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
Bide Your Time
The Courteeners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And now its gone and its all to late
I tried and I tried I never replied
To any of the morals oh I wish I had
You wait fifty-one weeks to all your
Hides and all of your seeks
When the time finally arrives
From the girlfriend that you left at
Home sitting in your living room all alone
You hate the suntan
And you can't stand to be around the short sleeved man
And the gaggle of girls who are singing to loud
Well they do my head in
You hate the tattoos
And you can't handle the skin heads
The ones who cannot handle the blues
Their making you scared to be proud
Are you scared to be proud?
How can that still be come and sing your heart out with me
But if you bide your time
And you stand there
And you wait in line
It won't be long before a surrong
Is lying on your bedroom floor
But what about the girlfriend
You left at home sitting in her living room all alone
You hate the suntan
And you can't stand to be around
The short sleeved man
And the gaggle of girls who are singing to loud well they do my head in
You hate the tattoos
And you can't handle the skin heads
The ones who cannot handle the blues
Their making you scared to be proud
Oh is that still aloud?
When your on cloud number nine
And the girlfriend you left at home sitting in her living room all alone
You hate the suntan
And you can't stand to be around the short sleeved man
And the gaggle of girls who are singing to loud they fucking do my head in
You hate the tattoos
And you can't handle the skin heads
The ones who cannot handle the blues
Their making you scared to be proud
Oh is that still aloud?
When your on cloud number nine
But if you bide your time
And you stand there and you wait in line
It won't be long before a surrong
Is lying on your bedroom floor
But what about the girlfriend
You left at home sitting in her living room all alone
The Courteeners' song Bide Your Time speaks of the temptation to indulge in the pleasures of life, even when it is at the cost of neglecting one's responsibilities. The opening lines of the song "The temptation is all too great, and now it's gone and it's all too late" suggest that the singer has given in to his temptations despite his better judgment. The following lines, "I tried and I tried, I never replied to any of the morals, oh I wish I had" indicate that he regrets his actions and wishes he had the strength to resist temptation.
The chorus of the song urges the listener to be patient and wait for their moment, even if it means sacrificing immediate pleasure. The lyrics "But if you bide your time and you stand there and you wait in line, it won't be long before a surround is lying on your bedroom floor" suggest that good things will come to those who wait. However, the song also acknowledges the consequences of indulging in temptation, as the singer points out the girlfriend left at home sitting in her living room all alone.
Overall, Bide Your Time is a cautionary tale about the importance of resisting temptation and the consequences of neglecting responsibilities. It encourages the listener to be patient and wait for their moment, rather than giving in to immediate pleasure.
Line by Line Meaning
The temptation is all to great
It's hard to resist temptation
And now its gone and its all to late
The opportunity has passed and it's too late now
I tried and I tried I never replied
I didn't respond to moral messages
To any of the morals oh I wish I had
I regret not following moral guidance
You wait fifty-one weeks to all your
You wait almost a whole year for this
Hides and all of your seeks
You hide and seek things during this time
When the time finally arrives
When it's finally time for the event
It dawns on me the tension derives
I realize the tension comes from
From the girlfriend that you left at
The tension comes from leaving your girlfriend at home
Home sitting in your living room all alone
Your girlfriend is sitting at home alone
You hate the suntan
You dislike people with tans
And you can't stand to be around the short sleeved man
You dislike men who wear short sleeves
And the gaggle of girls who are singing to loud
You find a group of singing girls annoying
Well they do my head in
They drive you crazy
You hate the tattoos
You dislike tattoos
And you can't handle the skin heads
You can't tolerate people with shaved heads
The ones who cannot handle the blues
People who can't handle sad music bother you
Their making you scared to be proud
They make you afraid to express yourself
Are you scared to be proud?
Do you fear being true to yourself?
How can that still be come and sing your heart out with me
Why not be yourself and sing with me?
But if you bide your time
If you wait patiently
And you stand there
And you are patient
And you wait in line
And you wait your turn
It won't be long before a surrong
Soon, a crowd will surround you
Is lying on your bedroom floor
There will be a party in your bedroom
But what about the girlfriend
But what about your girlfriend
You left at home sitting in her living room all alone
She's still at home alone
Oh is that still aloud?
Is that still allowed?
When your on cloud number nine
When you're very happy
And the girlfriend you left at home sitting in her living room all alone
But your girlfriend is still at home alone
They fucking do my head in
They really bother me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LIAM JAMES FRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-cy1wf8qk3q
The most underrated song ever in my opinion , this tune is a classic
@rubyhooke7602
12345678910 99 I knowwww?!!!!
@kaiburns4842
U said it
@parisriddick7734
That kiss is underrated absolute banger
@jasecampbell1657
Cannot stop listening 😭 I don't even like the courteeners
@wards4386
@Paris Riddick and Revolver
@scarahdee69
My son was singing this the other day and I absolutely love it now
@What_adam_watches
Good lad
@adamwhitbread6385
This album is a masterpiece
@Bruiser477
Courteneers and Pigeon detectives that's 2, 1st albums where I love every single track on that album