Featuring vocalist Liam Fray, lead guitarist Daniel "Conan" Moores, and drummer Michael Campbell, Courteeners formed in Manchester in 2006, when the 22-year-old Fray -- already known around town for his acoustic singer/songwriter gigs -- brought three of his childhood friends (including ex-bassist Mark Cupello) together to form a proper band. After signing to Loog Records, a pseudo-indie label owned by Polydor, the Courteeners released their limited-edition debut single, "Cavorting," in August 2007. Three more singles, "Acrylic," "What Took You So Long?," and "Not Nineteen Forever," dotted the charts between October 2007 and March 2008, prior to the release of the group's debut album. Produced by Stephen Street (celebrated for his work with the Smiths, Blur, and the Cranberries) and featuring Fray's painting of Audrey Hepburn on the cover, St. Jude was released in April 2008. The album reached number four in the U.K., where it also achieved gold status.
While touring in support of the record, the Courteeners began playing new material at select shows, much of which found its way onto 2010's Falcon, a slower, more ambitious set of songs. The band's third album, Anna, reflected an '80s synth pop influence and arrived in early 2013. In 2014, the Courteeners returned with their fourth studio album, Concrete Love, which found them building upon Anna's anthemic '80s-influenced sound. The album fared well, reaching number three on the U.K. albums chart. A year after Concrete Love, the group parted ways with bassist Cupello, replacing him with longtime collaborator and producer Joe Cross. In 2016, they released their fifth studio album, Mapping the Rendezvous. Featuring singles "The 17th" and "No One Will Ever Replace Us," the set peaked at number four in the U.K.
Celebrating the tenth anniversary of their debut in 2018, the Courteeners issued St. Jude Re:Wired, a reimagined vision of their 2008 breakthrough. They embarked on a celebratory concert run in England before returning to the studio for a proper follow-up to Rendezvous. Their sixth set, More. Again. Forever., arrived in early 2020 and came as a result of a dark period of uncertainty for Fray and the band. Featuring a distinctly dance-friendly sound influenced by LCD Soundsystem, the set focused on bass grooves and insightful lyrics that marked a late-era maturation for the crew.
Biography by Stewart Mason
Aftershow
The Courteeners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun is coming up, and it is coming to light
That me and you were never that tight
And then you stand there with your old botfriend
And message after message, and you can send, send, send
You Know I will definitely ignore them all
You're having a shit night, well I'm having a ball
You showed you're face at the aftershow, how did I know that you would say you will go, it's because you're always listening to him, He's only average looking and a bit too thin
The lyrics of The Courteeners song "Aftershow" reveal a complicated relationship that has come to an end. The opening line of the song, "the walk home from the barbecue is very long when I'm walking with you" suggests that things are not as comfortable as they once were. The walk home, a once leisurely activity, is now a task to be completed. The next line, "the sun is coming up, and it is coming to light" suggests that the truth is being revealed. The light of day brings clarity to the situation and it is becoming clear that the relationship between the two is not as strong as it once was.
The next stanza reveals the source of the problem - another man. The singer of the song is frustrated with his partner's behavior. She is standing there with her "old boyfriend" and messaging him, sending message after message. The singer acknowledges that he will ignore all of them but he is clearly hurt by the situation. He is having a good night, while she is not, and this highlights the divide between them.
The final stanza of the song brings the lyrics full circle. The singer imagines the scenario that the woman will show up at the aftershow with her "average looking" and "a bit too thin" new partner. The singer already knows that she will say she's going to go because she is starting to live her life in accordance with this new man. The lyrics of the song show a certain level of frustration and insecurity on the part of the singer, and provide insight into how two people can grow apart over time.
Line by Line Meaning
The walk home from barbecue is very long when I'm walking with you
Walking back from the barbecue with you is taking longer than expected
The sun is coming up, and it is coming to light
It's dawn and with the light, things are becoming clearer
That me and you were never that tight
We weren't as close as we thought we were
And then you stand there with your old botfriend
You're standing there with your ex-boyfriend
And message after message, and you can send, send, send
You keep texting one after another
You Know I will definitely ignore them all
I won't bother checking your messages
You're having a shit night, well I'm having a ball
While you're having a terrible time, I'm enjoying myself
You showed you're face at the aftershow, how did I know that you would say you will go, it's because you're always listening to him, He's only average looking and a bit too thin
You appeared at the after-party as expected because you always do what your average-looking, thin new boyfriend tells you to do
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Liam James Fray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lisa W
super class!
Sean Kilburn
The guitar at 0:39 is why anyone is here
Jehnyahl
If that was to me, I look forward to NEVER hearing from you again. Have a *great* day!
Banana Zoo
Jehnyahl what?
Jehnyahl
It's "Well, am I being a bore?", instead of "Well, I'm having a ball.". Easy mistake to make; his accent is really thick, and he has a really creepy stare...
Tom Ralph
Gonna respond to a 10 year old comment here but have to tell you that this is wrong.