He sent "The Mixtape" to various record companies and in response Drew McConnell (bassist for Babyshambles) arranged for Rat Boy to have a meeting with him, Cardy was subsequently signed to Parlophone in early 2015. In addition to this "The Mixtape" was featured in NME Magazine and played by radio stations including BBC Radio 1, Radio X and BBC Radio 6.
Rat Boy was added to the BBC Sound Of 2016 Longlist, an annual poll in which over 100 Music Specialists select artists they believe will be successful within the next 12 months. In December 2015, MTV released its Brand New for 2016, an annually released article and webseries containing artists to watch out for during the upcoming year. Rat Boy was shortlisted along with 10 other artists including Bonkaz, Jack Garratt and Rationale. He was also nominated for the Best New Artist 2016 by NME magazine, which he subsequently won, along with performing his single "Move" at the awards ceremony.
In April 2017, Cardy's song "Knock Knock" was sampled on Kendrick Lamar's song "Lust", taken from his fourth studio album, Damn. When he found out about the sample, he tweeted his appreciation for it.
On 11 August 2017 Rat Boy released his long-awaited debut album Scum. The album was initially released with 13 tracks, however a deluxe 25-track version was also released. The deluxe version included more than 15 minutes of skits, samples and interludes, as well as an extra song "Sad Sad" featuring fellow indie musician Mallory Merk. The album reached 15 in the uk album chart.
In December 2017, Cardy supported Liam Gallagher on his UK solo tour.
On 25 January 2019 Rat Boy released the studio album Internationally Unknown which was recorded in 2018.
Rat Boy featured on McFly's 2020 album, "Young Dumb Thrills" under a song of the same name.
ILL BE WAITING
Rat boy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though it's getting kinda boring
'Cause I pick up the phone
You only ever need me when you're feeling alone
And I'm tired of thinking about our future
Only want one when it suit you
But I know why you do it
'Cause I do it too
It could be easy if you just let it be
But I know that it could never be that easy for you
'Cause nothing is
When you get busy, you're just not into me
But I'll be here just waiting, waiting for the day
When you call up for me, well I hope I'm busy
But until then I'm just waiting, waiting everyday
You're getting older now but that's alright
Do the window up to keep yourself dry
Love will get you in a state on this estate
Ain't like the movies, ain't no way
Wipe away the tears from your phone screen
Say you're with your mates but I know where you've been
Well I can hear them over my shoulder
They all love to say I hate to say, that I told you.
It could be easy if you just let it be
But I know that it could never be that easy for you
'Cause nothing is
When you get busy, you're just not into me
But I'll be here just waiting, waiting for the day
When you call up for me, well I hope I'm busy
But know that I'm just waiting, waiting everyday
I don't want to let you go, but if I do I'll let you know
I don't want to let you go, if you want me back I'm just a stones throw
I don't want to let you go, but if I do I'll let you know
You know it's not too late, if you want me back.
I changed my number, but I can change it back.
Everyday I'm wasted,
I can't help it, I need you.
Every time I'm wasted,
I can't help pocket dialing you.
When you get busy, you're just not into me
But I'll be here just waiting, waiting for the day
When you call up for me, well I hope I'm busy
But know that I'm just waiting ,waiting everyday.
Waiting everyday
Waiting for the day
Tomorrow I'll be waiting
Waiting everyday
Waiting everyday
Waiting for the day
Tomorrow I'll be waiting
Waiting everyday
Waiting for the day
RAT BOY's song "I'll Be Waiting" addresses the theme of unreturned love and the frustration of being in a relationship where one person is only interested when they're feeling lonely. The song is like an inner monologue of the singer, who is in love with someone who only contacts him for companionship when they're feeling down. Despite feeling tired of thinking about the possibility of a future together, he still holds onto the hope of them being together. The singer is caught in a constant cycle of waiting for the moment when his lover will finally call him up and the disappointment of always being let down. He's not sure if he should let go and move on or wait for something that may never happen. The song speaks to the sad truth that sometimes, we hold onto things we know are no good for us.
In the second verse, the song hints that the lover is not being entirely truthful about their whereabouts, and the singer can hear the lies when he talks to the lover's friends. The lyrics of the chorus drive home the theme that the singer is being taken for granted as he waits for something that may never happen. He tries to call it quits but can't bear the thought of letting go completely.
Line by Line Meaning
You smile when you call me in the morning
You call me every morning, but it seems like you do it out of habit rather than genuine interest in talking to me.
Though it's getting kinda boring
Your calls are becoming repetitive and predictable to the point of being tedious.
'Cause I pick up the phone
I answer your calls despite the monotony because I care about you.
You only ever need me when you're feeling alone
You call me when you're lonely and have no one else to talk to or spend time with.
And I'm tired of thinking about our future
I'm exhausted from contemplating where this relationship is headed and whether a future together is possible.
Only want one when it suit you
You only want a relationship when it benefits you and your needs, not because you genuinely want to be with me.
But I know why you do it
I understand why you behave this way, because I'm guilty of doing the same thing at times.
'Cause I do it too
I also only seek out a relationship when it suits me or when I'm feeling lonely.
It could be easy if you just let it be
Our relationship could be simple and uncomplicated if you would just allow it to be.
But I know that it could never be that easy for you
However, I know that you are incapable of making things easy and straightforward when it comes to relationships.
'Cause nothing is
You tend to complicate things, and that is just a part of who you are.
When you get busy, you're just not into me
You seem to lose interest in me and our relationship when you're preoccupied or have other things going on in your life.
But I'll be here just waiting, waiting for the day
Despite feeling neglected or taken for granted, I will be waiting for you to come back and show me attention and affection.
When you call up for me, well I hope I'm busy
If and when you call me, I hope to be busy or engaged in other activities as a way of asserting my independence and self-worth.
But until then I'm just waiting, waiting everyday
Until I hear from you or see some positive changes in our relationship, I will continue to wait patiently and hope for the best.
You're getting older now but that's alright
You're growing up and maturing, which is a good thing.
Do the window up to keep yourself dry
Close the window to shield yourself from the rain, both literally and metaphorically.
Love will get you in a state on this estate
Love can be complicated and messy, especially in the environment we live in (perhaps a rough neighborhood).
Ain't like the movies, ain't no way
Real life is not like the romantic movies we watch; love is messy and not always perfect.
Wipe away the tears from your phone screen
You cry and show emotion while looking at your phone, likely because of our strained relationship.
Say you're with your mates but I know where you've been
You claim to be hanging out with friends, but I suspect that you're really doing something else entirely.
Well I can hear them over my shoulder
I can hear your friends talking in the background while we're on the phone.
They all love to say I hate to say, that I told you.
Your friends are telling you I warned you about our relationship's issues, and they hate to see you hurting.
I don't want to let you go, but if I do I'll let you know
I don't want to end our relationship, but if I do, I will communicate my feelings to you honestly.
If you want me back I'm just a stones throw
If you want to get back together, I'm easily reachable and willing to start things up again.
You know it's not too late, if you want me back.
It's not too late to salvage our relationship, but the ball is in your court.
I changed my number, but I can change it back.
I made a drastic move by changing my phone number, but I'm willing to undo that if it means our relationship can improve.
Everyday I'm wasted, I can't help it, I need you.
Every day, I feel wasted or unfulfilled, and I can't help but feel like I need you in my life to feel complete.
Every time I'm wasted, I can't help pocket dialing you.
When I'm drunk or feeling low, I tend to accidentally call you without realizing it.
Waiting everyday, waiting for the day
I am waiting patiently for something to happen or for a change to occur in our relationship.
Tomorrow I'll be waiting
I will still be waiting tomorrow, and the day after that, until something changes for the better.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE NOAH BOOTH, HARRY TODD, JORDAN CARDY, LIAM HAYGARTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind