Kasabian are Sergio Pizzorno (guitar, synths, vocals), Christopher Edwards … Read Full Bio ↴Kasabian are Sergio Pizzorno (guitar, synths, vocals), Christopher Edwards (bass), Ian Matthews (drums) and guitarist Tim Carter. Formed in Leicester, England, United Kingdom in 1997, Kasabian are named after Linda Kasabian, who was the getaway driver at the Tate-LaBianca murders committed by members of the Manson Family. The UK rock band has been compared with the likes of Primal Scream and Oasis. Ben Kealey and Gary Alesbrook are long-serving touring members since 2006. Former frontman Tom Meighan was fired in 2020 for assaulting his fiancée, following which time the band have continued as a four piece. Other former members of Kasabian include multi-instrumentalist Chris Karloff and guitarist Jay Mehler.

Their self-titled debut album was released in 2004, featuring UK top 10 single Cutt Off and has been followed with:
2005: Live from Brixton Academy
2006: Empire, featuring UK top 10 single Empire
2009: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, featuring the global hit single Fire
2011: Velociraptor!
2012: Live!
2014: 48:13
2017: For Crying Out Loud
2022: The Alchemist's Euphoria, the first album since the sacking of Tom Meighan.
2024: Happenings

West Ryder Silver Bullet
Kasabian Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Then I went down into the basement
Where my friend the maniac busies himself with his electronic graffiti
Finally his language touches me
Because he talks to the part of us
Which insists on drawing profiles on prison walls.
In that moment poetry will be made by everyone
And there will be emu's in the zone

Mist covers the ground
In the city
Engine rumbles quiet
As we drift by

I wish you could see it
Through my crooked eye
Oh your beauty
Plays me just like a guitar string (it's so true)

I want your touch
Oh how I want you far too much
She my baby
He's my baby

Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah

Days drift into one
It's so pretty
Traveling Wilbury's, Polly's photo fits
And this stolen car
Is loaded with junk
It's so dirty
He'll be the death of me
But that's ok

I want your touch
Oh how I want you far too much
She my baby
He's my baby

Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kasabian's song West Ryder Silver Bullet are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The first verse describes the singer going down to the basement to meet a friend who is a "maniac." The maniac is creating "electronic graffiti," which interests the singer because it speaks to the part of us that insists on leaving our mark, even if it's on prison walls. The language of the maniac is poetic and touches the singer, leading to the suggestion that in that moment poetry will be made by everyone. The line about emus in the zone is obscure but could be interpreted as a reference to the freedom and creativity that comes when we abandon societal norms and restrictions.

The second verse describes a misty cityscape, with the sound of an engine in the background. The singer wishes the listener could see it all through their "crooked eye," suggesting a perspective that sees beauty in the unconventional or strange. The line "your beauty plays me just like a guitar string" implies that the singer is entranced by the listener's beauty and feels as if they are being played by it. The third verse switches to a more chaotic tone, with references to the Traveling Wilburys (a supergroup consisting of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and other famous musicians) and Polly's photo fits (an image classification system used by police to identify suspects). The mention of a stolen car loaded with junk suggests a sense of recklessness and danger. The chorus repeats the desire for the listener's touch and the repeated line "he's my baby" could suggest possessiveness or jealousy.

Line by Line Meaning

Then I went down into the basement
I descended into the basement

Where my friend the maniac busies himself with his electronic graffiti
My friend, a deranged person, occupies himself by creating electronic graffiti.

Finally his language touches me
Finally, his way of speaking resonates with me.

Because he talks to the part of us
Because he connects with the part of us.

Which insists on drawing profiles on prison walls.
That part of us that compels us to draw pictures on prison walls.

In that moment poetry will be made by everyone
In that moment, everyone will be able to make poetry.

And there will be emu's in the zone
The environment will have emus in it.

Mist covers the ground
The ground is covered in mist.

In the city
This takes place in a city.

Engine rumbles quiet
The engine produces a low rumbling sound.

As we drift by
As we move along.

I wish you could see it
I wish you could experience this.

Through my crooked eye
Through my altered perspective.

Oh your beauty
Oh, your attractiveness.