Razorlight is a four-piece consisting of Borrell (vocals & guitar), Björn Ågren (guitar), Carl Dalemo (bass) and Andy Burrows (drums)
Their debut album, Up All Night, was released on June 28, 2004, reaching number 3 in the UK album charts on 4 July. The critical reception was generally good, receiving good reviews from NME, Q magazine and Billboard, although they were also accused of lack of imagination and unoriginality for allegedly borrowing ideas from other influential bands, notably The Strokes. They appear to polarize opinion. NME wrote that the album: "bristles with passion, energy and, most importantly, amazing songs", while they were described elsewhere as "nearly everything wrong with rock and roll today". Their fans, though, embrace the music for its simple melodies and multi-layered, easy-going compositions.
Frontman Johnny Borrell caused some controversy and surprise when he likened himself to musical legend Bob Dylan, quipping "If Dylan's making the chips then I'm drinking the champagne". This led to suggestions of self-promotion. This statement was taken out of context however as Borrell was comparing his and Dylan's first albums, not their overall career. The band became very popular on the London music scene when they arrived earlier in the year. Large demand caused the band to play extra shows, including a 7,000+ capacity gig at Alexandra Palace. The album was heavily marketed in the UK.
Up All Night
Razorlight Lyrics
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Made a couple of friends and now
Our things have never looked so good
Our things have never been so clear
And now I'm alone with you
I'm always up all night
And I get music running in my head
And I, I lose the strength to fight
She's been up all night
We're, we're just up all night
This town is for the counterfeit dreamers
And maybe I'm one too, well I
I keep my hand behind my back when I
I don't know what else to do
The streets that I grew up in, they might mean
Nothing to you, but I
I'll show you where I come from if you please
Just tell me what I'm supposed to do
[Chorus]
Cause I, I've been up all night
She's been up all night
We're, we're just up all night
That sweet and sacred feeling you know
Will never last long
Every time you turn around you'll see
One more part of you, yes it's gone
I need your spirit darling
And lend me your helping hand, and I
I'll meet you in the morning
When I've broken up the band
[Chorus: x2]
I've been up all night
The first verse of Razorlight's song Up All Night describes the singer's loss of the "sacred feeling" and his newfound friendship with a group of people. He finds solace in being alone with someone, but admits to staying up all night, unable to fight the urge to listen to music running constantly in his head. The chorus reiterates this sentiment, as the singer and a female companion both find themselves up all night. The second verse describes the town as being full of "counterfeit dreamers", and the singer seems to question whether he is one of them. He feels unsure of what to do, but wants to show someone where he comes from. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the sleepless nights of the characters.
The lyrics suggest a longing for connection and meaning, especially in a place where both seem hard to come by. The singer feels adrift and out of sync with the world around him. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the theme of sleeplessness and a search for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost the sacred feeling but I
I have lost a feeling that was once sacred to me, but despite that,
Made a couple of friends and now
I have made a few friends, and because of that,
Our things have never looked so good
The things in my life have never looked as good as they do now,
Our things have never been so clear
The things in my life have never been as clear as they are now,
And now I'm alone with you
In this moment, I am alone with you,
I'm always up all night
I often find myself staying up all night,
And I get music running in my head
During those late nights, music often plays in my head,
And I, I lose the strength to fight
As a result, I lose my strength to fight against my thoughts and emotions,
Cause I, I've been up all night
This is because I have been awake all night,
She's been up all night
My partner has also been awake all night with me,
We're, we're just up all night
We are both awake all night long,
This town is for the counterfeit dreamers
This town is full of people who pretend to have big dreams but are not truly committed to them,
And maybe I'm one too, well I
I may also be one of those counterfeit dreamers,
I keep my hand behind my back when I
I hide something behind my back when I
I don't know what else to do
Because I do not know what else to do,
The streets that I grew up in, they might mean
The streets that I grew up on may not have the same significance to others,
Nothing to you, but I
However, they are meaningful to me,
I'll show you where I come from if you please
If you are interested, I can show you where I come from,
Just tell me what I'm supposed to do
I am just unsure of what my next steps should be,
That sweet and sacred feeling you know
That feeling that was once sweet and sacred to us,
Will never last long
Unfortunately, it is not a feeling that lasts very long,
Every time you turn around you'll see
Whenever you look back, you will see
One more part of you, yes it's gone
That another part of that feeling has faded away,
I need your spirit darling
I need your positive energy and encouragement, my love,
And lend me your helping hand, and I
Please offer me your support, because I
I'll meet you in the morning
I will see you in the morning,
When I've broken up the band
Once I have parted ways with my band.
Cause I, I've been up all night
Because I have spent the whole night awake,
She's been up all night
And because my partner has been up with me all night,
We're, we're just up all night
We are exhausted as we have been up all night long.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHNNY BORRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind