The Auteurs was a British alternative rock band of the 1990s.

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.

Kids Issue
The Auteurs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some of the kids around here
you know the one's in the mudflats
your kid, the one in the home
is just a running brat

I'm so sharp, I'm so sharp
I went and spun myself off
I'm so sharp, I'm so sharp

I went and cut myself off

Kid's Issue, Kid's Issue
Kid's Issue, Kid's Issue
Kid's Issue, Kid's Issue
Kid's Issue, Kid's Issue

You're so calm
I want to run
close our eyes and run away
you should be tethered, tarred and feathered
I heard your mother would say

I'm so sharp, I'm so sharp
I went and cut myself on
I'm so sharp, I'm so sharp
I went and spun myself out

Some of the kids around here
you know the one's in the mudflats
your kid, the one with the home
is just a running brat

Kid's Issue, Kid's Issue

Kid's Issue, Kid's Issue
Kid's Issue

Overall Meaning

The Auteurs' song "Kids Issue" appears to be a criticism of children who may come from less privileged backgrounds and are perceived as being unruly or misbehaving. The lyrics talk about how some kids are seen as just "running brats" and are judged for their behavior. The imagery of kids playing in the mudflats also suggests a setting that is not ideal or pristine, which further emphasizes the idea that these children may be seen as unsavory or undesirable.

The song also seems to be expressing frustration with the way parents or adults may view these children. The line "you should be tethered, tarred and feathered" suggests a desire to punish or control these unruly kids, but also implies that this reaction may be extreme or unwarranted. The repetition of the phrase "Kid's Issue" throughout the song also emphasizes the idea that this is a problem that society is grappling with, but perhaps not addressing in the most effective or compassionate way.

Overall, "Kids Issue" seems to be a commentary on class, privilege, and the way society treats children who don't fit into a particular mold or behave in a way that is deemed acceptable. The lyrics are poetic and cryptic, but also convey a sense of frustration and anger about the way things are.

Kids IssueThe Auteurs Lyrics

sodacakeblues

Kids Issue
The Auteurs Lyrics