Unfair… Read Full Bio ↴The Auteurs was a British alternative rock band of the 1990s.
Unfairly dismissed as the egotrip of acclaimed songwriter Luke Haines, The Auteurs were one of the unsung bands of the mid-nineties Britpop movement. Releasing their first record, New Wave, in 1993, the Auteurs were compared to Suede, and the resurgent glam-rock movement, and began to amass a reasonable cult following. 1994's second album, and commercial highlight, Now I'm A Cowboy, saw the band embracing at times a more contemporary sound, notably on the single Lenny Valentino, which probably remains Haines' best-known song. Now I'm A Cowboy was marked out by sprawling guitar lines as much as by Haines' inimitable lyrics, a kind of visceral social commentary. While touring this album in 1995, Haines jumped off a fifteen-foot wall, breaking both ankles, resulting in his being in a wheelchair for the rest of that year, recording the starker, angrier third album After Murder Park, most notable for the ballad-like lead single Unsolved Child Murder, released for Christmas at Haines own bidding. Following this, Haines took time out to work on other projects such as Black Box Recorder and Baader Meinhof, reforming the Auteurs in 1999 for the release of the mostly overlooked final album, How I Learned To Love The Bootboys.
While Haines remains widely respected for his lyrical eloquence and eye for the minutae of life, his eccentric, confrontational personality, and habit of styling himself as a louche ne'er-do-well, perhaps impeded the formation of a more affectionate bond with his fans. The Auteurs, similarly, tended to be respected rather more than they were loved.
American Guitars
The Auteurs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you're going to fail at all
Failing came more easily
Than it did to us all
And I wanted to be there
See them begin
It was easy to see they were
The best band to be in
When you spiked my drink
Stopped freeloading
When I could not get in
I gave up singing
When I was told
I could not dance
Knew my place in the world
When I heard them start
Woke up Sunday morning
With a hole
the size of my pool
Couldn't believe
I'd grown so ugly
Couldn't believe
I'd been so cruel
I should have set back
Thought about their past
East coast to west coast
How they'd struggled
for their art
Some people
were born to write
Some people
were born to dance
Thought I knew
my place in the world
Thought I knew my art
Glad to be there, see them begin
It was easy to see
They were the best band to be in
The Auteurs' "American Guitars" is a melancholic song that reflects on the singer's desire to be part of a band that had already established itself as the best. The first few lines set the tone of the song, describing a struggling band that gave up everything to follow their passion for music. The line "failing came more easily than it did to us all" suggests that the band was very committed to their craft, and despite their struggles, they kept on going. The singer recognizes this and expresses a desire to be part of the band and see them grow.
The second set of lyrics reflects on the singer's own shortcomings and how he realized that his place wasn't in the limelight. The lines "I gave up drugging when you spiked my drink, stopped freeloading when I could not get in, I gave up singing when I was told I could not dance" talk about how the singer tried to fit in with a crowd that wasn't for him. He eventually realized that he wasn't cut out for what he was trying to do and that he needed to find his own place in the world. The final line "Knew my place in the world when I heard them start" ties everything together, reiterating the fact that the singer had found his place by realizing he wasn't cut out for the band.
Line by Line Meaning
They were failing dutifully
The band was failing but still trying their best to make music
If you're going to fail at all
It's better to try and fail than to never try at all
Failing came more easily
Despite their efforts, failure seemed to come naturally to the band
Than it did to us all
Failure was easier for the band than it was for the listeners
And I wanted to be there
The artist desired to witness the band's beginnings firsthand
See them begin
To witness the start of the band's career
It was easy to see they were
It was obvious that the band was incredibly talented
The best band to be in
The band was the most desirable to be a part of
I gave up drugging
The artist quit using drugs
When you spiked my drink
The artist realized someone had spiked their drink with drugs
Stopped freeloading
The singer stopped relying on others for things like free admission
When I could not get in
The artist was denied entry to an event they were trying to get into
I gave up singing
The singer stopped pursuing a career in singing
When I was told
The singer received negative feedback about their singing ability
I could not dance
The singer was unable to dance
Knew my place in the world
The artist had a clear understanding of their position in society
When I heard them start
The artist's understanding of their place in the world changed upon hearing the band play
Woke up Sunday morning
The singer woke up on a Sunday
With a hole the size of my pool
The singer was feeling a great sense of emptiness
Couldn't believe I'd grown so ugly
The artist was experiencing a lack of self-confidence
Couldn't believe I'd been so cruel
The artist was shocked by their own past behavior
I should have set back
The artist should have taken a step back to reflect
Thought about their past
The singer reflected on the band's history
East coast to west coast
The band had traveled across the country
How they'd struggled for their art
The band had faced challenges in pursuing their creative endeavors
Some people were born to write
Some individuals are naturally gifted at writing
Some people were born to dance
Some individuals are naturally gifted at dancing
Thought I knew my place in the world
The artist was previously confident in their understanding of their role in society
Thought I knew my art
The artist believed they had a clear understanding of their own creative talents
Glad to be there, see them begin
The singer was grateful to witness the start of the band's career
It was easy to see
The quality of the band's music was readily apparent
They were the best band to be in
The band was the most desirable to be a part of
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: LUKE MICHAEL HAINES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind