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.
Tomato in the Rain
Kaiser Chiefs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got that feeling again
Like a greyhound in a race
I've got a rabbit to chase
Roll under me no ones going down
You got the remedy, what?s going around?
Like a beetle on its back
Or a police man on a tape
Waiting down in the lane
If the wheel comes off your car
Hammer it and nail it or 2
Before it falls apart
Add more nails and glue
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
I got that feeling again
I got that feeling again
Roll around with me, no ones going down
You got our memories it all comes back around
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
The Kaiser Chiefs song "Tomato in the Rain" presents a series of metaphors that express feelings of uncertainty and the need to get back on track. The first two lines of the song introduce the tomato in the rain metaphor, describing a sense of vulnerability and being overwhelmed by external forces. The next pair of lines employs the greyhound and rabbit chase metaphor, which represents the desire to pursue a goal with intensity and determination. The singer's sense of urgency is expressed through the repetition of the phrase "I got that feeling again," suggesting that they have experienced this sensation before and it signals the need for action.
The second part of the song introduces additional metaphors that convey the idea of getting back on track after experiencing setbacks. The singer continues to liken himself to objects or animals that are struggling, such as a beetle on its back or a police officer waiting in vain. The solution to these problems is presented with the line "If the wheel comes off your car, hammer it and nail it or 2," suggesting a need for quick thinking and improvisation. The final lines of the song repeat the question "Shall I come home?" which can be interpreted as a plea for safety, comfort, or guidance.
Overall, the song seems to express a common theme of human struggle and the need for resilience and determination in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a tomato in the rain
I feel vulnerable and exposed like a tomato in the rain.
I got that feeling again
I have a familiar feeling that I can't quite place.
Like a greyhound in a race
I feel fast and restless like a racing greyhound.
I've got a rabbit to chase
I have a goal or task that I am determined to pursue.
Roll under me no ones going down
We can get through this without anyone being hurt or affected.
You got the remedy, what's going around?
You have the solution or answer to what's happening or going on.
Like a beetle on its back
I feel helpless and stuck like a beetle flipped upside down.
I've got to get back on track
I need to refocus and get back on course.
Or a police man on a tape
I feel trapped and constrained like a police officer directing traffic.
Waiting down in the lane
Something or someone is waiting for me down the path or road.
If the wheel comes off your car
When things fall apart unexpectedly or suddenly.
Hammer it and nail it or 2
Take action and do what's necessary to fix it quickly and effectively.
Before it falls apart
Prevent the situation from getting any worse.
Add more nails and glue
Strengthen and secure the situation to prevent it from happening again.
Yes I do know about you
I'm aware of who you are and what you're like.
Shall I come home?
Should I return to where I belong or to you?
Roll around with me, no ones going down
Let's have fun together without harming or affecting anyone else.
You got our memories it all comes back around
You have our shared past and experiences, and they will resurface or influence us again.
I got that feeling again
I have that same familiar feeling that I can't explain.
Yes I do know about you
I have knowledge or information about who you are.
Shall I come home?
Should I return to where I belong or to you?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW WHITE, CHARLES RICHARD WILSON, JAMES RIX, NICHOLAS BAINES, NICHOLAS HODGSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ariadne Cruz
Like a tomato in the rain
I got that feeling again
Like a greyhound in a race
I've got a rabbit to chase
Roll under me no ones going down
You got the remedy, what?s going around?
Like a beetle on its back
I've got to get back on track
Or a police man on a tape
Waiting down in the lane
If the wheel comes off your car
Hammer it and nail it or 2
Before it falls apart
Add more nails and glue
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
I got that feeling again
I got that feeling again
Roll around with me, no ones going down
You got our memories it all comes back around
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
Matronix
Like a tomato in the rain...surely one of the best opening lines to a song, what does it all mean !!
Ragman 5
It means you're getting softy beaten into a mushy mesh.
Tiffani Pickering
love everything from the Kaiser Chiefs!
anmabaga
great song , the KC are an amazing band
Lucius Jamal Greye
The drums stand out in this album in all of the songs
Camila Cardoso Ribeiro
Melhor banda com certeza
Duenderelojero
Los salvadores del pop británico.
Ariadne Cruz
Like a tomato in the rain
I got that feeling again
Like a greyhound in a race
I've got a rabbit to chase
Roll under me no ones going down
You got the remedy, what?s going around?
Like a beetle on its back
I've got to get back on track
Or a police man on a tape
Waiting down in the lane
If the wheel comes off your car
Hammer it and nail it or 2
Before it falls apart
Add more nails and glue
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
I got that feeling again
I got that feeling again
Roll around with me, no ones going down
You got our memories it all comes back around
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
Yes I do know about you
Shall I come home?
rafael aguilar
When I hear this song I think of a storm trooper on a red vespa. ..
narciss
+rafael aguilar lol wont get this image out of my head for a while :DD