Several members of the band are ardent fans of the English football team Leeds United (as the band originates from Leeds). The band are named after the South African Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, the former team of long-serving former Leeds captain Lucas Radebe.
The band's main musical influences include The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Blur, Eric Burdon, The Jam, and other new wave bands. Andrew White (b. England; guitar), Ricky Wilson (b. Charles Richard Wilson, 17 January 1975, Keighley, West Yorkshire, England; vocals), Nick Baines (keyboards), Nick Hodgson (b. Nicholas Hodgson, 20 October 1977, England; drums) and Simon Rix (b. James Simon Rix, 18 October 1977, England; bass) formed the band in early 2003, having originally played garage rock under the Parva moniker. Their energetic brand of post-millennial guitar rock, which would have been branded "indie" in previous decades, quickly found favour on the local gig circuit. The quintet issued their debut, the XTC-soundalike Oh My God, before they had even signed a proper recording contract, teaming up with the Drowned In Sound website in May 2004 for a limited edition release. A contract with the B-Unique label followed and the band began to attract wider interest at the end of 2004 with the release of their storming I Predict A Riot. The topical lyrics, concerning alcohol-fuelled violence in small English towns, attracted as much attention as the band's anarchic update on late 70s new wave.
The band's explosion onto the global music scene in early 2005 was epitomised when they had their first single I Predict A Riot off their debut album Employment played on the radio around the world and opened Live8 in Philadelphia. Several years prior to 2003 the members of the band had been a garage rock group called Parva (before that they had been known as Runston Parva). However, after their label Mantra Records went bust in late 2002, the band went back to their roots and adopted a more britpop sound, helping the band reach their current popularity within the UK and beyond as a consequence.
The band re-released the single Oh My God on 21 February, which charted at #6. The debut album Employment was released on 7 March 2005 and entered the charts at #3 that week. Despite becoming favourite after being shortlisted, the album failed to win the 2005 Mercury Music Prize. They covered the Marvin Gaye classic, Heard it Through the Grapevine for the War Child album Help! A Day in the Life, giving a whole new slant on the song.
A DVD, entitled Enjoyment, was released in November 2005. The basis of the DVD is a (semi-false) documentary about the band narrated by Bill Nighy. It also includes all the promo videos, live performances and more.
An internet-only (so far) music video for their song Sink that Ship has been released in September 2005. The video appears on Electronic Arts' website as a promotional tool for their game Burnout Revenge but is completely unbranded.
Wilson auctioned off his red tambourine to radio show Xfm in late 2005 to raise money for the homeless charity Shelter. The winning bid was £375.00.
On February 5th, The Kaiser Chiefs Released their next single, Ruby, which was a major success reaching #1 in the singles charts.
The Kaiser Chiefs released their new album, Yours Truly, Angry Mob on February 23, 2007 in The Netherlands and Belgium, February 26, 2007 in the United Kingdom and on March 27, 2007 in North America. A double disc edition is also available, the second disc being a DVD.
It is known that three of the band members went to a school near Highroyd, Leeds. Also, Nick (drummer) announced during a gig in Newcastle Upon Tyne that his dad went to a school called St. Cuthberts in Newcastle. Other famous people from that school include Ant & Dec and Sting.
The band released their third album, Off With Their Heads, on October 20, 2008. It contains the hit single Never Miss a Beat.
Songfacts states that the band's fourth album, The Future Is Medieval was released through the band's website on June 3, 2011. In effect the world's first bespoke album, fans are able to create their own version of the record by choosing their favorite 10 tracks from the selection of 20 on offer. One-minute excerpts allow them to make their selections and each song is represented by an object.
After creating their own album, people can then share their version of the record with other fans, and earn £1 each time it is purchased by someone else.
5th album "Education, Education, Education and War!" was released on 31st March 2014 on Fiction Records, featuring the UK Top 40 single, 'Coming Home', and was their first UK number one album since 2007's 'Yours Truly, Angry Mob'.
Also on the Fiction label, their 6th album, Stay Together, was released on the 7th October 2016, with a notable shift towards dance-pop, hitting #4 on the UK Albums Chart.
In 2019, they moved to Polydor, and released 'Duck' on 26th July, featuring the singles 'Record Collection' and 'People Know How To Love One Another'. It peaked at #3 on the UK Albums Chart.
Performances
Kaiser Chiefs' first big festival show was at the dual-site Reading and Leeds Festival on 27 August 2004 and in the following year, on 16 May 2005, they appeared at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, The Netherlands. After that, things went fast. They were the opening act at the Philadelphia Live 8 concert on July 2nd 2005, one of only two British acts in the lineup (Def Leppard being the other). They performed I Predict a Riot, Everyday I Love You Less and Less and Oh My God. They played Reading and Leeds in 2006 before Franz Ferdinand and were extremely popular.
June 2005 saw them headline at the May Ball at Queens' College, Cambridge, supported by Anada, before an acclaimed appearance at a rain-soaked Glastonbury festival during the same month, whilst August's appearance at the V Festival featured a very enthusiastic set despite Ricky Wilson having his leg in plaster. Also more recently they embarked on their own headline UK Tour, supported by Maximo Park and The Cribs. Their first US tour (with The Cribs) ran through the summer of 2005, and they followed it by playing a few shows on the Foozer tour. This was followed up by opening for Foo Fighters during their Australian tour in December 2005. They also played to Jools Holland and his audience on December 31, 2005.
Their song Ruby, from the album Yours Truly, Angry Mob was featured as a bonus song in Guitar Hero III, and I Predict a Riot from Employment was eventually released as downloadable content for the game.
Kaiser Chiefs are set to return to the European festival scene this summer, having been booked for Switzerland's Gurten Festival.
People Need Light
Kaiser Chiefs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People need light while brushing their hairs
People need light to get to the toilet
People need light, people need light
If there was no light, where would we go?
If there was no light we'd have to go very slow
People need light to get out this place
People need light while getting their do's done
People need light, people need light
If there was no light, how would we see?
If there was no light, how would you tell it was me?
If there was no light where would we go?
If there was no light we would have to go very slow
The lyrics of Kaiser Chiefs' song "People Need Light" emphasize the importance of light in our everyday lives. In the first verse, the mention of using light to navigate down the stairs and while grooming portrays light as a practical necessity for simple tasks. The repetition of "people need light" emphasizes the universality of this need and the reliance on light as a fundamental aspect of our existence.
The second verse expands on the significance of light by highlighting its role in our social interactions and personal appearance. The reference to needing light to "get out this place" suggests that light is not only essential for basic mobility but also for creating a sense of direction and purpose in our lives. Furthermore, the line about using light to check our faces suggests that light is vital for self-awareness and social interaction.
The chorus poses a thought-provoking question about the consequences of living without light. It asks where we would go and how we would manage if there were no light. The lyrics suggest that our lives would become much more challenging and slower-paced without light. This implies that light is not only instrumental for practical purposes but also for enabling human progress and efficiency.
In the final repetition of the chorus, the lyrics reinforce the notion that without light, our lives would be greatly impacted. The rhetorical question about how we would see or recognize each other without light highlights the profound effect light has on our perception and ability to connect with others. It underscores the fundamental role light plays in our identity and our ability to navigate the world around us.
Overall, the lyrics of "People Need Light" serve as a reminder of the significance of light in our lives, both practically and symbolically. It emphasizes how light enables our daily activities, affects our social interactions, and shapes our perception of ourselves and others. The song ultimately suggests that light is not just a physical necessity but also a fundamental element that allows us to fully experience and engage with the world.
Line by Line Meaning
People need light to get down the stair
Without light, it would be difficult to navigate and descend the stairs safely
People need light while brushing their hairs
Illumination is necessary to observe and perform the task of brushing one's hair effectively
People need light to get to the toilet
Lighting is essential for finding the way to the restroom and using it comfortably
People need light, people need light
Emphasizing the universal need for light in various situations
If there was no light, where would we go?
Reflecting on the potential confusion and lack of direction in the absence of light
If there was no light we'd have to go very slow
Highlighting the cautious pace individuals would have to adopt without proper illumination
People need light to get out this place
Light is necessary to find the way out and exit the current location
People need light to check their face
Lighting is important for observing and evaluating one's appearance, particularly their face
People need light while getting their do's done
Having sufficient light is crucial while styling and grooming oneself
If there was no light, how would we see?
Wondering about the ability to perceive the world without the aid of light
If there was no light, how would you tell it was me?
Questioning the identification and recognition of individuals in the absence of light
If there was no light where would we go?
Reiterating the uncertainty and potential disorientation in the absence of light
If there was no light we would have to go very slow
Acknowledging the need for caution and reduced speed in the absence of proper illumination
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hedgehoginthetardis
"people need light to get to the toilet" will now forever by one of my most favourite bizarre song lyrics ever...
...still doesn't quite beat "what do you want for tea? I want crisps" though
Ragman 5
This band is like listening to The Who, The Clash, The Kinks, King Crimson, ELP, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Police, U2, The Alarm, The Beatles, The Moody Blues & even The Rolling Stones in the same band, quite simply one of the greatest bands ever!