th 2008. It achieved reasonable success reaching 12th in the UK album charts.
In mid-2009, the band recorded their second studio album, For the Masses, in Holland with drum and bass producers NOISIA. The band described the new album as being different, both lyrically and musically. The album was released on February 25th 2010 and did not have the same success as their debut album, receiving generally poor reviews from critics and reaching 19th in the UK album charts.
Songfacts reports that "Parasite" is the band's first single after signing with independent label Ministry of Sound. Zane Lowe premiered the song on April 12, 2012 during his BBC Radio 1 show.
On 27 December 2012, the band announced that their third studio album will be called 'Every Weekend' and will be released through their own label 'Surface Noise Recordings'. The group made an appearance in 2012 on Feed Me's "Trapdoor" and James provided vocals for KillSonik's song "Slaughterhouse" this year.
On 22 January 2013 Hadouken! released a follow up video to 'People Are Awesome', titled 'People Are Awesome 2013'. The video featured the track 'Levitate' taken from the album 'Every Weekend'. 'People Are Awesome 2013' was the number one most watched video on YouTube around the world, gaining 20 million views in its first week.
On November 10th 2014, Hadouken! announced their hiatus through Facebook.
The band’s name is a reference to a special move called "the Hadouken" (surge fist) from the Street Fighter video game franchise where the player throws a fireball at their opponent. The video game references extend into their music which includes sound effects from Nintendo Game Boy titles.
Current Members
James Smith (vocals)
Daniel 'Pilau' Rice (guitar, synths, backing vocals)
Nick Rice (drums, samples)
Alice Spooner (synths, keyboard)
Chris Purcell (bass, synths, backing vocals)
Related Links:
Official Website
Official Myspace
Official Facebook
Official Twitter
Bounce
Hadouken! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't give up your day job, boy (Don't give up your day job)
Don't give up your day job (day job)
What do you mean? This is my day job you shitcunt!
BOUNCE! (do The Bounce)
BOUNCE! (dance The Bounce)
Yeah, dance THE BOUNCE!
The Bounce is my favourite dance
You know we're smashin' like glass
I'm the teacher, you are the class
Better learn it, don't be alarmed
OK people, have you heard my plans?
I wanna make a record for ten-year-old fans!
They can learn the dance; it will be a smash
I can rob their parents' hard-earned cash
I could just be pop's latest fad
I wanna have a dance like Whigfield had
Credibility I can ditch
If they can make me filthy rich
That's right, yeah, we don't quit
[If you don't wanna dance let's try your shit/If you wanna dance then strut your shit?]
Just grab what you can hold;
It's the bestest dance in the whole wide world
Basically what it involves is:
Lots of bouncing from your shoulders
Bounce your balls or bounce your boobs;
[Nod, yeah/Launch it?], if you've got these moves
Don't give up your day job (day job)
Don't give up your day job, boy (Fuck shit up) (day job)
The Bounce is my favourite dance
You know we're smashin' like glass
I'm the teacher and you are the class
Better learn it, don't be alarmed
I wanna make a dance, sell a million singles
I won't stop ‘til my pockets all jingle
I want my content on your phone;
I'll charge six quid for a shitty ringtone
My dance will spread across the nation
It could be the next overnight sensation
Tacky merchandise and such bad taste
I could go on kid's TV fucked off my face!
We're in a riot; we're [ravecore?]
We wreck everything that you stood for
Such a fuss that we kick up
If you wanna jam then fuck shit up
Swing your arm up vertically
And nod your head aggressively
Swing your wrist right round in circuits
Do this stuff and it is merkage
Don't give up your day job (day job)
Don't give up your day job, boy (Fuck shit up) (day job)
The Bounce is my favourite dance
You know we're smashin' like glass
I'm the teacher and you are the class
Better learn it, don't be alarmed
What have they left us with?
Why do they try and feed it?
All you people eat it?
What will we hear tonight?
Another plastic lie from the factory?
BOUNCE! (OH!) (Dance The Bounce!) (Bounce your balls)
Yeah dance The Bounce (Bounce your balls)
BOUNCE! (do The Bounce, YEAH DO THE BOUNCE!)
Swing your arm up vertically
And nod your head aggressively
Swing your wrist right round in circuits
Do this stuff and it is merkage
OK people, have you heard my plans?
I wanna make a record for ten-year-old fans!
They can learn the dance; it will be a smash
I can rob their parents' hard-earned cash
I could just be pop's latest fad
I wanna have a dance like Whigfield had
Credibility I can ditch
If they can make me filthy rich
That's right, yeah, we don't quit
[If you don't wanna dance let's try your shit/If you wanna dance then strut your shit?]
Just grab what you can hold;
It's the bestest dance in the whole wide world
Basically what it involves is:
Lots of bouncing from your shoulders
Bounce your balls or bounce your boobs;
[Nod, yeah/Launch it?], if you've got these moves
What have they left us with?
Why do they try and feed it?
All you people eat it?
What will we hear tonight?
Another plastic lie from the factory?
Don't give up your day job (day job)
Don't give up your day job, boy (Don't give up your day job)
Don't give up your day job (day job)
The lyrics to Hadouken!'s song Bounce are a playful and satirical take on the music industry and the creation of pop music. The chorus seems to be directed towards the artist themselves, with the repeated line "Don't give up your day job" suggesting that they may not have the talent or skills necessary to make a successful career in music. The lyrics also mock the desire for fame and fortune through catchy, gimmicky dances and repetitive lyrics that are designed to appeal to children and make money off their parents' hard-earned cash.
The verses describe the dance itself, with the artist boasting about being the "teacher" and the listener being the "class". They encourage listeners to learn the dance and suggest that it will be a big hit, with the potential for merchandise, ringtones, and appearances on children's TV. They also reference other popular dance fads, such as the Whigfield dance, suggesting that they are simply following the latest trend in pop music.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't give up your day job (day job)
Continue with your current profession or occupation
Don't give up your day job, boy (Don't give up your day job)
Reminding the listener to not abandon their current employment
What do you mean? This is my day job you shitcunt!
Expressing anger towards those who do not take one's work seriously
BOUNCE! (do The Bounce)
Commanding the listener to perform the dance move known as The Bounce
BOUNCE! (dance The Bounce)
Encouraging the listener to dance and perform The Bounce
Yeah, dance THE BOUNCE!
Urging the listener to continue dancing The Bounce
The Bounce is my favourite dance
Expressing a strong liking for The Bounce dance move
You know we're smashin' like glass
Boasting about the success and popularity of the performer
I'm the teacher, you are the class
Positioning the performer as a teacher and the listener as a student
Better learn it, don't be alarmed
Encouraging the listener to learn The Bounce and not be afraid of dancing
OK people, have you heard my plans?
Asking if the audience is aware of the performer's ambitions
I wanna make a record for ten-year-old fans!
Revealing the performer's desire to target young listeners
They can learn the dance; it will be a smash
Believing that The Bounce dance move can be a huge success amongst young fans
I can rob their parents' hard-earned cash
Suggesting that the performer intends to profit from selling The Bounce to young listeners
I could just be pop's latest fad
Acknowledging that The Bounce may just be a temporary trend
I wanna have a dance like Whigfield had
Expressing a desire to create a popular dance move like Whigfield's hit single 'Saturday Night'
Credibility I can ditch
Indicating that the performer may sacrifice artistic integrity to become popular
If they can make me filthy rich
Stating that the performer's main goal is to become wealthy
That's right, yeah, we don't quit
Affirming a determined attitude to not give up
Just grab what you can hold;
Encouraging the listener to take advantage of opportunities
It's the bestest dance in the whole wide world
Promoting The Bounce as the best dance ever created
Basically what it involves is:
Explaining the basic moves involved in The Bounce
Lots of bouncing from your shoulders
Describing the main move of The Bounce dance
Bounce your balls or bounce your boobs;
Suggesting that the motion can be adapted by male or female dancers
[Nod, yeah/Launch it?], if you've got these moves
Encouraging the dancer to add their own personal style to The Bounce
What have they left us with?
Questioning the quality of popular music and culture
Why do they try and feed it?
Rhetorically asking why mass media continues to promote shallow content
All you people eat it?
Asking if the general public truly enjoys this type of content
What will we hear tonight?
Questioning what new, shallow content will be presented in mainstream media
Another plastic lie from the factory?
Critiquing mainstream media's promotion of shallow, mass-produced content
Don't give up your day job, boy (Fuck shit up) (day job)
Urging the listener to continue with their current profession while also encouraging them to disrupt the status quo
We're in a riot; we're [ravecore?]
Describing the performer's style as chaotic and rebellious
We wreck everything that you stood for
Challenging traditional values and beliefs
Such a fuss that we kick up
Boasting about the performer's ability to cause disruption
If you wanna jam then fuck shit up
Encouraging the listener to disrupt the current system and create their own path
Swing your arm up vertically
Describing a dance move involved in The Bounce
And nod your head aggressively
Suggesting a head-banging motion as a part of The Bounce dance move
Swing your wrist right round in circuits
Describing how to perform another move in The Bounce dance
Do this stuff and it is merkage
Suggesting that performing The Bounce correctly is indicative of skill and ability
Writer(s): James Joseph Smith, Marli Buck, Marcellus Grove Smith, Michael Stewart Harwood, Nicholas Iain Keynes, Sylvia Bennett Smith Copyright: Goldust Music Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Ltd., First Avenue Music Ltd.
Contributed by Jason C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Harley Iscariot
Aww the memories! 😭😭 I'm 30 now.
Emilie Raptor
SAMEEEEE
Sam Wilson
Nostalgia has hit me like a brick wall :-(
Enzo Mangono
Same
k dog
My favourite song on the album, the end chords sound awesome
Luke Guest
Such an awesome band. This song is called the bounce
Katy Parker
I remember buying a 40 minute mistake of theirs on USB stick how cool is that!!
disturbasol
i only heard about these because of the 100 greatest youtube hits in under 4 mins, though videos and this song together are epic, wouldnt have changed it. then i started checking out there other song........ totally blown away :D EPIC all the way
sammason189
2021, still a banger 🙌🏻😂 I'm 30 now, I feel old 😅
Emilie Raptor
We are old LMAOOOOO