The Bluetones is an indie rock formed in Hounslow, England in 1994, featuri… Read Full Bio ↴The Bluetones is an indie rock formed in Hounslow, England in 1994, featuring Mark Morriss (vocals, keyboards & occasional guitar), Adam Devlin (guitars), Scott Morriss (bass guitar & backing vocals), and Eds Chesters (drums)

Classed as a Britpop band, given that their appearance and initial huge success with songs such as Slight Return coincided synchronously with the Britpop explosion, their debut record Expecting To Fly appeared in 1996.

As time has gone by, the band have actually become a more conventional 'indie' band - whilst notching up hits such as Marblehead Johnson, If... and Keep the Home Fires Burning they have struggled to replicate the success of their debut. After seven singles reaching the UK Top 20 in total, they are now well out of the public eye, but unlike almost all of the fellow 'Britpop' bands, they continue to release new material and tour.

Following two further albums on major, A&M/Universal (1998's Return to the Last Chance Saloon and 2000's Science & Nature), they signed to the big indie, Cooking Vinyl in 2003 for Luxembourg and 2006's The Bluetones.

Vocalist Mark Morriss released a solo EP under the alias Fi-Lo Beddow in 2006, which eventually bloomed into a full solo record under his real name. Memory Muscle was released in June 2008, and received a surprising amount of critical acclaim, given the music press' frosty attitude to Bluetones material. It included new versions of the songs which made up the Fi-Lo Beddow EP, and featured strings arrnaged by film score composer David Arnold.

The band released their final album, A New Athens, in 2010, and completed their farewell tour in September 2011.

It was announced on 13 April 2015 that the band was reforming for a tour and have subsequently toured on further occasions, including a headline slot on the 2017 Star Shaped Festival tour.

If...
The Bluetones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If you
Get out
Before September
Remember
That I'm
Still inside
But I'm dry
I'm dry

And you
When you try
To make a difference
You're so different
And then I
Try
And just die
I die

You know
That I need
You more than I want ya
But I want ya
For all time
So I
I guess on the line

It's all that I can do
To sing these stupid songs to you
I give up half my time
Just trying to think up words that rhyme
I ain't getting any younger
But you wouldn't know
So it's on
With the show

Sometimes
A smoke
A drink and a ponder
Can work wonders
When you're down
Takes your frown
Turns it 'round
Around

And you
When you try
To make a difference
You're no different
Than when I
Try
And just die
I die

...and now
That your day-
Dream is forgotten
And forgiven
And the world
Has been saved
Be brave

It's all that I can do
To sing these stupid songs to you
I give up half my time
Just trying to think up words that rhyme
I ain't getting any younger
But you wouldn't know
Cos I walk
In shadow
And I never ever
Really show my face

But I'm only ever seen
In the right place

Overall Meaning

The Bluetones’s song “If…” is a melancholic ballad that seems to speak about a failed relationship. The song opens with the singer, possibly addressing a former lover, reminding them to leave before September. The September departure could signify the end of summer, and the coming of winter, a metaphorical portrayal of endings. The singer laments that they are still inside, while the other person has left. The second verse continues the melancholic tone of the song, with the singer expressing that when they try to make a difference, they still die. The singer admits that they still need their former lover, even more than they want them. The singer seems to be having a tough time moving on, having given up half their time to write songs hoping to be remembered by their lost love. The final verse sees the singer giving their lost love courage, telling them to be brave now that their daydream is forgotten and forgiven.

Overall, the song captures the pain of a relationship that has gone south, and the difficulty of moving on from the hurtful experience. It is a tribute to the messier moments of love when vulnerability, insecurity, and sadness dominate our emotions. The song’s slow and mournful melody, with the gentle strumming of the guitar coupled with the vocals, accentuate the somber tone of the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

If you
In case you

Get out
Leave

Before September
Before the month September arrives

Remember
Recall

That I'm
I still exist

Still inside
In the same place as before

But I'm dry
I am sober

You know
You are aware

That I need
I require

You more than I want ya
You are necessary for me more than I desire you

But I want ya
However, I still desire you