Their debut self titled EP featured the incandescent single ‘Set It Right’ which pricked the ears of radio programmers and audiences alike setting the stage for a mammoth 2009. With a hefty touring schedule in place HKoH somehow found the time to jump back into the studio for a few days, coming out with their second EP – Mega Mountain. Much like the band themselves, the EP was a quartet of lively pop energy entwined with layers of thought provoking vitality. Key tracks included the radio favourite body-bopping ‘Scattered Diamonds’ and the stunning piano-driven ballad ‘Old Money’.
Once again hitting the road, the band spent the next eight months touring the nation continuously, supporting the likes of Little Birdy and Bertie Blackman and winning fans with their stellar musicianship and boyish charm. November 2009 saw the band stand on their own eight feet, parading their buoyant brand of indie pop around Australia on their very first national headline jaunt.
The tour coincided with the release of a brand new single, ‘Let You Down’, which provided the first taste of the new material since the release of Mega Mountain in early 2009. The song is the sound of four Hungry Kids doing what they do best - delivering pure pop goodness in a neat package of their trademark, dual-harmony brilliance, it channels a time when recordings were captured to tape, music was joyful and harmonies reigned supreme, even when accompanied by tales of heartbreak and loss.
The monumentally busy year was capped off with solid festival appearances on the Australian Summer circuit. With an overseas assault to the UK and USA under their belt, the lads are currently bunkered down getting busy to deliver a much anticipated debut album in 2010.
The band split up in 2013.
One By One
Hungry Kids of Hungary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the turning of the soil new bodies were forged
And we burned our last bridge
Cast all memories into the gorge
And it was never our intent
To carry the torch of our fathers' dissent
And it won't pass between
And I know you care a lot
But who would dare impart
Such a stupid thought
On such a callow heart
So let's make a break for the west wall and run
One by one our defences were foiled
In the turning of the soil new bodies were forged
And we burned our last bridge
Cast all memories into the gorge
Oh you're banging your head
Searching for subtext, you should take it as read
Leave the waking dead
To put their restless remains to bed
And I know you care a lot
But who would dare impart
Such a stupid thought
On such a callow heart
So let's make a break for the west wall and run
And It’s easy to feel lost
When you're tied to the helm
Of a ship so far off course
It's overwhelming I know
So Maybe the answer's to just let go
Let it go
No, no we got it wrong
Why should we be the ones to just fall along?
Playing dumb just to belong
And I know you care a lot
But who would dare impart
Such a stupid thought
On such a callow heart
So let's make a break for the west wall and run
The lyrics of "One By One" by Hungry Kids of Hungary speak about the struggle with personal identity and the desire to break free from the past. The song is full of metaphors and imagery, using the turning of the soil and the burning of bridges as symbols for the process of moving forward. The chorus, "One by one our defences were foiled," emphasizes the slow dismantling of one's barriers and the release of memories into the "gorge," representing a release from the past.
The line, "And it was never our intent to carry the torch of our fathers' dissent," speaks to the generational cycle of conflict and the desire to move beyond it. The song suggests that it is time for a change, to break from the past and find a new path forward. The repetition of "let it go" emphasizes the need to release the past and move on.
The lyrics also touch on the struggle of youth: "Such a callow heart" refers to the immaturity and inexperience of youth, and the difficulty in making decisions and asserting oneself. The chorus, "So let's make a break for the west wall and run," suggests a desire for escape and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
One by one our defences were foiled
Our protective barriers were broken down slowly and methodically
In the turning of the soil new bodies were forged
New life was created through the process of growth
And we burned our last bridge
We destroyed our last connection to the past
Cast all memories into the gorge
We let go of all memories and left them behind
And it was never our intent
We never intended to carry on the traditions of our fathers
To carry the torch of our fathers' dissent
To continue the disagreements and conflicts our fathers had
And it won't pass between
We will not carry on the same legacy
Our trembling hands anymore
We are no longer afraid to let go of the past
And I know you care a lot
I understand you have strong feelings about this
But who would dare impart
Who would dare suggest
Such a stupid thought
An illogical idea
On such a callow heart
On someone who is inexperienced and naive
So let's make a break for the west wall and run
Let's escape and start fresh
Oh you're banging your head
You're overthinking it
Searching for subtext, you should take it as read
Stop trying to read too much into it, take it at face value
Leave the waking dead
Let go of the past
To put their restless remains to bed
To put the lingering memories to rest
And It’s easy to feel lost
It's easy to be uncertain
When you're tied to the helm
When you're in charge
Of a ship so far off course
Of a life that's not going as planned
It's overwhelming I know
It can be too much to handle, I understand
So Maybe the answer's to just let go
So maybe the solution is to move on and let go of the past
Let it go
Release it from your mind
No, no we got it wrong
We made a mistake
Why should we be the ones to just fall along?
Why should we blindly conform?
Playing dumb just to belong
Pretending to be ignorant to fit in
And I know you care a lot
I know you have strong feelings
But who would dare impart
Who would dare suggest
Such a stupid thought
An illogical idea
On such a callow heart
On someone who is inexperienced and naive
So let's make a break for the west wall and run
Let's escape and start fresh
Contributed by Caroline W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
punchy748
Dean & Kane nervous??? I don't believe it! P.S. it's "of" Hungary, NOT "from" Hungary