The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band were noted for an extremely unusual two bass player line up. Bass player Alex Griffin played melody lines high up on one bass, and Mat cheslin played the regular basslines on the other. This gave the band a tense and highly driven sub-hardcore sound with distorted indie guitars and complicated Baggy drum beats. The band were also noted for their extremely young ages. The band formed while at sixth form college, and recorded their first album while still teenagers. This led to a strong teenage fanbase with a reputation for enjoying stage diving and moshing at their gigs. The band were also noted (and sometimes ridiculed) for their early image which consisted of uniformly crimped hair, short trousers and t shirts. The Neds (as their fans referred to them) were well known for their T shirts and produced over 80 different designs within three years.
The band quickly gathered a strong fanbase after being noticed by local superstars The Wonder Stuff and offered a support slot on a UK tour. A top 50 hit Kill Your Television followed. They recorded their debut album God Fodder shortly afterwards and had top ten hits with "Until You Find Out" and "Happy" in 1991. Several years of hard working touring followed, playing with, amongst others Mega City Four, Senseless Things and Jesus Jones. During this period they recorded their second album Are You Normal in 1992, which was promoted by the singles Not Sleeping Around and Intact.
The band spent the next few years on a worldwide tour before recording their final album Brainbloodvolume. The album had a more adult sound than before (because they were, after all, no longer teenagers), together with a more diverse sound including samplers and keyboards. Their record label released the album in America before the UK, so most fans bought in on import leading to a poor UK chart position when it was eventually released leading to tensions within the band and with the label. The poor chart showing may have also been to do with a changed music scene now fully in the swing of Britpop. The band had one last UK top 40 single with All I Ask of Myself Is That I Hold Together in 1995 following an appearance on The Word. The band split in 1995. Singer Jonn Penney formed a new band, Groundswell who had little success.
The band reformed with a different line up in 2000, for a show in Dudley. The show was a success and the band have done a christmas show every year since then, including a four date tour in 2004 where the band performed several new songs. In 2005 they again played a few late-December gigs, and in June of 2006 their first new single in 11 years, "Hibernation" was released reaching No 23 in the UK Indie Chart. The "NedFest" weekend gigs to coincide with this at Birmingingham Barfly and London Forum were filmed for a DVD "Neds Dont Exist".
In June 2007 the DVD was released and Neds returned to headline the Glastonbury Left Field Stage on the Friday night of the festival following some low key warm up gigs.
On 12 May 2008 the band announced that the original line-up of Jonn, Rat, Mat, Alex, and Dan would be performing live together for the first time since 1995 on 6 December 2008 at the Astoria London.
Not Sleeping Around
Ned's Atomic Dustbin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i don't know what makes you think
i'm so strong somehow
it's in keeping with my not sleeping around
you keep thinking i'm tired of you but i'm just tired
while i keep saying you're sick of me but you're just sick
it's in keeping with your not sleeping around
you only do it 'cause you can
you only say it 'cause you can
i'm supposed to take it like a man
what if i can?
i can't give more
you can't take more
you only do it 'cause you can
you only say it 'cause you can
i'm supposed to take it like a man
what if i can?
i can't keep it from my head
that you're never around
Lyrics courtesy the Top40db.
you can't get yourself out of bed
so you never come 'round
it gets too hard for me to think
that becomes too much to drink
and now i'm scared that if i blink you'll be on the brink
of needing a free roam
but please don't let go
The lyrics to Ned's Atomic Dustbin's song "Not Sleeping Around" seems to be about a turbulent relationship. The songwriter is conveying the message that he is not a promiscuous person as he keeps mentioning the phrase "it's in keeping with my not sleeping around." This could possibly indicate that he is in a committed relationship but is feeling unappreciated by his partner. He speaks of the ongoing confusion in the relationship as he cannot tell if he is right or wrong about certain issues. This confusion leads to the inevitable back and forth arguments that follow.
The songwriter goes on to describe how he is repeatedly accused of being tired of his partner when it is the other way around. He implies that his partner does this as they are insecure about their own feelings. They only say or do things because they can and then expect the songwriter to accept it. The songwriter seems to feel trapped in the relationship and expresses that he cannot give anymore. He also indicates that he is aware that his partner is unreliable as they are never around when needed.
Overall, the song appears to be a plea from the songwriter to his partner to not let go of the relationship. While facing difficulties and feeling unappreciated, he still values their relationship and seeks to salvage it in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
i don't know if i'm right but i'm not wrong just now
I am uncertain of whether my actions are right or wrong at this moment
i don't know what makes you think
i'm so strong somehow
I am unable to comprehend why you perceive me as strong
it's in keeping with my not sleeping around
My actions are consistent with my decision to not engage in promiscuous behavior
you keep thinking i'm tired of you but i'm just tired
You are assuming I am tired of you but in reality, I am simply fatigued
while i keep saying you're sick of me but you're just sick
I keep telling you that you are sick of me, but the truth is that you are simply ill
it's in keeping with your not sleeping around
Your actions align with your decision to not engage in promiscuous behavior
you only do it 'cause you can
you only say it 'cause you can
i'm supposed to take it like a man
what if i can?
You engage in certain behavior and say certain things because you are able to do so, and I am expected to handle it without protest, but what if I can't?
i can't give more
you can't take more
you only do it 'cause you can
you only say it 'cause you can
i'm supposed to take it like a man
what if i can?
I am no longer capable of giving more, and you are no longer able to handle more from me, yet you continue to behave and speak as you do, and expect me to just take it. But what if I can't?
i can't keep it from my head
that you're never around
It is impossible for me to stop thinking about the fact that you are always absent
you can't get yourself out of bed
so you never come 'round
You are unable to motivate yourself to leave your bed, resulting in your failure to visit me
it gets too hard for me to think
that becomes too much to drink
and now i'm scared that if i blink you'll be on the brink
of needing a free roam
but please don't let go
The situation becomes too overwhelming for me to handle, forcing me to turn to drinking for solace. I fear that if I take my eyes off of you for even a moment, you will require the freedom to pursue your own desires, but I beg of you not to abandon me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALEXANDER THOMAS GRIFFIN, DANIEL CHARLES WORTON, GARETH JOHN PRING, JOHNATHAN PENNEY, MATTHEW RICHARD CHESLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
damien williams
Takes me back... one of the best that the Neds ever did in my opinion. Truly fantastic!
Nathan Hammond
Oh, how I wish music and vids were still this RAD! I hate that the NAD shelf-life was so short. Their material remains so influential and intelligent after so long. I miss the Lads😥
Random Gaz
Ive still got the 10" single of this, play it a lot, classic, one of their best i think.
CptTangerine
The song that got me into Ned's and the song that keeps me coming back.
Where We're Going We Don't Need Eyes
Only got on to this song today - excellent track!
Olaf McKrak
Many years ago i sold all my cd's for ... money.... i miss them all but this this cd was SOOO good
Kompakt Mode
saw you guys play in Tokyo on that tour, one of the hottest gigs i ever attended !
chrissiemarn
reminds me of my youth forgot all about this track
Jorge Roca
amazing
Jeffrey Long
bam!