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.
Ruby )
Kaiser Chiefs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause there's so little else occupying my head
There is nothing I need, 'cept the function to breathe
But I?m not really fussed doesn't matter to me
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby
Do ya do ya do ya do ya
Know what your doing, doing to me
Due to lack of interest
Tomorrow is canceled
Let the clocks be reset and the pendulums held
'Cause there's nothing at all 'cept the space in between
Finding out what you?re called and repeating your name
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby
Do ya do ya do ya do ya
Know what your doing, doing to me
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby
Could it be could it be that you're joking with me
And you don't really see you with me
Could it be could it be that you're joking with me
And you don't really see you with me
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby
Do ya do ya do ya do ya
Know what your doing, doing to me
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby
Do ya do ya do ya do ya
What your doing, doing to me
In "Ruby" by Kaiser Chiefs, the lyrics convey the message that the singer is so infatuated with Ruby that they cannot think of anything else. The first verse begins with a rejection of the notion that romance is dead, as there is nothing else occupying the singer's mind. They claim that they don't need anything other than the function to breathe, expressing contentment in their current state. The chorus repeats the word "Ruby" four times, followed by the question, "Do ya do ya do ya do ya know what you're doing, doing to me?" This repetition of her name emphasizes how much the singer is fixated on Ruby, even going so far as to ask her if she is aware of the impact she has on them.
The second verse suggests that the singer feels lost in the world and that the future is uncertain. They declare that everything is canceled because of a lack of interest, and they want to reset the clocks to try to find meaning in their life. They are aware that there is nothing significant happening around them except for the "space in between," during which they find out more about Ruby by repeating her name. The bridge questions the possibility of Ruby playing with the singer's feelings and not considering a serious relationship with them.
Overall, the song conveys emotions of infatuation, obsession, and uncertainty about the future. The repetition of Ruby's name talks about the singer's fixation on her, while the verse's lyrics convey a sense of confusion and a lack of direction.
Line by Line Meaning
Let it never be said that romance is dead
Romance is not dead and I'm not going to let anyone claim it is.
'Cause there's so little else occupying my head
I have nothing else to think about except for romance.
There is nothing I need, 'cept the function to breathe
All I need is to breathe, but I also want love.
But I?m not really fussed doesn't matter to me
I'm not too concerned if I don't get love, but I still want it.
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby
Repeating the name of the person I'm interested in.
Do ya do ya do ya do ya
Asking if the person knows what they're doing to me.
Know what your doing, doing to me
Wondering if the person is aware of the impact they're having on me.
Due to lack of interest
The future seems uncertain and doubtful due to a lack of interest from those around me.
Tomorrow is canceled
There is no real future for me right now.
Let the clocks be reset and the pendulums held
Time seems to be frozen and unchanging, with nothing to look forward to.
'Cause there's nothing at all 'cept the space in between
There is nothing else to focus on except for the emptiness between myself and the person I'm interested in.
Finding out what you?re called and repeating your name
Trying to get to know the person I'm interested in by asking their name and repeating it to myself.
Could it be could it be that you're joking with me
I'm unsure if the person is being serious with me or not.
And you don't really see you with me
The person I'm interested in might not see themselves with me.
Do ya do ya do ya do ya
Continuing to question the person's intentions.
What your doing, doing to me
Wondering how the person's actions are affecting me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NICHOLAS HODGSON, CHARLES RICHARD WILSON, NICHOLAS BAINES, JAMES RIX, ANDREW ROBERT WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joejhonjhonstonjoe4886
Lyrics
Let it never be said
The Romance is dead
'Cause there's so little else
Occupying my head
There is nothing I need
except the function to breathe
But I'm not really fussed
Doesn't matter to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Due to lack of interest
Tomorrow is canceled
Let the clocks be reset
And the pendulums held
'Cause there's nothing at all
Except the space in-between
Finding out what you're called
And repeating your name
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Could it be, could it be
That you're joking with me?
And you don't really see you and me [x2]
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
@DearMarcel
Let it never be said
The romance is dead
Cause there's so little else
Occupying my head
There is nothing I need
Except the function to breathe
But I'm not really fussed
Doesn't matter to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Due to lack of interest
Tomorrow is canceled
Let the clocks be reset
And the pendulums held
Cause there's nothing at all
Except the space in-between
Finding out what you're called
And repeating your name
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Could it be, could it be
That you're joking with me?
And you don't really see you and me
Could it be, could it be
That you're joking with me?
And you don't really see you and me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
@diegorojas307
Let it never be said
The Romance is dead
'Cause there's so little else
Occupying my head
There is nothing I need
except the function to breathe
But I'm not really fussed
Doesn't matter to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Due to lack of interest
Tomorrow is canceled
Let the clocks be reset
And the pendulums held
'Cause there's nothing at all
Except the space in-between
Finding out what you're called
And repeating your name
Could it be, could it be
That you're joking with me?
And you don't really see you and me [x2]
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
Do you, do you, do you, do you
Know what you're doing, doing, to me
@kaiserchiefs
11 million views! Wow.. Thank you
@Mr11ESSE111
it is small compare to Gangnam style, Shakira,Rihanna and others who are actual music stars whatever they sing!!., (this is not your fault than today peoples who dont have hearing for better quality of music) This is the hit song (similar to those from 80-ies) but she is 5 years old and she is not in the center of public view like those boring from this days.
@KillyKafar
Mr11ESSE111
It's not because they're many to be wrong that they're right ;) 11 millions views isn't a very big deal, but that's already quite a lot. And even today, there's 10 000 views per day ! That's already great to know 10 000 people per day have still great tastes ^^
@drolemassih
Amazing song
@BackRowB
No thank you for the song
@jsc1992
KaiserChiefsVEVO LEAST WE CAN DO!!
@gustavobeat10
PES 2010 y Guitar Hero III, que infancia tan hermosa vivimos los que jugamos estos juegazos! 🎮⚽🎸
@francisco894
Así es compa, ahora solo rata hay
@anujnarwal
Guitar hero 3 and Pes
@augustoperez2828
Basadisimo