Kerbdog were formed in 1991 by Cormac Battle (vocals/guitar), Colin Fennelly (bass guitar) and Darragh Butler (drums) under the repressive regime of the Christian Brothers. Darragh went to St. Kieran's College thus escaping the Christian Brothers. The band members were underage drinkers and self-described lousy students, (despite obtaining 3rd level degrees) devoting their energies to music rather than studies. Their early live shows primarily consisted of cover versions of songs by Sonic Youth, Loop, Spaceman 3 and Fudge Tunnel. Billy Dalton (guitar) joined the band in March 1992.
Initially Cormac was suspicious of Billy's liking for Metallica and Slayer. Though he liked elements of the sound, he feared the genre's tendency toward dragging its knuckles along the ground. Equally Billy regarded Cormac's fascination with the British and New York undergrounds as obnoxious and elitist. What they both recognised in each other was a certain uncompromising determination.
The songs that resulted from the disparate influences of the band's primary members was visceral and cerebral, a large sound that left you "thinking as your mind blew". Realising that they had a potential for success with the band, Cormac, Colin and Darragh dropped out of college and Billy left his job as a truck driver with his family's prosperous Milling company.
After only three gigs at the New Park Inn (since demolished) in Kilkenny, their fanbase grew rapidly within Ireland. By mid-1992 word of the band reached the ears of an A&R man from Los Angeles, who, finding himself in Ireland, decided to hear them play. Before the end of the opening number of the band's act, Cleaver, he found himself winded and crushed against the stage beneath swarms of sweaty teenagers. Battered and bruised, he returned to Los Angeles, wondering whether to sign the band or sue them.
In 1993, Kerbdog recorded their self-titled debut album at the studios of Vertigo Records in London. The album was produced by Jack Endino, who had also worked with artists like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and Gruntruck. They were also planning a major tour of the British clubs.
1996 saw the band back in the recording studio, although Billy Dalton was kicked out of the band the previous year. This time they were with a different record label - Mercury/Fontana, part of the same organisation (PolyGram) as Vertigo Records. Produced by GGGarth of Rage Against The Machine fame, and recorded in Los Angeles, On The Turn set out to be their best album.
Quote from GGGarth about the making of the On The Turn album. "We did one record with a band named Kerbdog, and we started off with about 25 cabinets and amps. It took about two days just to go through em all, but we got the best sounds that we have ever gotten. We used old Les Pauls, old Strats and Teles, different strings, different pickups." Book - 'Music Producers: Conversations with Today's Top Hit Makers'
They disbanded in 1998 and Cormac and Darragh went on to form another band Wilt. However, after just two albums Wilt also broke up and after much speculation Kerbdog was reformed in 2005. Thus far they have played several gigs in Ireland, (notably sell-out concerts in the Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin) including a triumphant set at the Oxegen music festival in July 2005. Due to the great changes in their lives they have no plans to record which ultimately means December's 2005 gigs will be their last!
Their fan base remained loyal throughout the bands' short lived span evident in Kerbdog's 'comeback' gigs. Cormac Battle lives in Dublin, Ireland and hosts a Sunday night radio show on Ireland's national 2FM. Colin Fennelly lives outside Dublin and works as a civil engineer in a cement factory. Darragh Butler lives and works in Kilkenny, Ireland where he owns a music store Rollercoaster.
This is not a love song
Kerbdog Lyrics
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This is not a love song
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
Happy to have, not to have not
Big business is very wise
I'm crossing over into
E-enter-prize
Love song
Love song
Love song
Love song
I'm going over to the other side
I'm happy to have not to have not
Big business is very wise
I'm inside free enterprise
I'm adaptable
I'm adaptable
I'm adaptable and I like my new role
I'm getting better and better
And I have a new goal
I'm changing my ways where money applies
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
Now are you ready to grab the cradle
That tunnel vision-not television
Behind the curtain-out of the cupboard
YOu take the first train-into the big world
Now will I find you-now will you be there
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
In Kerbdog's song "This Is Not a Love Song," the lyrics are repeated throughout the song as a powerful assertion. The song is a statement that the band is not interested in playing a typical love song. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the point that the band is trying to make. The song is more about the challenges of adapting to a new role in society, specifically in the realm of business. In the first verse, the person is crossing over into "e-enter-prize," which is a play on words, implying that they are ready to enter the world of electronic commerce.
The second verse reveals that the person has adapted to their new role in the business world and is getting better and better at it. They are changing their ways to fit where money applies. The chorus reinforces the message that the song is not about love. The bridge of the song describes a journey into the big world, where the person is taking the first train to find their place in society. The final chorus reiterates that the song is not about love and ends the piece on a powerful and emphatic note.
Line by Line Meaning
This is not a love song
The song is not about love
This is not a love song
The song is not about romantic love
This is not a love song
The song is not expressing love
This is not a love song
The song is about something else entirely
This is not a love song
The theme of the song is not love
This is not a love song
Don't mistake this song for being a love song
Happy to have, not to have not
I am content with what I have, and do not envy those who have more
Big business is very wise
Large corporations are intelligent and cunning
I'm crossing over into E-enter-prize
I am moving into entrepreneurship and technology
Love song
Referring to the refrain of the song
I'm going over to the other side
I am transitioning to a different perspective or way of life
I'm inside free enterprise
I am immersed in the world of business and entrepreneurship
I'm adaptable
I can change and adjust to new situations
I'm adaptable and I like my new role
I can adapt to my new position and am happy in it
I'm getting better and better
I am continuously improving and progressing
And I have a new goal
I have set a new objective for myself
I'm changing my ways where money applies
I am altering my behavior in regards to financial matters
Now are you ready to grab the cradle
Are you ready to take control of your life?
That tunnel vision-not television
A narrow focus on personal goals, not public consumption
Behind the curtain-out of the cupboard
Revealing hidden information or secrets
You take the first train-into the big world
Begin your journey into the larger world outside of your comfort zone
Now will I find you-now will you be there
Will you be there for me when I need you?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lydon, Keith Levene, Martin Clive Atkins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind