They are managed by Prestige Management, and were signed to the Island Records label from their launch (2004) until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records. McFly is also the youngest band ever to have an album debut at #1.
McFly appeared in the teen comedy film Just My Luck, starring Lindsay Lohan and Chris Pine, in 2006. The band played themselves in the film and released a US album, Just My Luck, which was also used as the film's soundtrack.
The Ballad of Paul K
McFly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feels like he's getting older
Now and noticing how he's finding
Grey hairs left in the shower
Tattoos fade by the hour
And he can't understand these feelings
Why life is getting him down
He used to smile now he frowns
Its been this way for a while
And he can't seem to put things right
When life has been unkind
And you're losing your mind
Look in the mirror afraid of what you'll find
It feels like time's not on your side
He doesn't like to mention
Applying for his pension
So his children don't know he's heading
Into a mid-life crisis
He can't afford the prices for
The new kitchen floor he's buying
He's been a drunk all his life
Two kids, a dog and a wife
He doesn't know
And in the daytime he just sits and watches television shows
When life has been unkind
And you're losing your mind
Look in the mirror afraid of what you'll find
It feels like time's not on your side
Don't know why but somehow
The ones you love you hate now,
You feel down and blue
Look at what you've thrown away
They stood beside you all the way
Now its too late, its too late for you
When life has been unkind
And you're losing your mind
Look in the mirror afraid of what you'll find
It feels like time's not on your side
The Ballad of Paul K by McFly is a song that captures the struggles of a man who is experiencing a mid-life crisis. Paul K is a middle-aged man who realizes that life is catching up with him. He is drinking Corona, finding grey hairs left in the shower, and his tattoos are fading away as he feels like he is getting older. He cannot seem to understand these feelings and why he is feeling down. Life used to be good, but now he can't seem to put things right.
The song also highlights the fact that sometimes people go through tough times and feel like they are losing their minds. They may end up looking in the mirror and be afraid of what they will find, feeling like time is not on their side. Paul K doesn't want to mention that he is applying for his pension because he doesn't want his children to know that he is heading into a mid-life crisis. He can't afford the prices for the new kitchen floor he's been buying, and he's been a drunk his whole life, with two kids, a dog and a wife. During the day, he just sits, watches television and feels depressed.
The song's message is that, at times, we all go through rough patches in life, and we may feel like we're losing ourselves. It's essential to find something to hold onto, to find hope and find a way forward. It's never too late to make a change, and one should not throw away the people they love because they are feeling down.
Line by Line Meaning
He's drinking cold Corona
He's trying to numb his feelings of getting older and realizing the passage of time
Feels like he's getting older
He's experiencing the weight of time and its effects on his life
Now and noticing how he's finding
He's becoming more aware of the physical signs of aging
Grey hairs left in the shower
He's finding evidence of his aging body and struggling to come to terms with it
Tattoos fade by the hour
He's realizing that everything is temporary, even the permanent things he once thought defined him
And he can't understand these feelings
He's struggling to comprehend the emotions that come with getting older and feeling left behind
Why life is getting him down
He's feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances of his life and his inability to control them
He used to smile now he frowns
He's lost the joy and optimism of his youth and replaced it with pessimism
And cries inside
He's struggling with deep, internal emotional pain and grief
Its been this way for a while
He's been experiencing this emotional pain for a long time and it doesn't seem to get better
And he can't seem to put things right
He's unable to find a solution to his problems and feels stuck
When life has been unkind
When life has been unfair and difficult
And you're losing your mind
When you feel like you're going crazy
Look in the mirror afraid of what you'll find
Take a hard look at yourself and be afraid of what you see
It feels like time's not on your side
It feels like you're running out of time and opportunities to make things right
He doesn't like to mention
He doesn't want to talk about it
Applying for his pension
He's applying for retirement benefits
So his children don't know he's heading
He doesn't want his kids to know that he's aging and feeling overwhelmed
Into a mid-life crisis
He's experiencing a crisis in the middle of his life
He can't afford the prices for
He doesn't have enough money to pay for
The new kitchen floor he's buying
He's trying to renovate his home, but can't afford to replace the kitchen floor
He's been a drunk all his life
He's struggled with alcoholism for his entire life
Two kids, a dog and a wife
He has a family and responsibilities that he feels like he can't handle
He doesn't know
He's lost and confused
And in the daytime he just sits and watches television shows
He spends most of his days passively watching TV, trying to ignore his problems
Don't know why but somehow
He doesn't understand why, but for some reason
The ones you love you hate now
The people he once loved now seem to irritate and upset him
You feel down and blue
You feel sad and depressed
Look at what you've thrown away
Reflect on the things you've lost or wasted in your life
They stood beside you all the way
The people who love you always supported you
Now its too late, its too late for you
It's too late to appreciate or salvage what you've lost
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL ALAN JONES, DOUGIE LEE POYNTER, THOMAS MICHAEL FLETCHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@karenfagu659
He's drinking cold Corona
Feels like he's getting older
Now and noticing how he's finding
Grey hairs left in the shower
Tattoos fade by the hour
And he can't understand these feelings
Why life is getting him down
He used to smile now he frowns
And cries inside
Its been this way for a while
And he can't seem to put things right
When life has been unkind
And you're losing your mind
Look in the mirror afraid of what you'll find
It feels like time's not on your side
He doesn't like to mention
Applying for his pension
So his children don't know he's heading
Into a mid-life crisis
He can't afford the prices for
The new kitchen floor he's buying
He's been a drunk all his life
Two kids, a dog and a wife
He doesn't know
And in the daytime he just sits and watches television shows
When life has been unkind
And you're losing your mind
Look in the mirror afraid of what you'll find
It feels like time's not on your side
Don't know why but somehow
The ones you love you hate now,
You feel down and blue
Look at what you've thrown away
They stood beside you all the way
Now its too late, its too late for you
When life has been unkind
And you're losing your mind
Look in the mirror afraid of what you'll find
It feels like time's not on your side
Compositores: Daniel Alan Jones / Dougie Lee Poynter / Thomas Michael Fletcher
Letras de The Ballad of Paul K © Universal Music Publishing Group
@alexthepensmith6101
The "Wonderland" album on a whole, whilst brilliant, remains a tricky one to unpick. There's not many pop bands who deliver something quite so ambitious for their second album as McFly did ("She Falls Asleep" is like their "Stairway to Heaven"). They pulled it off for the most part, but I'm not surprised that this still remains one of their lesser performing singles chart wise; in the context of the album as a whole and the lyrical themes it tackled, "The Ballad of Paul K" makes complete sense. But for the wider public who had bought into "5 Colours", "Obviously" and the technicolour bright imagery and sound of that first album, it was a very sharp about turn from what people knew and loved them for, more so this being released just before Christmas as a single. It didn't fully work in a commercial sense, a song about alcoholic absent fathers sits completely at odds with what does well at that time of year. They've spoken about this period of their career in great depth (Tom especially who was, undiagnosed, suffering from depression at the time, dying his hair black to boot) and whilst commercially it might not have worked creatively they pulled off such a bold risk take. The sign of a truly great band.
@mioraralison8170
my favourite album of them. Also, it reminds me a bit of Weeze's Pinkerton
@janelletherese5865
beautiful analysis of one of my fav albums! where did you hear about tom suffering from depression during this time? would love to hear it.
@alexthepensmith6101
@@janelletherese5865 If you read their book "Unsaid Things" he speaks quite openly about it and how he was difficult to be around during the promotion and touring of the album. Him and Harry in particular didn't get on at this time.
@charlottesometimes07
I always loved Danny's voice. Very manly and perfect tune. Love the song
@charlotted1321
Wonderland was an absolutley beautiful album, Tom and Danny s songwriting is somethin else, so glad they're back
@adebolaadebowale7592
sad how their songs now cant compare to their old albums
@natisinvisible
This is one of my favorite songs of theirs. I still think Wonderland was their best album. Amazing video too.
@MinjaSamardzicMusic
agree!:)
@jaazdelgaado1259
This song makes me feel so depressed, but I love it.