Described as "classic UK rock delivered with whiskey vocals", the band have been summarised as possessing a sound akin to the genres of alternative rock and "British traditional rock". Stereophonics' debut album, Word Gets Around, was released in August 1997 and charted at number six in the UK, aided by the singles "Local Boy in the Photograph", "More Life in a Tramps Vest" and "A Thousand Trees". The band reached mainstream success with the release of Performance and Cocktails (and its promotional singles "The Bartender and the Thief", "Just Looking" and "Pick a Part That's New") in 1999 and have achieved a total of ten top-ten singles as well as one number one: "Dakota" (2005). Having sold around 10 million copies worldwide by 2016, Stereophonics are one of the most successful Welsh rock acts. Upon their release of Pull the Pin, they achieved five consecutive UK number one albums.
The band have also been praised for their live performances, which have landed them headlining slots at many of the UK and Ireland's most high-profile music festivals, including Reading and Leeds in 2000, Glastonbury in 2002, V Festival in 2002, the Isle of Wight in 2004 and 2009, Oxegen in 2010, Tramlines Festival and TRNSMT in 2018, and Latitude in 2019. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonics
Studio albums
Word Gets Around (1997)
Performance and Cocktails (1999)
Just Enough Education to Perform (2001)
You Gotta Go There to Come Back (2003)
Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (2005)
Pull the Pin (2007)
Keep Calm and Carry On (2009)
Graffiti on the Train (2013)
Keep the Village Alive (2015)
Scream Above the Sounds (2017)
Kind (2019)
Oochya! (2022)
Doorman
Stereophonics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ya like immigration in a cheaper suit
You'd like nothing more than to break my face
No rhyme no reason no color or race
You'd like to throw me out on the street
It ain't my fault that you can't read
You look like a monkey scowling at me
Well suck my banana, suck it with cream
'Cause all I want to do
Is get closer to you
'Cause all I want to do
Is make a mess out of you
Promotion for you is to stamp my wrist
If you're a good boy ya get the guest list
Ya don't listen, don't think, no mind of your own
Your job is prevention, but you just provoke
'Cause all I want to do
Is get closer to you
'Cause all I want to do
Is make a mess out of you
'Cause all I want to do
Is get closer to you
'Cause all I want to do
Is make a mess out of you
'Cause all I want to do
Is get closer to you
'Cause all I want to do
Is make a mess out of...
YOOOOOOOOOUUUUU
The song "Doorman" by Stereophonics is a commentary on the power dynamics involved in club culture and the tension between bouncers and patrons. The doorman in the song is portrayed as an authoritarian figure with an aggressive attitude towards the singer. He is compared to immigration in a cheaper suit, suggesting that he is an enforcer of social barriers and exclusionary practices. The doorman is presented as a racist figure ("no color or race"), who enjoys breaking faces and throwing people out on the street without justification. However, the singer is not intimidated by the doorman's power and instead challenges him by mocking his appearance ("You look like a monkey scowling at me") and sexuality ("Well suck my banana, suck it with cream"). The singer is motivated by a desire to get closer to the doorman, to break down the barriers that keep them apart, and to ultimately make a mess out of him.
Line by Line Meaning
Doorman you got an attitude
The doorman at the club has a bad attitude and is difficult to deal with
Ya like immigration in a cheaper suit
The doorman is like a cheaper version of an immigration officer, making it hard for people to get in
You'd like nothing more than to break my face
The doorman seems to enjoy being aggressive and violent towards people
No rhyme no reason no color or race
The doorman's behavior seems to be random and without reason or prompted by someone's race or ethnicity
You'd like to throw me out on the street
The doorman has the power to kick people out of the club and seems eager to do so
It ain't my fault that you can't read
The singer suggests that the doorman is not able to read people or situations properly
You look like a monkey scowling at me (ooh ooh aah aah)
The singer compares the doorman's appearance and behavior to that of a monkey
Well suck my banana, suck it with cream
The artist insults the doorman and tells him to perform a crude sexual act
'Cause all I want to do
Is get closer to you
'Cause all I want to do
Is make a mess out of you
The artist wants to confront the doorman and cause chaos or trouble, possibly as a form of rebellion or protest against his behavior
Promotion for you is to stamp my wrist
The doorman's job is to stamp people's wrists as a sign of admission to the club
If you're a good boy ya get the guest list
The doorman rewards people who behave well by giving them access to the VIP guest list
Ya don't listen, don't think, no mind of your own
The doorman does not seem to have an independent mindset or the ability to think for himself
Your job is prevention, but you just provoke
The doorman's role is to prevent trouble, but he actually seems to cause it with his aggressive behavior
YOOOOOOOOOUUUUU
The singer shouts at the doorman, expressing his frustration and anger towards him
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KELLY JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind