Hard-Fi achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat" and then followed by other successful singles such as "Cash Machine" and "Living for the Weekend", which all reached top 15 in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album Stars of CCTV was released on 4 July 2005, and although receiving critical acclaim (NME called it album of the year and was nominated for the Mercury Prize and two BRIT Awards, Best British Group and Best British Rock Act), it didn't reach #1 in the UK albums chart until six months later on 22 January 2006. It originally peaked at number 6. The band's second album, Once Upon a Time in the West, was released on 3 September 2007 and reached number 1 in its first week.
They are generally considered part of the indie rock scene, alongside bands such as Franz Ferdinand and have often been compared to a modern version of The Clash.
Hard-Fi's latest album, 'Killer Sounds' was released on 22 August 2011, and has produced 3 singles, 'Good for Nothing', 'Fire in the House' and the anthemic 'Bring It On' which also featured in the game Football Manager 2012. The band also recorded the track 'Like a Drug' for the hugely popular Twilight - Breaking Dawn film, and following demands from fans finally released it as a single on iTunes on 16 December 2011.
Middle Eastern Holiday
Hard-Fi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You in a short skirt, shining eyes of deep brown
You had a dirty look, you caught me on your hook
Turn up the thermostat, I want to see you sweat
Oh yeah, girl, you've got something I like
I walked right over, said hi, how ya doin'?
You smiled at me and girl you tore right through me
You whispered in my ear, you want to get out of here
Can you feel it? Rocking the city
Ah yeah, straight out of nowhere-ness
Like a fist, can't resist you, oh no
I tell you something
You know I love ya, just want to touch ya
Stand up, knock me right off my feet
Hard to beat
Hard to beat
Hard to beat
Let's spend the night, spend the night together
Heart beating so fast, as you take my shirt off
This girl I saw round town, well now she's going down
Stuck on a losing streak, I think you've turned it round
Oh yeah, girl, you've got something I like
Read all about it, have you heard the latest?
Boy in a band, Babe actress
But baby, you and me, we came up from the street
No time to hesitate, we've got to push our weight
Can you feel it? Rocking the city
Ah yeah, straight out of nowhereness
Like a fist, can't resist you, oh no
I tell you something
You know I love ya, just want to touch ya
Stand up, knock me right off my feet
Hard to beat
Hard to beat
Hard to beat
Goodness
No, I've never known a night like this
Can't believe it, you're so hard to beat
Hard to beat
Drive me crazy, my beautiful baby
Let's spend the whole day right here together
You know I love ya, just want to touch ya
Stand up, knock me right off my feet
Hard to beat
Hard to beat
Hard to beat
Oh yeah, girl, you've got something I like
Oh yeah, girl, you've got something I like
The song "Middle Eastern Holiday" by Hard-Fi appears to be about the singer's romantic encounter with a woman he had seen around town. The lyrics describe the physical attraction he feels towards her - the way she looks, her dirty look, and the fact that she has caught him on her hook. The singer actively pursues the woman, asking her to dance and wanting to spend the night with her. He declares that she is "hard to beat" and "something [he] likes." The song also expresses a sense of excitement and energy, as the chorus repeats the line "can you feel it? rocking the city" with a sense of urgency and intensity.
Overall, the song appears to be a celebration of physical attraction and the thrill of newfound romance. The singer seems to be swept up in the moment and enjoying the feeling of being with this woman. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy chorus reinforce this sense of excitement and energy.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen you darling, seen you hanging round town
I have noticed you, my dear, loitering around in town
You in a short skirt, shining eyes of deep brown
You were dressed in a short skirt, with eyes that shone a deep brown
You had a dirty look, you caught me on your hook
You had a mischievous look, and you captivated my interest
Turn up the thermostat, I want to see you sweat
I want to raise the room temperature and see you break a sweat
Oh yeah, girl, you've got something I like
You have a certain quality that I find appealing, my dear
I walked right over, said hi, how ya doin'?
I approached you, and greeted you with a friendly 'Hi, how are you?'
You smiled at me and girl you tore right through me
You smiled at me and it felt like you pierced through my being
I said come on let's dance, we've got to take our chance
I suggested we should dance together, and take this opportunity
You whispered in my ear, you want to get out of here
You shared a secret with me, that you want to leave this place
Can you feel it? Rocking the city
Do you sense the energy pulsating through the city?
Ah yeah, straight out of nowhere-ness
The vibe is coming out of nowhere and everywhere at once
Like a fist, can't resist you, oh no
It hits me like a punch and I can't resist you
I tell you something
Let me share something with you
You know I love ya, just want to touch ya
I love you and I simply want to feel your presence
Stand up, knock me right off my feet
You make me feel so overwhelmed that I lose my balance
Hard to beat
It's difficult to surpass this feeling
Let's spend the night, spend the night together
Let's spend the entire night with each other
Heart beating so fast, as you take my shirt off
My heart is racing as you undress me
This girl I saw round town, well now she's going down
That girl I saw around the town is now getting intimate with me
Stuck on a losing streak, I think you've turned it round
I was continuously experiencing defeats, but now I think you have changed my fortune
Read all about it, have you heard the latest?
Have you read or heard the recent news?
Boy in a band, Babe actress
There is a boy in a band and an actress
But baby, you and me, we came up from the street
But darling, you and I both grew up in the same streets
No time to hesitate, we've got to push our weight
There's no time to delay, and we need to work hard to succeed
Goodness
Wow!, Amazing!
No, I've never known a night like this
I've never experienced a night like this before
Can't believe it, you're so hard to beat
I can't believe it, you are so difficult to surpass
Drive me crazy, my beautiful baby
You're making me go insane, my lovely partner
Let's spend the whole day right here together
Let's spend the entire day together here
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD ARCHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Edward Stevenson
Totally under rated band. Archer's a brilliant song writer.
Connor Shelley
Ten years later, still an absolutely relevant song.
Esteban Aviles
how can people unlike this?
Peter H
fretui medak ik, I don’t even like the song but u gotta respect it
Jamie Sinjin
fretui medak Bit like the Clash, & the Jam
fretui medak
No one might dislike Hard-Fi; their songs are impressive, outstanding and utterly based on personality and originality! Furthermore they feature the perfect agreement between rock and electronic music, crossing new-rave, post-punk and several other subgenres clearly spotted by the listener! If you listen to each song carefully you can figure out that their music is specifically guided by the famous artists of a bygone musical system, their worship belongs to the '80s probably
Joshua Sinyor
Much underrated song - shame they never made a video...
Potterq8
thanks to all the soldiers who sacrificed in the gulf war. Without your help my country wouldn't be like this today... actually there wouldn't be a country called Kuwait anymore. Thanks a lot <3 -from Kuwait
Darien Rodriguez
i think that one of the main topics hard fi often talks about in their albums is about working class people having to go to wars they don't even wanted or needed
THE Runner
nice song for driving in the middle of the night and desert
perfect