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
Fallowfield Hillbilly
The Courteeners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who happened to like that band first,
And who likes them more,
Why do you compensate for the fact,
That you clearly so oh very silly,
By walking around my town like a fallowfield hillbilly?
You know who you are,
I've seen the way you look at all of the normal kids,
You think that they've just come out Strangeways,
Just because they won't bat both eyelids,
When you walk past with your eyeliner on, one hand in glove,
They're here for the music the thing that they love,
And it was literally carnage at the back of piccadilly,
To see who could buy it first,
And does the limtied edition seven inch quench your thirst?
For an album that will probably let you down,
But it doesn't even matter because you don't like that band anymore,
Because they're not underground,
I've seen the way you look at all of the normal kids,
You think that they've just come out Strangeways,
Just because they won't bat both eyelids,
When you walk past with your eyeliner on, one hand in glove,
I'm gonna ask you, can you find your own way home are you stuck?
Please don't think that I'm being a bitch,
I just happen to witness a lot of things which,
Get me annoyed 'cause you're filling a void,
Have you got nothing better to do?
I've seen the way you look at all of the normal kids,
You think that they've just come out Strangeways,
Because they won't bat both eyelids,
When you walk past with your eyeliner on, one hand in glove,
I'm gonna ask you, can you play guitar my boy?
The Courteeners' song "Fallowfield Hillbilly" is a satirical commentary on the state of music fandom and the pretensions that can come with it. The song addresses the tendency for music listeners to become obsessive over bands and their perceived underground status, often leading to a sense of superiority over those who may not share their level of fandom. The chorus poses the question: "Is that all that matters anymore?", suggesting that the fixation on being the first to like a band or possessing rare vinyl records has eclipsed the simple enjoyment of music.
Throughout the song, the singer takes aim at a specific type of fan, the "Fallowfield Hillbilly", who is depicted as a caricature of the pretentious music listener. With their eyeliner and gloves, they stand out in contrast to the "normal kids" who are simply there for the music. The song suggests that these Hillbillies are compensating for their insecurities by using music fandom as a form of self-validation. The final line of the song, "I'm gonna ask you, can you play guitar my boy?", is a direct challenge to this type of fan, suggesting that true musicianship is more important than being a fan of a particular band.
Overall, "Fallowfield Hillbilly" is a sarcastic and cutting critique of music culture and those who take it too seriously. It highlights the absurdity of valuing music solely for its perceived underground status or for the social status it may confer.
Line by Line Meaning
Is that all that matters anymore?
Does trivial things like who likes a band more even matter anymore?
Who happened to like that band first,
Who discovered that band before anyone else?
And who likes them more,
Who is the bigger fan of that band?
Why do you compensate for the fact,
Why do you try to make up for your shortcomings?
That you clearly so oh very silly,
That you are obviously acting foolishly?
By walking around my town like a fallowfield hillbilly?
By behaving like an unsophisticated person from the area of Fallowfield?
You know who you are,
You know that this song is about you.
I've seen the way you look at all of the normal kids,
I have observed how you judge people who do not share your interests.
You think that they've just come out Strangeways,
You believe that they are not cool or edgy enough.
Just because they won't bat both eyelids,
Just because they do not conform to your standards of fashion and behavior.
When you walk past with your eyeliner on, one hand in glove,
When you walk around with your exaggerated emo fashion.
They're here for the music the thing that they love,
They are just here to enjoy the music they love.
And it was literally carnage at the back of Piccadilly,
A chaotic scene happened at the back of Piccadilly due to the band they love.
To see who could buy it first,
To compete who would get their hands on the limited edition of the band's album.
And does the limited edition seven inch quench your thirst?
Does owning the limited edition satisfy your desire?
For an album that will probably let you down,
For an album that might disappoint you.
But it doesn't even matter because you don't like that band anymore,
But it does not matter anymore since you do not like that band now, anyway.
Because they're not underground,
Because that band is not as obscure or exclusive as before.
I'm gonna ask you, can you find your own way home are you stuck?
Will you be able to find your way home, or are you lost?
Please don't think that I'm being a bitch,
Please do not take this as me being rude or mean.
I just happen to witness a lot of things which,
I just observed a lot of things that bother me.
Get me annoyed 'cause you're filling a void,
Annoy me because you are trying to fill a void or insecurity.
Have you got nothing better to do?
Do you have nothing more important or productive to do?
I'm gonna ask you, can you play guitar my boy?
I am going to ask you, do you have any real talent or skills that you can contribute and be proud of?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LIAM JAMES FRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@iangavin4745
GREAT TO HAVE FALLOWFIELD GET A MENTION IN THIS WORLD XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
@darrenbuckley2082
Not to worry made the papers today 17/10/19 lol
@homoerectus6953
still fallowfield is a shite hole.................but i do like man butter.
@mcfcjack
Fucking mint night, best Teeners gig I've been. Hope Traffords just a good.
@mattymcr8955
Jack Hancock Apollo in December was better (I think)
@mcfcjack
Joe Lewis Trafford was dead I thought mate, it was wank how they split the crowd. Still went off like, but just better if you're closer to the stage do you know what I mean. Hopefully they do a better venue next time.
@mcfcjack
Hahah, surprised that he didn't stop the gig then. Didn't think the song selection was that good either.
@mcfcjack
Joe Lewis Already have done, not deluded like the rest of these socialist scum. Can't fucking stand Corbyn the IRA sympathising prick.
@bencornes
Amazing
@patrickoreilly1530
This seems really slow