'A Catholic Education' was their debut album, released in 1990. The album received positive reviews from English music journalists and critics. In contrast to the group's later work, the album has a very dark, abrasive, and cynical tone and incorporated a grunge and heavy metal influenced sound. As well, the album's two title tracks are direct attacks on the Catholic Church, which are unique for an otherwise apolitical band. The opening track, "Everything Flows", is a mellow powerpop-influenced song (unlike the rest of the album) that provides a sort of blueprint for their later work.
"Everything Flows" was later included in the compilation albums 'Deep Fried Fanclub' and 'Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds – A Short Cut to Teenage Fanclub'. Those were released in 1995 and 2003, respectively. Teenage Fanclub's second album, 1991's 'The King', went for a shambolic, alternative rock edge that left many fans and critics cold, though the release also had strong defenders. It took their third album to kick things into high gear.
'Bandwagonesque', released in November 1991 on Creation Records, became famous by beating Nirvana's landmark album 'Nevermind' to be voted "album of the year" by popular American music magazine Spin. It also gave the band substantial U.S. success when the single "Star Sign" reached #4 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, becoming their biggest hit in that country. "What You Do to Me" and "The Concept" were also Top 20 hits on that chart. Fans greatly enjoyed the melodic yet melancholy feel of the album.
Although later works have led the group through various highs and lows throughout the 90s and 00s, they're still going strong as of 2014. Tours have been widely successful. Their latest album, 'Shadows', was their ninth studio release. They made it available on 31 May 2010 on the band's own PeMa label in Europe and on Merge Records in North America, the group promoting the single "Baby Lee". Said track shows the band still in touch with the chiming, emotional sounds of their 90s heyday.
There have been a succession of drummers, including:
- Francis MacDonald (a prime-mover in the C86 scene, later of the BMX Bandits), the drummer in the original lineup, and in a later period
- Brendan O’Hare (later of Telstar Ponies, Thrapple , Mogwai and Macrocosmica)
and
- Paul Quinn (later of The Primary 5), who was later replaced by the returning Francis MacDonald.
Keyboardist Finlay MacDonald (no relation to Francis MacDonald) has also been a member.
December
Teenage Fanclub Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On second thought I'll think some more and tell you later on.
She don't even care but I would die for her love.
My mind is full of several things resembling a thought.
I'll take this chance to tell my friends what I'm thinking of.
She don't even care but I would die for her love.
I've had this plan for many years but now I can't remember.
I wanted to assassinate December
The above lyrics are from the song "December" by Teenage Fanclub. The song seems to be about unrequited love, with the singer expressing his feelings for someone who doesn't care about him in the same way. The first verse suggests that the singer wants to share his thoughts with his friends, but then decides to think more before doing so. This could indicate a sense of hesitation or uncertainty about how to express his feelings. The second verse repeats the idea that the object of his affection doesn't care about him, but the singer would still do anything for her love. The final lines of the song reveal a darker side - the singer had once planned to "assassinate December" but now can't remember why.
The metaphor of wanting to assassinate December is intriguing - it suggests a desire to eliminate something that is causing pain or discomfort. This could be interpreted in several ways - perhaps December represents a difficult time of year (the holidays, cold weather, etc.), or it could be a symbol for the passage of time in general. The idea that the singer can't remember why he had this plan further emphasizes the confusion and ambivalence he feels.
Overall, "December" is a song that captures the ache of unrequited love and the difficulty of expressing one's feelings. The lyrics hint at a deeper emotional struggle while maintaining a sense of ambiguity that allows listeners to bring their own interpretations to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll take this chance to tell my friends what I'm thinking of.
I want to express my thoughts to my friends.
On second thought I'll think some more and tell you later on.
I've changed my mind and need more time to think.
She don't even care but I would die for her love.
Even though she doesn't care, I still have strong feelings for her.
My mind is full of several things resembling a thought.
My thoughts are scattered and not fully formed.
I've had this plan for many years but now I can't remember.
I had a plan, but now I can't recall what it was.
I wanted to assassinate December
I had a desire to destroy or overcome the coldness and darkness of December.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: FRO SOSA, LEWIS A MARTINEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian Hooper
What a great album.
El Negro Lawless
Un tema que define una época. De lo más original que escuché en mi vida.... Himno total!
_
It's December now! I glorify it with this song!
Cinguangomatic
I first knew the Sun Araw cover of this song. Afterwards i discovered the original. And both of them are masterpieces
Fralorgrafon
I've even heard this song before and just never connected the two lmao.
bigby1976
Always loved this song!
Brendan Jordan
As soon as I heard the opening chords of Starsign I knew I would love this band and boy do I love this band. Criminaly Underrated. And I g
William C
The recurring guitar arpeggios strongly evoke the Beatles' "I've Got a Feeling."
Powerpuffgruff
music at it`s best
comrade hermit
Looks like I'm really home alone here. Aliens who discover this song, please know that comrade hermit was the one human on this planet with impeccable taste.