In 2006 after a successful solo performance at Manchester’s “In the City” music industry festival, Lawrence was invited by producers to record a live session at the famous BBC Maida Vale studios in West London. A three piece band was formed for this session adding bass and drums. Following this recording the three-piece went on to record their acclaimed 2006 debut “Without a Baedeker”, which included the single “Wasted Time”.
The release of “Without a Baedeker” was followed by extensive radio play on BBC Radio 2, amongst others, national radio sessions and a 50+ date national theatre tour. Following the tour, which yielded album sales in the thousands; the decision was made to turn the project into a fully fledged band. The addition of lead guitar, keyboards and backing vocals expanded their sound to create a fuller and warmer tone.
The release of second album, “Catch As Catch Can” sees rich and dynamic instrumentation add to the ‘melodic, raw and emotional song writing ‘that was the hallmark of the fantastic 2006 debut “Without a Baedeker”.
Drawing comparisons to artists such as Wilco, The Jayhawks and The Lemonheads, Streebeck continue to evolve. They will be playing a number of national dates in December followed by a more extensive tour in spring 2010.
Pirates
Streebeck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going to drink the whole thing down
Take this petrol and these matches
Burn this house right to the ground
And as the planes reach up into the star filled southern sky
You know I meant to spare you a thought for you but it just plain slipped my mind
But it felt alright
Take the late train into london
Cos I know some people there
Who offer open invitations
Sleeping bags that they keep spare
As I step up onto the platform i'm too drunk to read the signs
And though I don't know where I'm going
I don't pay it any mind
I just walk all night
I walk all night
I'm as dizzy as a pinball
As I'm bouncing off the cars
I guess I handed over destiny to the mercy of the bar
And the people that i'm talking to don't hear a word I say
And the girls don't want my loving but their going to get it anyway
And they cry all night
They cry all night
So I got into a fistfight with the owner of the place
He said he didn't like my tone
I threw my drink into his face
Then i taught that man a lesson it's a hard lesson to learn
I struck another match, stood back and watched that building burn
And it burned all night
It burned all night
I can handle anything
With these matches and a drink
I'm alright
Behind this artificial grin
There's an anger deep within
It's burning bright
And it burns all night
It burns all night
Yes I'm alright
Yes I'm alright
The lyrics to Streebeck’s song Pirates depict a character who is at the end of his rope and seeking catharsis through self-destructive behavior. The opening lines suggest that he is going to drink an entire bottle of vodka and then set fire to the house he is in. He then goes on to take a train to London, where he plans to stay with some people he knows. However, he is too drunk to properly navigate and doesn’t pay attention to where he is going.
Throughout the verse, the character seems to be in a haze, barely processing what is going on around him. He mentions talking to people who don’t listen to him, and trying to involve himself with girls who aren’t interested. However, he doesn’t seem to care, and instead lets himself get swept up in the chaos of his surroundings. The chorus then states that everything is okay, despite the destructive behavior and general chaos of his life.
The bridge of the song takes a darker turn, as the character gets into a fight with the owner of a place he is at. In response, he throws a drink in the owner’s face, then burns the building to the ground. Through all of this, he remains almost eerily calm and detached, as if he is watching someone else’s actions. He ends the song by repeating the chorus, perhaps trying to convince himself that he really is okay.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a big old bottle of vodka
I have a large bottle of alcohol
Going to drink the whole thing down
I am going to consume the whole bottle of vodka
Take this petrol and these matches
Give me gasoline and lighters
Burn this house right to the ground
I want to set this house on fire and destroy it completely
And as the planes reach up into the star filled southern sky
As the airplanes fly into the southern night sky full of stars
You know I meant to spare you a thought for you but it just plain slipped my mind
I meant to think about you, but I forgot
But it felt alright
What I did was okay with me
Take the late train into london
I am taking the last train to London
Cos I know some people there
I know some people there
Who offer open invitations
These people have invited me to stay with them
Sleeping bags that they keep spare
They have extra sleeping bags
As I step up onto the platform i'm too drunk to read the signs
I cannot read the train station signs because I am intoxicated
And though I don't know where I'm going I don't pay it any mind
I am not concerned that I don't know where I am headed
I just walk all night
I walk all night
I'm as dizzy as a pinball
I am extremely disoriented
As I'm bouncing off the cars
I am bumping into cars
I guess I handed over destiny to the mercy of the bar
I left my fate in the hands of alcohol and bars
And the people that i'm talking to don't hear a word I say
The people I am conversing with cannot understand me
And the girls don't want my loving but their going to get it anyway
The women do not want to be intimate with me, but I will force myself on them
And they cry all night
The women cry throughout the night
So I got into a fistfight with the owner of the place
I had a brawl with the owner of the establishment
He said he didn't like my tone
The owner did not appreciate my attitude
I threw my drink into his face
I threw my drink in his face
Then i taught that man a lesson it's a hard lesson to learn
I showed that man a lesson, which is difficult to learn
I struck another match, stood back and watched that building burn
I lit another match, stepped back, and observed the building burning
And it burned all night
The building kept on burning throughout the night
I can handle anything
I can deal with any situation
With these matches and a drink
Using alcohol and lighters
I'm alright
I am fine
Behind this artificial grin
This smile is not genuine
There's an anger deep within
There is an intense rage inside of me
It's burning bright
This anger is blazing hot
And it burns all night
This fury persists all night long
Yes I'm alright
I am good, on the surface
Contributed by Natalie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.