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.
Vampire
The Bluetones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You left me divided with room to complain
So I'll say in this song, the wait is too long
I thought I had seen it, I thought I had learned
There's something around each corner I turn
Can't stay still forever, got to get it together
If you'd seen with these eyes and lived with these lies
And I knew that this wasn't for me
Now the beast can subside, a boy needn't hide
Oh, if you'd seen with these eyes
Never dares to sow, on and on she goes
Knowing what she knows â?? nothing
Major's whipping boy, facing one old toy
Distance through the void â?? nothing
The lyrics of The Bluetones' song "Vampire" express feelings of being abandoned and divided, perhaps by a lover or a close friend. The singer speaks of feeling unguided and left with room to complain, highlighting an unresolved emotional struggle. He goes on to express the need to move on from the past and get it together, acknowledging that he cannot stay still forever.
The chorus sees the singer reflecting on his life path and considering the choices he has made. He thinks about his father and his own situation and realizes that he is not living the life he wants. The metaphor of the "beast" subsiding and the "boy [not needing] to hide" suggests a sense of liberation or coming to terms with one's true self.
In the final verse, the lyrics talk about a woman who never takes risks, staying stuck in a state of knowing "nothing." The line "Major's whipping boy, facing one old toy, distance through the void" is somewhat cryptic, but could suggest a person with an unfulfilling life, working for someone else and chasing a dream that never comes to fruition.
Overall, the lyrics of "Vampire" convey a sense of seeking purpose and direction, and struggling to leave behind a confusing and unfulfilling past.
Line by Line Meaning
You left me unguided
I was left without any guidance
You left me divided with room to complain
I was left in a state of confusion and dissatisfaction, with reason to complain
So I'll say in this song, the wait is too long
I am expressing that the waiting is too much to bear through this song
I thought I had seen it, I thought I had learned
I believed that I had seen and learned all there is to know
There's something around each corner I turn
However, I keep finding that there is something new and unexpected around every turn
Can't stay still forever, got to get it together
I realize that I can't stay idle for long and need to pull myself together
If you'd seen with these eyes and lived with these lies
If you experienced what I have seen and been through, you would understand
I thought about father and I thought about here
I thought about my family and my current situation
And I knew that this wasn't for me
I realized that my current situation was not the right one for me
Now the beast can subside, a boy needn't hide
Now I can relax and let go of my worries, and be myself
Oh, if you'd seen with these eyes
If you could see things from my perspective
Never dares to sow, on and on she goes
She never dares to take a chance, and continues on blindly
Knowing what she knows â?? nothing
Despite knowing what she knows, she is ignorant and naive
Major's whipping boy, facing one old toy
I am at the mercy of those in power, and facing an obstacle that should have been overcome long ago
Distance through the void â?? nothing
The distance I have traveled has led me to nothing but emptiness and disappointment
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM PATRICK DEVLIN, EDWARD DANIEL CHESTER, MARK JAMES MORRISS, SCOTT EDWARD MORRISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher Smith
Goddamn so underrated......The Bluetones certainty knew how to write great songs
The Man From Volantis
This whole album is phenomenal. I bored lots of people to death in 1996 saying that this was how I hoped the Stone Roses second album would sound like.
Honestly, this album is so good it brings tears to my eyes.
It might be because I had my heart broken around the time this came out but Reverence, Raise The Pressure, 1977 and The It Girl also came out around the same time. All excellent albums but Expecting To Fly soars above them all.
Jewelry Bag
thank you so much for the upload! one of my favorite tracks!
Ray Mysterio
Plays up front this now yano. Used to be a winger like Bobby Firmino. N0.9
Ray Mysterio
Doesn't stand still