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)
Jealousy
Stereophonics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jealousy, my hell
Jealousy, insomnia
Jealousy, sleep well
Innocence, is heaven
Innocence, is hell
Innocence, in everyone
Innocence, is dead
Four and twenty black boys singing in the street
Getting high, most things, wishing they were free
My angel, my devil, my hell, my heaven
My storm, my calm, my photograph in my palm
Four and twenty white boys singing in the street
Getting high, most things, wishing they were free
I been your bridge, yeah
I been your boy
I been your teacher
I been your joy
I been your drunk
I been your home
I been your rock
You been my stone
Four and twenty poor boys singing in the street
Getting high, most things, wishing they were free
The song "Jealousy" by Stereophonics is a reflection on the complex and often conflicting emotions that jealousy can evoke. The opening lines "Jealousy, my devil, Jealousy, my hell" set the tone for the song, conveying the destructive nature of this emotion. The singer then juxtaposes this with the concept of innocence, stating that it is both heaven and hell and that it is dead in everyone. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the corroding effect that jealousy has on our ability to maintain a sense of childlike purity and goodness.
The song then moves on to describe a group of young men singing in the streets, wishing they were free. This message is reinforced with the repetition of the phrase "getting high, most things" which suggests that these boys are trying to escape the limitations of their lives through drugs or other vices. These lyrics are poignant and clearly highlight how envy and discontentment can lead people to seek out dangerous behavior or ways to escape their reality.
The chorus of the song repeatedly references the duality of the singer's relationship with their partner, describing them as both an angel and a devil, a storm and calm, and a photograph held tightly in their palm. This seems to suggest that the singer is struggling with conflicting emotions, and that their relationship with their partner is both a source of joy and of pain.
Overall, "Jealousy" is a thought-provoking song that explores the often complex and conflicting emotions that we experience in our relationships with others. The lyrics are incredibly raw and honest, and the melody perfectly captures the melancholic tone of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Jealousy, my devil
Jealousy is the evil force that possesses me.
Jealousy, my hell
Jealousy is the torment that I endure.
Jealousy, insomnia
Jealousy keeps me awake at night.
Jealousy, sleep well
May you never experience the sleeplessness that I do due to jealousy.
Innocence, is heaven
The state of being innocent is as wonderful as heaven.
Innocence, is hell
Innocence can also be a place of suffering.
Innocence, in everyone
Everyone begins in a state of innocence.
Innocence, is dead
The purity of innocence is lost in life.
Four and twenty black boys singing in the street
A group of young black men are joyfully singing in the public space.
Getting high, most things, wishing they were free
While under the influence of drugs, they distract themselves from their circumstances and wish for freedom.
My angel, my devil, my hell, my heaven
You are everything to me - both the good and the bad.
My storm, my calm, my photograph in my palm
You are my chaos and my peace, as well as a memory I can hold in my hand.
Four and twenty white boys singing in the street
A group of young white men are happily singing in the public space.
Getting high, most things, wishing they were free
Under the influence of drugs, they ignore their circumstances and hope for freedom.
I been your bridge, yeah
I have helped you connect with something else.
I been your boy
I have been your companion.
I been your teacher
I have taught you.
I been your joy
I have brought you delight.
I been your drunk
I have been the one who makes you feel intoxicated.
I been your home
I have been your sanctuary.
I been your rock
I have been your source of strength.
You been my stone
In return, you have been the one weighing me down and hindering my progress.
Four and twenty poor boys singing in the street
A group of downtrodden young men are singing in the public space.
Getting high, most things, wishing they were free
Under the influence of drugs, they try to escape their oppression and hope for freedom.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Kelly Jones, Richard Mark Jones, Stuart Cable
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind