Owen and Hobbs both grew up in the village of Wendover, Buckinghamshire. They met when they were still in school and started writing songs together. They began writing and recording songs for The Boy Least Likely To in the summer of 2002. The group created the independent label Too Young to Die as a means to release their music. Their first release was the 7" single "Paper Cuts" in 2003. They released three singles and completed the recording of their debut album before they played any live shows. Their debut album The Best Party Ever was released in the UK in February of 2005. The album was released in the United States in late Spring 2006.
The Best Party Ever was included in the Pitchfork top 50 albums of 2005 and was number 8 in the Rough Trade Shop top 100 albums of the same year.
They are known for the colourful characters that they use in their artwork, which are drawn by Jof Owen's brother, Tim. The artwork for their second album features 3D versions of the drawings that have been knitted.
The band describe their own sound as "Country Disco". They were included in the top ten bands of 2006 in Rolling Stone magazine, and described as sounding like what would happen "if all your childhood stuffed animals got together and started a band."
In October 2006 they toured the United Kingdom with Razorlight.
The touring band commonly included: Alistair Hamer, dr., Adam Chetwood, gtr., Anthony Bishop, bs., Bahar Brunton, keys/vio., Amanda Applewood, keys./bvs/cakes.
In September 2006 they began work on their second album, and in February 2008 the band posted two new songs from their upcoming album on their Myspace.
The Law Of the Playground was then released on April 14 2009.
Website: http://www.theboyleastlikelyto.co.uk
Label: http://www.tooyoungtodierecords.com
Fansite: http://www.thegirlleastlikelyto.com
A Balloon On a Broken String
The Boy Least Likely To Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a big, fat balloon
Flapping in the wind
Floating over the treetops
On a broken string
I've never been tied down
To anything
I suppose
I can go
Where I want to go
I drift carelessly
On a summer breeze
I bounce above the trees
I try to be cheerful
But I can feel myself
Deflating all the time
Up in the sky.
Because I'm a balloon
On a broken string
I'm not attached to
Anyone or anything
Anymore
Oh-oh-oh
Schooby-doo
Tra-la-la
I'm sad and alone
But you'd never know
It to look at me
I look ever so happy
Up here by myself
But I wish sometimes I looked
The way I felt
Because I'm a balloon
On a broken string
I'm don't belong to
Anyone or anything
Anymore
Anymore
I'm a balloon
On a broken string
I'm not attached
To anyone or anything
I'm a balloon
On a broken string
I don't belong to
Anyone or anything
And I know I look shiny and bouncy
But I'm all empty inside
And I worry that if I was to just burst suddenly
That nobody would even notice me
I know I look shiny and bouncy
But I'm all empty inside
And I worry that if I was to just burst suddenly
That nobody would even notice me
I know I look shiny and bouncy
But I'm all empty inside
And I worry that if I was to just burst suddenly
That nobody would even notice me
I know I look shiny and bouncy
But I'm all empty inside
And I worry that if I was to just burst suddenly
That nobody would even notice me
The Boy Least Likely To's song A Balloon On a Broken String tells the story of a balloon that has broken free from its string and is now drifting aimlessly through the sky. The balloon represents a person who is not tied down to anything or anyone and is free to go wherever they please. However, even though the balloon looks happy and carefree from the outside, it is actually sad and empty on the inside.
The lyrics suggest that the person represented by the balloon feels disconnected and isolated from the world around them. They long to feel connected to something or someone, but they are afraid that if they were to suddenly burst, no one would even notice.
The song is a poignant commentary on the human condition and the desire for connection and meaning in a world that can often feel cold and indifferent. It also speaks to the fear of being alone and the longing for someone to notice and care, even if it's only for a fleeting moment.
Overall, A Balloon On a Broken String is a beautifully crafted song that explores complex themes of isolation, loneliness, and the human need for connection and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not a boy,
I'm a big, fat balloon
The singer is comparing themselves to a balloon, emphasizing their emptiness and lack of substance
Flapping in the wind
Floating over the treetops
On a broken string
I've never been tied down
To anything
The singer is metaphorically describing themselves as a balloon that is disconnected and free, but also fragile and at risk of breaking
Because I'm free
I suppose
I can go
Where I want to go
The singer acknowledges their freedom, but also suggests a lack of direction or purpose
I drift carelessly
On a summer breeze
I bounce above the trees
The artist describes their aimlessness and lack of control over their life trajectory
I try to be cheerful
But I can feel myself
Deflating all the time
Up in the sky.
The artist is attempting to maintain a positive outlook, but also recognizes their own decline and deterioration
Because I'm a balloon
On a broken string
I'm not attached to
Anyone or anything
Anymore
Oh-oh-oh
Schooby-doo
Tra-la-la
The singer sums up their disconnectedness and feelings of isolation with a playful refrain
I'm sad and alone
But you'd never know
It to look at me
I look ever so happy
Up here by myself
But I wish sometimes I looked
The way I felt
The singer acknowledges their loneliness, but also their tendency to put on a happy face to disguise their true emotions
I don't belong to
Anyone or anything
The artist emphasizes their lack of connection or belonging to anyone or anything
And I know I look shiny and bouncy
But I'm all empty inside
And I worry that if I was to just burst suddenly
That nobody would even notice me
The artist highlights the discrepancy between their outward appearance and their internal emptiness, and fears that their existence is ultimately meaningless and unnoticed
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JONTHAN OWEN, PETER HOBBS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DMT/•/TV
This is such a sad song and nobody ever points that out. Such brilliant music to mask such sad lyrics in a whimsical happy tone. :)
T Dawg
This is just too cute! Lovely job and music, it made me smile the whole time I watched it.
Aliva Chatterjee
I love this song, idk why songs like this are so underrated 😔😔
Vanquished
picked up your CD in poundland and your music has been making rounds in my music taste ever since. would love to see you live if you ever do comeback x
Resplendent_Cryptid
Still one of my favorites and always will be
livingdeadgrl18
One of my favs you guys. I used the title of this song as the title for my tumblr!
hectorticolis
ooohh i love the video and the song!! (:
veebeeseesyou
so awesome <3
TheMickey806
Very cool =D
lukeisastalker
so cute! ;-;