Gus and Jamie grew up in the suburbs south of London and went to school together. In search for a new band member, they posted advertisements, including on MixB, an online bulletin board for Japanese expatriates, largely due to their interest in Japanese rap. They selected Sarah based on her background in art, and their interest in her bilingual ability. Although she had collaborated with a Japanese girl group previously, Sarah did not have a background in professional singing; instead, she was interested in collaborating with Gus and Jamie simply because she "wanted to try it".
The band released their debut mixtape Intro Bonito through Double Denim Records in August 2014. They wrote many of their songs featured on the mixtape using a Casio SA-45 mini-keyboard. The band also contributed "Flamingo" to Ryan Hemsworth's compilation EP shh#ffb6c1. In September 2014, Kero Kero Bonito released Bonito Recycling, a compilation of Intro Bonito remixes by artists including Danny L Harle and Spazzkid.
On October 21, 2016, their official debut album Bonito Generation was released through Double Denim Records. The album featured previous singles such as "Picture This" released in March 2015, "Lipslap" released in February 2016 and "Break" released in June 2016.
On February 12, 2018, the band released their single Only Acting which featured a more darker, rock-influenced style compared to their previous releases. On February 20, 2018, the band released their EP, TOTEP. The EP included the aforementioned single Only Acting, and other songs following the rock-influenced style. On May 8, 2018, the band released the single Time Today, and announced their second studio album, Time 'n' Place, which was released on October 1, 2018 The album was inspired by radical changes in the band's personal lives and featured a similar sound to TOTEP.
On July 8, 2019, the band uploaded "KKB Life" to their YouTube channel, a vlog video recorded during the Time 'n' Place era, announcing that a new era is starting. They later released the single When the Fires Come in September 2019 and their EP Civilisation I later that month. The EP and lead single featured an electronic style, similar to the band's production in their earlier work. In 2020, the band wrote and performed It's Bugsnax!, the theme song for the video game Bugsnax, which was featured in its announcement trailer. The members of the band recorded their parts of the song remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 21, 2021, Kero Kero Bonito published their EP Civilisation II, a sequel to their previous EP Civilisation I, after releasing the single The Princess and the Clock earlier on February 24, 2021. This EP continued the electronic style the band established in the first EP. On September 10, 2021, the band published a compilation, Civilisation, combining EPs Civilisation I and Civilisation II, with the added track Gateway in between them.
Heard A Song
Kero Kero Bonito Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heard a song, I can't stop thinking about it
Though it didn't last very long, it's in my head
Plus I didn't catch who it was
But it sorta sounded like a big hit
Are you gonna play it some more?
Guess I'll keep on listening
Top down 'round the block, not too fast
All I need is bass on the stereo
So I turn it up and it goes like
Oh-oh-oh-oh
It's a beat so sweet that I stop in the middle of the street
Then a kid runs up and he says,
"I don't know you, but that sounds fresh"
When I need a hand, no maps of where I am,
I pick up the vibrations
Where the music plays, all the time every day,
Now I'm stuck on rotation
I just put the radio on
Heard a song, I can't stop thinking about it
Though it didn't last very long, it's in my head
Plus I didn't catch who it was
But it sorta sounded like a big hit
Are you gonna play it some more?
Guess I'll keep on listening
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
I think it went something kinda like
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
I think it went something kinda like this
I get back to my dominion
And ask my friends their opinion
I heard a song on the radio
"Sounds cool, Sarah, how did it go?"
Like oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh?
"I don't know"
Hm, well, if nobody can help me,
Did I imagine this melody?
When I need a hand, no maps of where I am,
I pick up the vibrations
Where the music plays, all the time every day,
Now I'm stuck on rotation
I just put the radio on
Heard a song, I can't stop thinking about it
Though it didn't last very long, it's in my head
Plus I didn't catch who it was
But it sorta sounded like a big hit
Are you gonna play it some more?
Guess I'll keep on listening
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
I think it went something kinda like
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
I think it went something kinda like this
I think it went something kinda like this
I think it went something kinda like
In "Heard a Song", Kero Kero Bonito sings about the experience of hearing a song on the radio that sticks with you, but you can't quite remember who sings it or what the title is. The song opens with the singer putting on the radio and hearing a catchy tune that she can't get out of her head. She doesn't catch the artist or the title, but she keeps listening, hoping to hear it again. As she drives around in her car, the song continues to resonant with her, and she turns up the volume to feel the bass. She even has a moment where she stops in the middle of the street because the music moves her so much.
As the song progresses, the singer asks her friends if either of them recognize the tune, but no one seems to know what she is talking about. The chorus repeats, "When I need a hand, no maps of where I am, I pick up the vibrations / Where the music plays, all the time every day, Now I'm stuck on rotation." This lyric shows the power of music to connect and uplift people, even when they are searching for direction.
Overall, "Heard a Song" is an upbeat and contagious track that perfectly encapsulates the experience of discovering a new song that you just can't stop listening to.
Line by Line Meaning
I just put the radio on
I turned on the radio
Heard a song, I can't stop thinking about it
I listened to a song that I really liked and can't stop thinking about
Though it didn't last very long, it's in my head
The song was short, but it's stuck in my head
Plus I didn't catch who it was
I don't know who the artist of the song is
But it sorta sounded like a big hit
The song sounded like it could be popular or well-known
Are you gonna play it some more?
I hope to hear the song again on the radio
Guess I'll keep on listening
I will continue listening to the radio to see if the song plays again
Cruising along in my new car
I am driving in my new car
Top down 'round the block, not too fast
I am driving with the car top down around a block at a reasonable speed
All I need is bass on the stereo
I only need to hear the bass on my car's sound system
So I turn it up and it goes like
I turn up the volume and the bass becomes louder
Oh-oh-oh-oh
The sound of the bass
It's a beat so sweet that I stop in the middle of the street
The beat is so good that I stop my car in the middle of the street to listen to it better
Then a kid runs up and he says,
A child comes up and talks to me
"I don't know you, but that sounds fresh"
The child compliments my music taste even though they don't know me
When I need a hand, no maps of where I am,
When I am lost and don't know where I am, I use music to find my way
I pick up the vibrations
I listen to the beat or rhythm of the music to find direction
Where the music plays, all the time every day,
Music is constantly playing and is always available
Now I'm stuck on rotation
I can't stop listening to the music on repeat
I get back to my dominion
I arrive back home
And ask my friends their opinion
I ask my friends for their thoughts
Like oh-oh-oh-oh
Referring to the sound of the bass in the song I liked
Oh-oh-oh-oh?
I ask my friends if they recognize the song
"I don't know"
My friends don't know the song either
Hm, well, if nobody can help me,
If my friends can't help me identify the song,
Did I imagine this melody?
I start to wonder if I made up the melody in my head
I think it went something kinda like
I try to recall how the song went
I think it went something kinda like this
I attempt to hum the melody to remember the song
Contributed by Avery V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jinning4753
[Chorus]
I just put the radio on
Heard a song, I can't stop thinking about it
Though it didn't last very long
It's in my head
Plus I didn't catch who it was
But it sort of sounded like a big hit
Are you gonna play it some more?
Guess I'll keep on listening
[Verse 1]
Cruising along in my new car
Top down, round the block, not too fast
All I need is bass on the stereo
So I turn it up and it goes like
"Oh-oh-oh-oh," it's a beat so sweet
That I stop in the middle of the street
Then a kid runs up and he says
"I don't know you but that sounds fresh"
[Pre-Chorus]
When I need a hand, no matter where I am
I pick up the vibrations
Where the music plays, all the time every day
Now I'm stuck on rotation
[Chorus]
I just put the radio on
Heard a song, I can't stop thinking about it
Though it didn't last very long
It's in my head
Plus I didn't catch who it was
But it sort of sounded like a big hit
Are you gonna play it some more?
Guess I'll keep on listening
[Hook]
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
I think it went something kind of like
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
I think it went something kind of like this
[Verse 2]
I get back to my dominion
And ask my friends their opinion
I heard this song on the radio
"Sounds cool, Sarah, how did it go?"
Like "oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh?"
"I don't know"
Hm, well, if nobody can help me
Did I imagine this melody?
[Hook]
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
I think it went something kind of like
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
I think it went something kind of like this
I think it went something kind of like this
I think it went something kind of like this
@jellyfishwii
this song has cured my acne, lifted my diseases, cleared all my stress.. thank you kkb... once again... you have done the impossible...
@synthspleen
Ange sa me
@jellyfishwii
idk abt u but honestly, this song has amplified my Gay™ by 1000000000
@pawsandsuch8080
Ange (me too, shIT.)
@nashybearh
^
@monetxoxo1767
SAME.😭
@frankortiz4500
When I first heard Flamingo I spent a whole month humming the chorus but never knowing what the band was and Im so glad I found KKB. Changed my life.
@happyman3802
I'm in the same exact boat as you man.
@leepoling4897
Frank Ortiz same dude
@aesthethicc-1063
Frank Ortiz ｓａｍｅ