Their début single, 'To You', on Ugly Man Records was produced by and featured backing vocals by Guy Garvey, lead singer of Еlbow.
Début album Natural History was released in March 2001 on Wall of Sound offshoot We Love You. It was followed by the self-titled I Am Kloot in September 2003 on the Echo label. In their early years I Am Kloot were regarded by many as an example of the 'quiet is the new loud' trend in indie rock, as they gained prominence in the same years as, for example, Turin Brakes and Norway's Kings of Convenience. I Am Kloot, however mostly acoustic, were definitely not always 'quiet', if only because of Bramwell's rough singing and Hargreaves' often powerful drumming.
The third 'Kloot' LP, Gods and Monsters, was released in April 2005. The band subsequently announced their departure from the label, citing reasons such as a lack of financial support and the cancellation of singles at short notice. The band released a compilation of radio sessions, BBC Radio 1 John Peel Sessions in October 2006, a collection of two Peel Sessions and other rarities.
Their fourth album, I Am Kloot Play Moolah Rouge, was released in April 2008. Once again a compilation album followed in its slipstream, this time 2009's collection of B-sides, rare recordings, sessions, and previously unreleased material, entitled B.
Following the somewhat disappointing sales of the 'Moolah Rouge' album, I Am Kloot had Elbow's Guy Garvey and Craig Potter produce their next studio album, which turned out to be a majestic return to form. Sky at Night (released July 2010) was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and charted at #24 in the U.K. album charts.
I Am Kloot were back on the map. 2013's Let It All In became their highest charting album in the U.K. (#10), but would turn out to be their final studio LP together. There would be two more releases (a soundtrack album called From There to Here in 2014, and a 2015 live album entitled Hold Back the Night: I Am Kloot Live) before John Bramwell announced (in late 2017) that the group had quietly split up a year or so earlier.
"There was no heavy break-up or anything," Bramwell said. "I just wanted to do something else. I'll never say never to getting back together but I was in I Am Kloot most of my adult life, but just as you can go to a great place on holiday year after year, sooner or later you want to go to somewhere else."
Fingerprints
I Am Kloot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I may have touched from without to within
Then dust yourself of fingerprints and grin
And grin
We don't have to stay
With these people whose ideas
Are just what other people say
We can walk away
From these feelings that are filling up
Our lives with daze
And I guess that I've been singing all my life
Well that's right
And that is fine
I've been spending all your money and your time
Well that's right
And that is fine
'Cause I don't have to stay
With these feelings that are filling up
My life with daze
I can walk away
From these people whose ideas
Are just what other people say
Again, and again
And the crowd that is gathered is confused
They're all trembling inside solitude
We've got nothing left to use
We've got all the bullets
But there's no one left to shoot
We can't walk away
From these feelings that are filling up
our lives with daze
We may have to stay
with these people whose ideas
are just what other people say
Again, and again
But if heaven is a place upon your skin
That I may have touched from without to within
Will then dust yourself of fingerprints and grin
And grin
And grin
I guess that I've been singing all my life
Well that's right
And that is fine
I've been spending all your money and your time
Well that's right
And that is fine
At its core, "Fingerprints" is a song about finding freedom in a world full of people whose thoughts and beliefs are dictated by others. The opening lines set up a sensual metaphor - the idea that "heaven" can be found on someone's skin, and that the singer has been lucky enough to touch it from outside to within. The idea is that true freedom is found in intimate connections with others, not in conforming to outside pressure. The chorus emphasizes this, suggesting that the singer can walk away from relationships and ideas that are dragging him down. He's been "singing all his life" and "spending all your money and your time," but that's okay, because he's in control of his own fate.
The second verse takes on a darker tone, suggesting that the world is filled with people who are only mouthing ideas that others have foisted on them. The crowd is "confused" and "trembling inside solitude" - in other words, they don't really know what they believe or why they're following the herd. The singer is left feeling frustrated and hopeless, with "all the bullets" but no one left to shoot.
The song ends with a return to the original metaphor of heaven on someone's skin. The idea is that even in a world that can be bewildering and oppressive, moments of true connection are still possible. The last lines suggest that we should "dust ourselves of fingerprints" - in other words, embrace those moments of intimacy and joy, even if they're fleeting.
Line by Line Meaning
If heaven is a place upon your skin
If you have had an experience so profound that it's like heaven is a part of your physical being
That I may have touched from without to within
One that I may have touched from the outside world and connected with you on a deeper level.
Then dust yourself of fingerprints and grin
You should accept this experience, even if others don't understand it.
And grin
Because there's nothing wrong with feeling something so special.
We don't have to stay
We have the freedom to leave situations that make us feel trapped or unhappy.
With these people whose ideas
We don't have to conform to the opinions or beliefs of others.
Are just what other people say
Because sometimes these opinions aren't even our own.
We can walk away
We can choose to leave behind negative emotions that make us feel distant from ourselves.
From these feelings that are filling up
These feelings tend to cloud our judgment and sense of self.
Our lives with daze
So it's important to recognize when these emotions are holding us back.
And I guess that I've been singing all my life
Maybe I've been trying to communicate this message for a long time.
Well that's right
And that's okay.
And that is fine
Because it's important to stay true to oneself.
I've been spending all your money and your time
I've been investing my time and energy into this message.
'Cause I don't have to stay
I have the freedom to make my own choices.
Again, and again
And I'll continue to do so, again and again.
And the crowd that is gathered is confused
Others may not understand my message or feelings.
They're all trembling inside solitude
And they may feel alone in their own emotions.
We've got nothing left to use
But there's no need to keep dwelling on negative thoughts or feelings.
We've got all the bullets
We have the tools to leave these emotions behind.
But there's no one left to shoot
So there's no need for negativity or retribution.
We can't walk away
Sometimes we may feel stuck in our emotions.
From these feelings that are filling up
But it's important to recognize these negative emotions.
our lives with daze
So they don't completely consume our lives.
We may have to stay
Sometimes it's necessary to push through tough times.
with these people whose ideas
Even if it means sticking around people who don't share the same beliefs.
are just what other people say
Or whose opinions aren't truly their own.
But if heaven is a place upon your skin
If you experience something deep and moving enough to feel like a part of you.
That I may have touched from without to within
That I may have been a part of, even on the outside.
Will then dust yourself of fingerprints and grin
Then shake off the criticism and embrace the experience.
And grin
Because that experience is what makes us human and unique.
Contributed by Cole M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Music-oj6gd
If heaven is a place upon your skin
That I may have touched from without to within
Then dust yourself of fingerprints and grin
And grin
We don't have to stay
With these people whose ideas
Are just what other people say
We can walk away
From these feelings that are filling up
Our lives with daze
And I guess that I've been singing all my life
Well that's right
And that is fine
I've been spending all your money and your time
Well that's right
And that is fine
'Cause I don't have to stay
From these feelings that are filling up
Our lives with daze
I can walk away
From these people whose ideas
Are just what other people say
Again, and again
The crowd that is gathered is confused
They're all trembling inside solitude
We've got nothing left to use
We've got all the bullets
But there's no-one left to shoot
We can't walk away
From these feelings that are filling up
Our lives with daze
We may have to stay
With these people whose ideas
Are just what other people say
Again, and again
But if heaven is a place upon your skin
That I may have touched from without to within
Will then dust yourself of fingerprints and grin
And grin
And grin
I guess that I've been singing all my life
Well that's right
And that is fine
I've been spending all your money and your time
Well that's right
And that is fine
@the-suicidal-mind
If heaven is a place upon your skin
That I may have touched from without to within
Then dust yourself of fingerprints and grin
And grin
We don't have to stay
With these people whose ideas
Are just what other people say
We can walk away
From these feelings that are filling up
Our lives with daze
And I guess that I've been singing all my life
Well that's right
And that is fine
I've been spending all your money and your time
Well that's right
And that is fine
'Cause I don't have to stay
With these feelings that are filling up
My life with daze
I can walk away
From these people whose ideas
Are just what other people say
Again, and again
And the crowd that is gathered is confused
They're all trembling inside solitude
We've got nothing left to use
We've got all the bullets
But there's no one left to shoot
We can't walk away
From these feelings that are filling up
Our lives with daze
We may have to stay
With these people whose ideas
Are just what other people say
Again, and again
But if heaven is a place upon your skin
That I may have touched from without to within
Will then dust yourself of fingerprints and grin
And grin
And grin
I guess that I've been singing all my life
Well that's right
And that is fine
I've been spending all your money and your time
Well that's right
And that is fine
@TheRealTrulyJulie
Sky At Night is a true masterpiece. How come it's not more popular? The songs, the performances and the production, all of it exists in a league of its own. One of my favorite records of all time.
@seanclintun9607
Great lads enjoyed my stay and recording with you,every success..
@2charliep
I love this.
@edithdufoe853
I stumbled upon this tune thinking it was a different song by I Am Kloot and Damn am I glad sure I did!!!
@evanlyons5792
One of my favorite songs of forever. Sad that everyone I suggest them to such divinity of sound goes unappreciated
@cahillgreg
Evan in the nude - Nudey bottom Lyons is underappreciated
@rjbetteridge1429
I love these guys, I can remember going to see the with my mum when I was 8, I still love them, such an individual sound.
@markhaigh2463
Tune x
@rosmai81
beautiful memories of an unforgettable love story
@rastachilibu4723
absolutely love this ! I shit you not this sounds brand new!