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
Hard Times
Kingmaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dean took off on a nations duty call
was back in December in a wooden body box
He took his family with him, the memories
can't be stopped
These are Hard Times
Under the God his word lives beyond all talk
I heard about a girl, Central Park in New York
Said the gang of youths "She's nothing"
...three quarters of her blood escaped
These are Hard Times
These are hard times but I'm sure some have been worse
I'm not poor and I'm not dying of thirst
But you see it all around you each and every day
Does living in hard times mean
there's good times on the way?
These are Hard Times
The lyrics to Kingmaker’s song Hard Times explore the harsh realities of life and the struggles that people face in different ways. The song uses two different stories to illustrate this point. In the first verse, we learn about a soldier named Dean who was killed while on duty. The line “He took his family with him, the memories can’t be stopped” highlights how the memories of loved ones lost can stay with us forever. The chorus then reminds us that these are hard times that we’re living in.
The second verse of the song tells the story of a girl who was brutally attacked in New York’s Central Park. The line “Said the gang of youths ‘She’s nothing’…three quarters of her blood escaped” is particularly haunting and emphasizes the cruelty and indifference of those who hurt her. The song then questions whether living in hard times means that good times are on the way.
Overall, Hard Times is a powerful song that explores the pain and suffering that many people experience in their lives. The two stories it uses are different but equally heart-breaking, and the chorus serves as a reminder that, even though life can be tough, we must keep going and try to find hope wherever we can.
Line by Line Meaning
Under the sun the light may shine for all
Everyone has the opportunity to experience happiness and good in their life.
Dean took off on a nations duty call
Dean went to serve his country in the military.
was back in December in a wooden body box
Dean returned home in a coffin after losing his life serving his country.
He took his family with him, the memories can't be stopped
Dean took his family with him and the memories of him can't be erased or forgotten.
These are Hard Times
The current state of the world and events occurring make it a difficult time to live in.
Under the God his word lives beyond all talk
The power and influence of God and religion is greater than mere words and conversation.
I heard about a girl, Central Park in New York
The singer heard a tragic story about a girl who was victimized in Central Park in New York.
She was beaten with steel bars, stones and then raped
The young girl was subjected to horrific violence and sexual assault that inflicted physical and emotional pain on her.
Said the gang of youths "She's nothing"
The perpetrators dehumanized the girl and saw her as insignificant and unworthy of respect or basic human rights.
...three quarters of her blood escaped
The girl lost a significant amount of blood as a result of the violence she endured, adding to the severity of her injuries.
These are Hard Times
The tragedies and injustices happening in the world make it a challenging time to live in.
These are hard times but I'm sure some have been worse
Although the current state of the world is difficult, there have been instances in history where circumstances were even more challenging.
I'm not poor and I'm not dying of thirst
The singer acknowledges that they are not experiencing extreme poverty or physical deprivation in their life.
But you see it all around you each and every day
Despite not personally experiencing the most severe hardships, the singer is aware of the widespread suffering and difficulties present in society.
Does living in hard times mean there's good times on the way?
The singer questions whether difficult circumstances indicate that better times are on the horizon.
These are Hard Times
The song ends with the repeated acknowledgement that the current state of the world is challenging and difficult for many to endure.
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.