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.
Johnny and the Hurricanes
The Auteurs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the kiss off kiss from the one thay missed
Are four young men gonna change the world again?
Johhny and the Hurricanes
English tarmac, English trains
I had a dream in black and white
The future's 1955
Ah ho ho ho
Ah ho oh oh
Ah ho ho ho
Ah ho oh oh
Will your lick-spittle courtier stay out of view?
I come to bury you, not exhume
We're a little bit awkward, we're a little dim
Johnny and the Hurricanes
English tarmac, English rain
Billy was a spiderman
Threw himself beneath a train
Ah ho ho ho
Ah ho oh oh
Ah ho ho ho
Ah ha oh oh
Johny and the Hurricanes live in the dark
Johnny Kid, Johnny Johnny and they live in the dark
Born on a Monday, dead within a year
A black mass for Richard Kaey
My girlfriend's brother found him
(hanging in the garage)
The GPO, electric trains
Johhny and the Hurricanes
Continential cigarettes
Continential cigarettes
Oh ho
Johnny and The Hurricanes
Oh ho
Oh ho
Johnny and The Hurricanes
Oh ho
The Auteurs's song "Johnny and the Hurricanes" has a number of cryptic lyrics that require some interpretation. The song begins with "This is Nero calling out to God and the kids, This is the kiss off kiss from the one that missed." The first line is a reference to the Roman Emperor Nero, who famously fiddled while Rome burned. The second line is harder to decipher, but it could be interpreted as an ironic statement from someone who was ignored or mistreated by someone they loved.
The next verse asks the question, "Are four young men gonna change the world again?" This seems to be a reference to the Beatles, who famously changed the world with their music. The chorus mentions "Johnny and the Hurricanes," which is likely a reference to a 1950s rock and roll band called Johnny and the Hurricanes. The chorus also mentions "English tarmac" and "English trains," which could be a reference to the British Invasion of the 1960s.
The third verse is particularly mysterious, with lines like "Will your lick-spittle courtier stay out of view?" and "I come to bury you, not exhume." It's not clear who the singer is addressing or what they mean by these lines. The verse ends with the self-deprecating line "We're a little bit awkward, we're a little dim."
Overall, "Johnny and the Hurricanes" is a song that seems to be grappling with the legacy of rock and roll, and the idea that it has the power to change the world. The lyrics are cryptic and sometimes hard to decipher, but they create a mood of uncertainty and unease.
Line by Line Meaning
This is Nero calling out to God and the kids
Referring to oneself as Nero, this is a desperate plea to both God and the younger generation for help.
This is the kiss off kiss from the one they missed
This is a final goodbye from someone who has been rejected in a romantic sense.
Are four young men gonna change the world again?
Questioning whether a group of four young men will have the same revolutionary impact as earlier groups.
Johnny and the Hurricanes, English tarmac, English trains
Referring to a band and their familiarity with British infrastructure.
I had a dream in black and white, the future's 1955
The dreamer is having a vision of the future, which is set specifically in the year 1955.
Will your lick-spittle courtier stay out of view? I come to bury you, not exhume
Asking if the person's ally will stay out of sight while the singer threatens them, and expressing a desire to put an end to them entirely.
We're a little bit awkward, we're a little dim
Admitting to some social awkwardness and lack of intelligence.
Billy was a spiderman, threw himself beneath a train
Referencing a person, Billy, who committed suicide by jumping in front of a train.
Johnny and the Hurricanes live in the dark, Johnny Kid, Johnny Johnny and they live in the dark
The band's lifestyle is characterized as hidden or secretive.
Born on a Monday, dead within a year
A reference to a popular nursery rhyme and its ominous ending, suggesting that life is short and unpredictable.
A black mass for Richard Kaey, my girlfriend's brother found him (hanging in the garage)
A person named Richard Kaey has died, and it was discovered by the singer's girlfriend's brother in a disturbing location.
The GPO, electric trains, Johnny and the Hurricanes, Continental cigarettes
More references to British infrastructure and the band's habits.
Contributed by Ella H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.