Their first gig was to support Generation X on January 15, 1977 at The Roxy in London; their last was at Slough College on October 27, 1979. When the Adverts finally split up, T.V. Smith continued with Tim Cross forming as TV Smith's Explorers, then Cheap, and finally through the 1990s to date performing as a solo artist.
Adverts' guitarist Howard Pickup (Howard Boak, Born 1951) died in 1997 of a brain tumor.
Bored Teenagers
The Adverts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Finding ways to fill the vacuum.
And though our mouths are dry.
We talk in hope to hit on something new.
Tied to the railway track.
It's one way to revive but no way to relax.
We're just bored teenagers.
Or should I say emotional rages.
Bored teenagers.
Seeing ourselves as strangers.
We talk about the whys and wherefores.
Do we really care at all?
Talk about the frailty of words.
Is rarely meaningful.
When we're sitting watching the 'planes.
Burn up through the night like meteorites.
We're just bored teenagers.
Looking for love,
Or should I say emotional rages.
Bored teenagers.
Seeing ourselves as strangers.
Bored teenagers.
The Adverts' song "Bored Teenagers" is a portrayal of the restless energy and angst of a youth culture dissatisfied with the world they have inherited. The song is a reflection on the emptiness of modern life, where young people are left searching without purpose or direction. The lyrics, "We're talking into corners. Finding ways to fill the vacuum," convey a sense of hopelessness and frustration with the mundane routines of everyday life. The repetition of the phrase "bored teenagers" emphasizes the feeling of isolation that many young people experience.
The imagery in the song is striking, with lines such as "Tied to the railway track. It's one way to revive but no way to relax" conjuring images of desperate actions taken in response to feeling trapped and directionless. The lyrics "Seeing ourselves as strangers" speaks to the disconnection young people often feel with their own identity and the world around them. Overall, the song offers a powerful exploration of the complexities of youth culture and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in a disconnected and alienating society.
Line by Line Meaning
We're talking into corners.
We're engaging in pointless conversations with no real direction or purpose.
Finding ways to fill the vacuum.
We're trying to fill a sense of emptiness or boredom with any kind of activity or conversation.
And though our mouths are dry.
Despite the lack of excitement or interest, we continue to talk in hopes of finding something worth discussing.
We talk in hope to hit on something new.
We keep talking, hoping to stumble upon a new and exciting topic.
Tied to the railway track.
We feel trapped or powerless in our situation.
It's one way to revive but no way to relax.
Desperation may lead us to take extreme measures, but it won't bring us peace or calmness.
We're just bored teenagers.
We're young and lacking excitement or stimulation.
Looking for love, Or should I say emotional rages.
We seek emotional intensity, whether that be in the form of love or anger.
Bored teenagers. Seeing ourselves as strangers.
We feel disconnected from ourselves and our surroundings due to our boredom and lack of purpose.
We talk about the whys and wherefores.
We discuss the reasons behind things, but often without really caring or understanding.
Do we really care at all?
We question whether we truly care about anything at all.
Talk about the frailty of words.
We acknowledge that words can be weak and fail to accurately express our thoughts and emotions.
Is rarely meaningful.
Our conversations are often superficial and lack true value or significance.
When we're sitting watching the 'planes.
In moments of boredom, we find ourselves watching planes fly overhead.
Burn up through the night like meteorites.
The planes provide a fleeting source of excitement and wonder, but ultimately fade away like shooting stars.
Bored teenagers.
We continue to feel bored and restless, searching for something to fill the void.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TIM TV SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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We're talking into corners
Finding ways to fill the vacuum
And though our mouths are dry
We talk in hope to hit on something new
Tied to the railway tracks
It's one way to revive but no way to relax
We're just bored teenagers
Or should I say emotional rages
Bored teenagers
Seeing ourselves as strangers
We talk about the whys and wherefore
Do we really care at all?
Talk about the frailty of words
Is rarely meaningful
When we're sitting watching the 'planes
Burn up through the night like meteorites
We're just bored teenagers
Or should I say emotional rages
Bored teenagers
Paticus Maximus
We're talking into corners.
Finding ways to fill the vacuum.
And though our mouths are dry.
We talk in hope to hit on something new.
Tied to the railway track.
It's one way to revive but no way to relax.
We're just bored teenagers.
Looking for love,
Or should I say emotional rages.
Bored teenagers.
Seeing ourselves as strangers.
We talk about the whys and wherefores.
Do we really care at all?
Talk about the frailty of words.
Is rarely meaningful.
When we're sitting watching the 'planes.
Burn up through the night like meteorites.
We're just bored teenagers.
Looking for love,
Or should I say emotional rages.
Bored teenagers.
Seeing ourselves as strangers.
Bored teenagers.
Pat Rubbish
Let's update it then....
We're all just bored Facebookers...
We're commenting into corners.
Finding ways to fill the vacuum.
And though our mouths are dry.
We click in hope to hit on something new.
Tied to the wifi signal
It's one way to revive but no way to relax.
We're just bored Facebookers.
Looking for connections & communication
Or should I say emotional rages.
Bored digital rangers.
Seeing ourselves as strangers.
We talk about the whys and wherefores.
Do we really care at all?
Talk about the frailty of words.
Is rarely meaningful.
When we're sitting watching the 'planes.
Burn up through the night like meteorites.
We're just bored Facebookers.
Looking for love,
Or should I say emotional rages.
Bored communication manglers.
Seeing ourselves as strangers.
steviebgooder
Brilliant. I’m 62 now and this still seems so good. My type of punk before the fashion police took control
David C
TV Smith was in my opinion the best and most under rated performer /lyricist to emerge from the Punk era ,he still performs with the same passion as when i first clapped eyes on him in 1977 ,brilliant !
SlimyboyDave
Agree!
divergence films
Agree that his lyrics were among the best and very different subject matter.
Leahflower
@divergence films he had an amazing voice
David Waterhouse
Agreed Pal, I caught his live solo set in Manchester at 'The Peer Hat' a couple of years ago, and met him afterwards for meet and greet, he was Great! I have loved his music since I was 13, I am now 56! Cheers dx
Fei Char
One of the best songwriters of the 77 british punk wave
kelsmart
you know, I think the Adverts were one of the real stand-outs of the first wave of English punk. they were one of the best ones. There were alot of people who just jumped on the band wagon because it was the cool thing to do, but they were genuinely great. In the end , there were about five really killer groups out of about a hundred.
Jon Jay
Both the Damned and Motorhead considered the Adverts one of the best bands they'd ever seen. And all with one chord!
Chris Thomson
The perfect punk song does exist.