Supergrass is an alternative rock band which formed in Oxford, England in 1… Read Full Bio ↴Supergrass is an alternative rock band which formed in Oxford, England in 1994. The band consists of brothers Gaz (guitar and lead vocals) and Rob Coombes (keyboards), Mick Quinn (bass and backing vocals) and Danny Goffey (drums and backing vocals).

In summer 1994 they released their first single Caught By The Fuzz which had Strange Ones on the B side, on a small local record label called Backbeat, run by Makating bass guitarist Dave Norland from his bedroom in a house in the Cowley Road area of Oxford. The song was successful and it didn't take much time when the Parlophone label signed them and few months later re-released Caught By The Fuzz again. In the spring of 1995 was released another single Mansize Rooster followed by Lenny right before they released debut album I Should Coco in May 1995. It was their only album that made an impact in the USA.
In 1997, they released their second album, In It For The Money which got them even more acclaim, but slightly darker sound confused many of their fans. Still, it was a success, both critically and financially.
The third album, released in 1999, Supergrass (or the X-Ray Album, as the fans like to call it because of the cover) was more of a continuation of In it for the money, and was not received as well as the former albums.
After the three-year-pause, Supergrass returned with Life On Other Planets (2002), which was again not succesful financially, but the critics loved it. It was also the first Supergrass album where Rob Coombes was named as the official member of the band.
After the best-selling 2004 greatest hits compilation Supergrass is 10, they released Road to Rouen, their fifth album in 2005, after some delays. It was well received but it's new direction was a surprise to many fans.
The band recorded their sixth studio album Diamond Hoo Ha between January and November 2007 in Berlin and New York. It was released in March 2008 and although criticised as formulaic, displayed strong song writing.

In 2010 they announced they would disband and played a handful of farewell shows in June. The unfinished 7th studio album Release the Drones remains unreleased.

In 2019, Supergrass reformed to play a series of gigs. However, the band does not plan on releasing new material.

We're Not Supposed To
Supergrass Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We're not supposed to
Make friends with you
Because you look so lonely
So we're going to
Make friends with you

We're not supposed to
Talk to you

Because we know you're stranger
But you're no stranger
Than me or you
Than me or you

But everybody's going away
And everybody wants us to stay with you
And everybody's coming to say
And everybody's wants us to stay with you

We're not suppose to
Make love to you
Because we know you're younger
But you're no younger
Than me or you

Than me or you
Than me or you

Overall Meaning

In Supergrass's song "We're Not Supposed To," the band looks beyond societal norms and attempts to make a genuine connection with someone who is often overlooked or rejected. The first verse delves into the rationalization of why people are not supposed to make friends with this person: because they look lonely. However, Supergrass goes against societal norms and chooses to reach out to the lonely person instead, viewing them as someone who deserves kindness and friendship just as much as anyone else. The second verse goes one step further and touches on our inherent fear of the unknown, the hesitation to talk to a stranger who we perceive as different from ourselves. But Supergrass challenges that notion, stating that the stranger isn't any stranger than we are to ourselves.

The chorus serves as a rallying call to stay with the person who was previously considered an outsider. Supergrass sees the value in extending a friendly hand and being receptive to those who may be struggling with loneliness, ageism, or societal rejection. Through this song, Supergrass reminds us to break from societal norms and connect with people, regardless of our perceived differences.

Line by Line Meaning

We're not supposed to
Society has given us this perception that we should not do what we are about to do

Make friends with you
Befriend you despite what society thinks

Because you look so lonely
We think you're a bit of a loner and could use a friend

So we're going to
We have decided to be your friend despite what society thinks

Talk to you
Engage in conversation with you

Because we know you're stranger
We acknowledge that you are not like those we are supposed to talk to

But you're no stranger
We are all human beings and as such none of us are strangers to one another

Than me or you
We are all the same

But everybody's going away
People are leaving

And everybody wants us to stay with you
Everyone wants us to stay here, with you

And everybody's coming to say
People are coming to talk to us