Four original members of the band have left the group since 2009. Aleksandra Campesinos! (vocals, keyboards, glockenspiel) left the band in 2009 to focus on her studies. She was replaced by Gareth's sister Kim in September 2009. Ollie Campesinos! (drums) left the band June 2010 and was replaced a three weeks later by Jason Campesinos!, the band's longtime road manager and merch table salesmen. Harriet Campesinos! (violin, keyboards, vocals) left the band on in September 2011 to continue her studies. Ellen Campesinos! (bass, vocals) left the band in December 2012 to focus on other projects, including her career as a writer and comedian. Rob Campesinos!, who performs solo as Sparky Deathcap, is the official eighth (or, since Aleksandra's departure, ninth) Campesinos! - the band compares his role in the band to the one Bob Nastanovich had in Pavement. After a year of being a semi-official member, Rob was made a full member of the band upon Ollie's departure. The band's name translates to "The Peasants" (or "The Farmers") in Spanish.
The band performed their first gig in May 2006 at a student union club night, and went on to play a number of increasingly well-received gigs around Cardiff. An early demo was recorded featuring the songs Death To Los Campesinos!, It Started With A Mixx, Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks, and live favourite You! Me! Dancing!. The songs were posted on the internet, bolstering the popularity established by their energetic live shows and earning them airplay on Beth & Huw's evening show on BBC Radio 1 Wales. The band's reputation continued to grow, and in August 2006 landed them a slot supporting Canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene.
In November 2006, the band were signed by Wichita Recordings, who put out their first single on 26 February 2007, a double A-side featuring new songs We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives and Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s). In April the band signed to Canadian label Arts & Crafts for Canadian and North American releases. In June 2007 the band released You! Me! Dancing! on limited edition 7" coloured vinyl, accompanied by a handful of dates playing Bath, Newport, Cardiff and London. The EP Sticking Fingers Into Sockets was released on 3 July on Arts & Crafts, produced by Broken Social Scene collaborator Dave Newfeld. The band embarked on their first full UK tour in October, preceded by the The International Tweexcore Underground single (released October 15th 2007).
Their debut album, titled Hold On Now, Youngster... was released in the UK and as a digital download on February 25, 2008; the physical record was released North America on April 1.
On August 1, 2008, the band released their second record We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed in the UK on October 14, 2008.
On June 2 2009, Original member Aleks Campesinos announced she would be leaving the group after the release of their third album, to return to university to continue her studies
The band released their third album, Romance is Boring on 26 January 2010 in the United States and 1 February 2010 in the UK. The band released an accompanying acoustic EP, All's Well That Ends on 19 July 2010. The EP was their first release to feature new members Rob and Kim, and the final to feature Ollie, who left the band the previous month.
In August 2011, the band announced that Harriet would be leaving the band in September 2011 to return to school. A few days later on 31 August 2011, the band announced their fourth album, "Hello Sadness", would be released on 14 November 2011. On 8 September 2011, the band released the first single from the album, "By Your Hand", as a free download from their website, accompanied by a music video.
Miserabilia
Los Campesinos! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breathe... easy.
Your hands will remain empty when you have stopped clutching at straws.
Cling to bad memories, forget all the insufferable bores.
No-one matters.
No-one cares.
He whispered, "oh my god this really is a joy to behold".
For he said "it's a joy to be held" so I held him too close.
It was a grave mistake, he never came back again.
I'm not saying there's good in none of this
Miserabilia to show the kids.
I'm not saying that you're responsible.
Miserabilia, for one, for all.
I've spend too much time on my knees next to urinals in garish Mexican restaurants,
sobbing into my worn pale palms for a better understanding of my dietary requirements.
I've cried on ashen floors of working men's clubs
96, 98, 2000, 2002, 2004.
Oh my god, will it end?
We got nostalgic ended up filling shoe boxes with vomit,
collected scabs in lockets, hung them round our necks like nooses.
None of it mattered.
Nobody cared.
I'm not saying there's good in none of this
Miserabilia to show the kids.
I'm not saying that you're responsible.
Miserabilia, for one, for all.
I have broken down into the naked breasts of a newly ex (no dignity),
I can only guess that she thinks about it when she touches herself.
Shout at the world because the world doesn't love you.
Lower yourself because you know that you'll have to.
The song Miserabilia by Los Campesinos! is a profound and introspective commentary on the fleeting nature of human relationships, the pain of heartbreak, and the struggle with self-esteem. The opening lines of the song "Breathe... easy. Your hands will remain empty when you have stopped clutching at straws" signify a call to let go of things that are not important and to find peace in the present moment. The phrases "Cling to bad memories, forget all the insufferable bores" present a paradox of sorts, an irony of holding onto memories that cause pain and forgetting the uninteresting parts of life.
The song delves deep into different facets of life, as experienced by the singer – a longing for love, and companionship, which seemingly slips away. The lines "He whispered, 'oh my god this really is a joy to behold' / For he said 'it's a joy to be held' so I held him too close / It was a grave mistake, he never came back again" evoke the bittersweet pain of a love that promises everything but ends leaving the singer heartbroken.
Towards the end in the lines, "Shout at the world because the world doesn't love you. Lower yourself because you know that you'll have to" signify how the singer deals with the despair by surrendering to the world's bitterness and his inclinations to be self-critical. Overall, the song leaves the listener with a sense of longing and despair but also a message to experience the moment of life, and not cling on to anything which we can't avoid.
Line by Line Meaning
Your hands will remain empty when you have stopped clutching at straws.
Stop trying to hold on to things that won't fulfill you. Let go of what doesn't matter to you and move on.
Cling to bad memories, forget all the insufferable bores.
Don't let bad experiences define you, but don't give your attention to people who don't matter to you.
No-one matters.
Life can feel isolating and lonely at times, but it's important to remember that we all matter in the grand scheme of things.
No-one cares.
It's easy to feel like nobody cares about you or your problems, but it's important to remember that there are people who love and support you.
"oh my god this really is a joy to behold"
He expressed his pleasure in the moment he was experiencing, enjoying the present.
"it's a joy to be held" so I held him too close.
He expressed his joy in being held, so I held him too tightly, but this took a wrong turn.
It was a grave mistake, he never came back again.
The moment they shared that felt beautiful and intimate resulted in a negative outcome which caused him to feel regretful.
"Miserabilia to show the kids."
The bad experiences we go through are important to share with others so they can learn from our mistakes and grow themselves.
"I'm not saying there's good in none of this"
There may not be any positives in the difficult experiences we go through, but acknowledging their existence can help in the process of moving on.
"I've spend too much time on my knees next to urinals in garish Mexican restaurants, sobbing into my worn pale palms for a better understanding of my dietary requirements."
I have experienced difficult moments of self-doubt and shame, such as not being able to manage my dietary requirements properly and crying in public.
"I've cried on ashen floors of working men's clubs"
I have experienced sadness and despair in various settings, such as working men's clubs.
"We got nostalgic ended up filling shoe boxes with vomit, collected scabs in lockets, hung them round our necks like nooses. None of it mattered. Nobody cared."
We tried to hold on to memories that we thought were important, but they ended up feeling meaningless and nobody was there to care.
"I have broken down into the naked breasts of a newly ex (no dignity), I can only guess that she thinks about it when she touches herself."
I have experienced heartbreak in a way that stripped me of my dignity, and I suspect that my ex remembers the moment too.
"Shout at the world because the world doesn't love you. Lower yourself because you know that you'll have to."
Feeling like the world doesn't love you can be disheartening, but it's important to remember to lower your expectations of others in order to protect yourself.
"Miserabilia, for one, for all."
We all go through difficult experiences, so let's support and help each other during these times.
Contributed by Brayden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.