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.
Lenny Valentino
The Auteurs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
of every shape and size
The motorcade came down from Redondo
Assasins on the corner tried to throw you a line
You dirty-mouth comic Rodolfo
Lenny Valentino reside
Lazarus decided to rise
The twentieth century had only begun
Ladies averted their eyes
Lenny Valentino reside
John Judnich in the bathroom reading the law
Kitty in the hall with your mother
The girls are sick and tired of your blah blah blah
Some beat-kid said there's no other
and LennyValentino reside
The Auteurs' song Lenny Valentino is a complex and enigmatic song that can mean many things. The first verse talks about mourners on the streets, of every shape and size, waiting for someone to arrive. The motorcade, presumably carrying Lenny Valentino, comes down from Redondo. There are assassins on the corner who try to throw him a line. The second line of the chorus then states "You dirty-mouth comic Rodolfo, Lenny Valentino reside". It's hard to know who is being referred to here. Is Lenny Valentino a person or a character? It seems that Lenny could be a stand-in for anyone who's achieved some kind of fame, whether deserved or not. In this scenario, Lenny is a comic who has somehow ruffled some feathers, or made some enemies. The mourners could be supporters or detractors.
The next two verses heighten the mystery. The Pope has renounced Lenny as the "real one." Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by Jesus, decided to rise, which seems to imply that we are all in the presence of a miracle. The chorus then repeats: "Ladies averted their eyes, Lenny Valentino reside." The final verse talks about a John Judnich reading the law in the bathroom, someone called Kitty in the hall with the mother, and some beat-kid saying that there's no other. It's hard to make sense of this, other than to say that it adds to the overall feeling that something big is happening, and we are all in thrall to it.
Line by Line Meaning
There were mourners on the street
People in all shapes and sizes were mourning on the street
of every shape and size
The mourners came from different backgrounds and had different characteristics
The motorcade came down from Redondo
A motorcade was coming from Redondo to proceed with the funeral
Assasins on the corner tried to throw you a line
Assassins or hitmen at the corner attempted to get you involved in their dangerous dealings or refused to let you pass
You dirty-mouth comic Rodolfo
The line refers to someone named Rodolfo who was known for using profanity or vulgar language in his comedy act
Lenny Valentino reside
The song refers to a person named Lenny Valentino who is said to have passed away and his memory still persists
The Pope renounced you as the real one
The Pope declared someone else as the real one, not Lenny
Lazarus decided to rise
It was as if Lenny came back to life like Lazarus in the Bible
The twentieth century had only begun
The song was written during the early years of the 20th century
Ladies averted their eyes
Women turned away or avoided looking at Lenny
John Judnich in the bathroom reading the law
John Judnich was a person who was reading the law in the bathroom during the funeral
Kitty in the hall with your mother
Kitty was with Lenny's mother in the hall
The girls are sick and tired of your blah blah blah
Girls were fed up with Lenny's talk or behavior
Some beat-kid said there's no other
A beatnik or a non-conformist said that there was no one else like Lenny
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: LUKE MICHAEL HAINES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
varialles
One of THE BEST under 3 minutes rock songs ever created.
ANDY KING
indeed ... it is an extraordinary piece of music. 18 seconds longer than 'The Letter' by The Box Tops ... similarly magnificent. ALL HAIL SHORT SONGS!!!
Pete Quigley
True 'dat.
Stephen Walker
Defo in the premier league
nashwhal
What a classic! The Auteurs are criminally overlooked
Stephen Walker
It is criminal
Mark Crawshaw
Quite possibly my favourite single of the 90's... One of only a handful of songs I never tire of hearing.
Brendan Jordan
Agreed.
Alessandro Santos
One of the best bands of the 90s
Rough Time Gaming
1990s gem. Still sounds great!