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.
String Along
The Bluetones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eye's open wide, I've nothing to hide,
Take me away, I'm ready to go,
To where I can't say,
And how I don't know.
Falling through, right into you,
Where can I go, what can I do,
And for the first time,
It all makes sense to me.
Appears to me, their to scared to say,
That no one can seem to find their way,
Don't mean we have to string along,
You do just to find you've done it wrong.
I can't fight, I forgo my pride,
Eye's open wide, I've nothing to hide,
Take me away, I'm able to say,
Won't take forever,
The best part of a day.
Appears to me, their to scared to say,
That no one can seem to find their way,
Don't mean we have to string along,
You do just to find you've done it wrong.
The Bluetones's song "String Along" seems to be about a person who is ready to give themselves completely to another person or situation, without any reservations. The first verse indicates that the person is surrendering their pride and is open to being taken away from their present circumstances. The second verse continues this theme by saying that the person is falling into something, without knowing where they are going or what they can do. This moment of surrender and vulnerability brings clarity and understanding to the person. They see things clearly for the first time and feel a sense of belonging or purpose.
However, the chorus suggests that the people around the person are not ready or willing to do the same. They appear scared to say what they want or what direction they want to take. The fear of not finding their way keeps them stringing along, even if it is not what they truly want. The last verse indicates that the person is willing to go along with it, but not for an indefinite period. They know that the best part of a day is all it takes to figure out if it is the right direction for them.
Overall, "String Along" is a song about being ready to give oneself completely to a situation and the frustration of others not being on the same page. It is a call to action to not just "string along" with something that is not fulfilling or going in the desired direction.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't fight, I forgo my pride,
I have accepted defeat and left my ego aside.
Eye's open wide, I've nothing to hide,
I am transparent and honest with my intentions.
Take me away, I'm ready to go,
I am ready for a change of setting and circumstance.
To where I can't say,
I do not have a specific destination in mind.
And how I don't know.
I am unsure of how to get there or what to expect.
Falling through, right into you,
I have fallen into your presence and influence.
Where can I go, what can I do,
I am at a loss and in need of guidance.
Take me away, I'm willing to see,
I am open to new experiences and perspectives.
And for the first time,
I am experiencing something in a new light.
It all makes sense to me.
I am beginning to understand and make sense of things.
Appears to me, their to scared to say,
It seems as though others are afraid to speak their minds.
That no one can seem to find their way,
Everyone is lost and unsure of their path.
Don't mean we have to string along,
We do not have to blindly follow even if everyone else is.
You do just to find you've done it wrong.
You may realize later that following blindly was not the right choice.
I can't fight, I forgo my pride,
I am still choosing to leave behind my ego and accept help.
Eye's open wide, I've nothing to hide,
I am still transparent and ready to be vulnerable.
Take me away, I'm able to say,
I am now able to communicate my desires and express my thoughts.
Won't take forever,
I am confident that change will happen soon.
The best part of a day.
It will not take too long for things to shift for the better.
Contributed by Ethan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
sadmonkey62
I love this song ❤, so many memories :)
HeadmasterRitual77
excellent post, I had this single....still do gathering dust somewhere :-)