Teenage Fanclub are an indie rock / power pop band from Bellshill, Scotland… Read Full Bio ↴Teenage Fanclub are an indie rock / power pop band from Bellshill, Scotland near Glasgow, formed in 1989 and formerly known as the Boy Hairdressers. They have two generally known humorous nicknames: "The Fannies" and "The Bellshill Beach Boys". They're revered for their devotion to chiming, The Byrds-esque guitars and harmonic vocals. The band is perhaps best known for the 1991 masterpiece 'Bandwagonesque', which presaged the later Britpop and indie pop movements, and, in 2006, Teenage Fanclub held two special concerts in London and Glasgow playing said album in its entirety. Songwriting duties are shared between the three permanent members of the band: Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley, and Gerard Love.

'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.

Planets
Teenage Fanclub Lyrics

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We're going over the country
And into the highlands
To look for a home
We're leaving nothing behind us
And no one will find us
When we're on our own

I feel the planets surround me

They gather around me

We're moving out of the city
We'll pack up the kiddies
And make for the road
Where flowing rivers will bind us
And shadows will find us
Now we're on our own

I feel the planets surround me
They gather around me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Teenage Fanclub’s Planets poignantly capture the sense of searching for a place to belong, a utopian land to call home. The lyrics start off by stating that the singer and their companions are leaving the country and moving into the highlands in search of a home. Leaving everything and everyone behind, they embark on a journey to find a place where they can establish their roots. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for starting a new chapter in life, away from the past and towards fresh beginnings.

As the song progresses, the lyrics speak of finding solace in nature, where flowing rivers and shadows bind and find them, respectively. This establishes the sense of pursuing a more organic and unencumbered life, where they can live in harmony with the environment. The final lines of the song convey a sense of cosmic connection as the singer feels the planets surround them, gathering around them. This could be interpreted as the realization that everything is connected and that everything and everyone is part of a larger cosmic whole.

Line by Line Meaning

We're going over the country
We are traveling through the countryside.

And into the highlands
We are going to high elevation areas.

To look for a home
We are searching for a new place to live.

We're leaving nothing behind us
We are not keeping anything from our past life.

And no one will find us
We are going to be hard to locate.

When we're on our own
We will be independent and self-sufficient.

I feel the planets surround me
I sense the power of the universe all around me.

They gather around me
The planets seem to come together for me.

We're moving out of the city
We are leaving the urban area.

We'll pack up the kiddies
We will bring our children with us.

And make for the road
We will set out on a journey.