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)
How
Stereophonics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How can I go forward when I don't know which way to turn?
How can I go forward into something I'm not sure of?
Woo, oh no, oh no,
How can I have feeling when I don't know if it's a feeling?
How can I feel something if I just don't know how to feel?
How can I have feelings when my feelings have always been denied?
You know life can be long,
And you got to be so strong,
And the world is so tough,
Sometimes I feel I've had enough,
How can I give love when I don't know what it is I'm giving?
How can I give love when I just don't know how to give?
How can I give love when love is something I ain't never had?
Woo, oh no, oh no
You know life can be long
You've got to be so strong
And the world she is tough
Sometimes I feel I've had enough
How can we go forward when we don't know which way we're facing?
How can we go forward when we don't know which way to turn?
How can we go forward into something that we're not sure of?
Woo, oh no, oh no
The song "How" by Stereophonics explores the uncertainty, confusion, and vulnerability of life. Kelly Jones, the lead vocalist, questions how he can move forward in life when he is unsure of what direction to take. He does not know how to feel or love because he has always been denied these emotions. He feels tired and weaker in the face of the challenges posed by the world.
The repetition of the lines "How can I" create a sense of frustration, helplessness, and anxiety. The song reveals the difficulty of making choices and living with the consequences. The chorus "You know life can be long, and you got to be so strong, and the world is so tough, sometimes I feel I've had enough" expresses a sense of exhaustion and fatigue but also a desire to persevere in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
How can I go forward when I don't know which way I'm facing?
I am unsure of my direction and it's causing me to question if I can move forward.
How can I go forward when I don't know which way to turn?
I am lost and don't know where to go so it's difficult to make any progress.
How can I go forward into something I'm not sure of?
Uncertainty is holding me back from taking a step forward because I don't know what to expect.
How can I have feeling when I don't know if it's a feeling?
I am questioning my own emotions and if they are genuine or not.
How can I feel something if I just don't know how to feel?
I am struggling to experience emotions and don't know how to identify or express them.
How can I have feelings when my feelings have always been denied?
My emotions have been disregarded in the past, which makes it hard to connect with them now.
How can I give love when I don't know what it is I'm giving?
I am unsure of how to express love and don't know what it truly means.
How can I give love when I just don't know how to give?
I lack the ability to demonstrate love which is making it difficult to have healthy relationships.
How can I give love when love is something I ain't never had?
I have never experienced true love, so I don't know how to reciprocate it.
You know life can be long,
And you got to be so strong,
And the world is so tough,
Sometimes I feel I've had enough,
Life can be an endurance test, requiring a lot of inner strength, and sometimes the struggles of the world can make it feel like it's too much to handle.
How can we go forward when we don't know which way we're facing?
As a collective, we are disoriented and lack direction, which is preventing us from moving forward.
How can we go forward when we don't know which way to turn?
We are lost as a group and are having trouble finding a path forward.
How can we go forward into something that we're not sure of?
The uncertainty we are facing as a society is making it challenging to progress and take the next steps.
Contributed by Josiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lynn Rooney
This rendition is absolutely brilliant. You made it your very own, and nailed it. Now I'll listen to more of your own stuff. Well done!!!
cony87
OMG this is brilliant!!!!!!!!! Kick arse voice as always Kelly!
Fernando Ttito
OMG, I fuckin' love this song, this bro... sings it so good!
Érika Castro
I thought I was the only one with this feeling...Glad to know others agree with me!! Their Beatles covers are the only ones which don't get me annoyed...
Storm Odea
Love to visit this every now and again as it totally destroys me x
N N
that VOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ready Teddy
MAGIC,, JUST PERFECT
Anna Barber
wow amazing!
Stephen Kelly
how can I have feelings when my feelings have always been denied?
Érika Castro
@shell150675 I completely agree with you! I'm a Beatles fan since my childhood and absolutely loathe any kind of cover version! There are some pretty hideous ones... The first cover of a Beatles song I liked was "Don't let me down" with the Stereophonics! Nice and soft and breathtaking...