Teenage schoolmates Loz Hardy and Myles Howell formed the group during their year off after school. They placed an advertisement for a drummer, and eventually recruited the significantly older John Andrew. Andrew was an ex-travelling puppeteer. The band began playing and touring, before making their recording debut with The Celebrated Working Man EP. After this they signed up to Chrysalis Records and released a second EP, entitled Idiots at the Wheel in January 1992. They were also immediately courted by the music press, and they invented a niche category for the band, which they dubbed "New Cool Rock".
With a fan following building up, and lyrical austerity in their melodic music, they were tipped by some as the "next big thing". Their debut album, Eat Yourself Whole was well received, and spent three weeks in the UK Album Chart, reaching a high of number twenty-nine in October 1991. In addition, the single release of the album's title track, "Eat Yourself Whole", reached the U.K. Top Twenty.
They then landed an American record deal with Chrysalis. Kingmaker's second album, Sleepwalking was released in 1993, to general acclaim. Hardy's songwriting prowess seemed to have grown in inverse proportion to their stature. Certainly the songs on Sleepwalking, primarily located in Hardy's bitter world, far surpassed anything on the debut album, and outshone the early singles that had won them most attention. The album starts off with "Playground Brutality", a sad, emotional song about bullying in schools. This sets the tone for the songs to follow, which cover a broad range of subjects such as death, anarchy and injustice.
However, despite their promising debut, the band rapidly fell out of favour. Paul Heaton of local stars The Beautiful South heavily criticised them as being middle class pretenders, and the rot set in thereafter.
Their final album, In the Best Possible Taste emerged in 1995, within one month of the death of the disc jockey Kenny Everett, who had popularised the phrase. Whilst tracks such as "One False Move" revealed a subtle shift towards urban rockabilly, the band called it quits after touring later the same year.
2. Kingmaker is a 5 piece hardcore band from Lake County IL. With members ranging from 17 to 19, it’s hard to believe that such a pissed off heavy sound could come out of some teenagers. Debuting their 6 song EP “Catacomb” recorded in guitarist Andy Eclov’s basement, the band not only shows that it’s possible for the youth of modern times to go against the grain of cookie cutter bullshit bands the suburbs spawns, but that hardcore is still alive and well today. Being the first EP any of them has recorded, there is still much room for improvement, but having only been a band for 2 months and putting out music of this quality speaks for itself. My favorite thing about this band thus far is the fact that they can put out music that makes you want to kill the person next to you, but they do it with a smile on their faces because they integrate what most bands fail to into the music, having fun. Get ready for Kingmaker kiddies, these boys are out for blood. - grizzly
End Of The Line
Kingmaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I saw you in the trees
I was so happy
I stayed in bed for a week
I said things were too good
You told me every dog has his day
If you want me to be your dog
I'm sorry but we're through
'Spose you had to pick and choose
I'm sure there's more where I came from
I'm sorry but we're through
'Spose you had to pick and choose
Smile it's the end of the line
Did I resent you putting me to the test?
Call me a bad loser but the answer's frankly yes
We went to sleep as one and then woke up as two
But I'll be honest I had nothing better to do
I'm sorry but we're through
'Spose you had to pick and choose
All that's lost was mine
I'm sorry but we're through
'Spose you had to pick and choose
Smile, it's the end of the line
I'm sorry but we're through.
'Spose you had to pick and choose
Thanks for the waste of time....
The lyrics of Kingmaker's End of the Line seem to revolve around a failed relationship that is no longer working out. The singer paints a picture of a jungle where he encountered the former lover. He was elated to see her among the trees to the extent that he stayed in bed for a week. The lyrics suggest that the relationship was good before, but the singer was not satisfied, and he expressed his dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, it seems like the former lover was done with the relationship and believed that he should have appreciated what they had.
The lyrics continue to suggest that they went to sleep together and woke up as different people as they were no longer compatible. The singer seems to blame his former lover for pushing him to the limit while testing him. He felt like he had nothing better to do than to participate in testing her, and he lost the one he loved. The song does not end on a happy note, with the singer acknowledging that it is the end of the line, and they have to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
This place is a jungle
The world is a difficult and confusing place.
When I saw you in the trees
When I met you unexpectedly and felt hope.
I was so happy
I felt joy and contentment in your presence.
I stayed in bed for a week
I felt so happy that I didn't want to leave bed.
I said things were too good
I felt that my happiness was too good to be true.
You told me every dog has his day
You reminded me that success and happiness is not permanent, and that everyone has ups and downs.
If you want me to be your dog
If you want me to be loyal and obedient to you.
Then next time you have to say
You have to be honest and upfront with me in the future.
I'm sorry but we're through
I regret to inform you that our relationship is over.
'Spose you had to pick and choose
I assume you had to make a difficult decision.
I'm sure there's more where I came from
I'm sure you'll find someone else to replace me.
Smile it's the end of the line
Smile because this is the end of our relationship and we can both move on.
Did I resent you putting me to the test?
Did I feel bitterness towards you for testing my loyalty?
Call me a bad loser but the answer's frankly yes
Admitting that I am indeed a bad loser and that I was bitter about the test.
We went to sleep as one and then woke up as two
We went to bed together and woke up with our relationship changed and separated.
But I'll be honest I had nothing better to do
But to be truthful, I didn't have much going on in my life before we met.
All that's lost was mine
All the time and effort I invested in the relationship was wasted.
Thanks for the waste of time....
Sarcastically thanking the other person for wasting their time.
Contributed by Elizabeth L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.