Hailing from Manchester, indie rock quartet Courteeners received regular co… Read Full Bio ↴Hailing from Manchester, indie rock quartet Courteeners received regular comparisons in the U.K. press to the leading lights of three previous waves of Mancunian Brit-pop: the Smiths, the Stone Roses, and Oasis. The band's alternately jangly and bombastic brand of indie guitar rock bears the influence of all three acts, as well as comparisons to contemporaries like Kasabian, Editors, and Kaiser Chiefs. They debuted in the late 2000s with the hit album St. Jude, evolving over the years by incorporating synth pop and dance grooves on albums such as 2013's Anna and 2020's More. Again. Forever.

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

How Come
The Courteeners Lyrics

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How come you are always off your head
And yet you still end up in your bed
With some mint blonde I've never seen before
And you get away with kicking her face first out of your front door

You get admiration from all of the lads
The mothers take a shine to you

That's not the case with the dads
They have to keep both eyes on you incase you make a move
But we know that you'd never be so daft and that's what makes you so smooth

So next time you're out
Gonna stand and watch from the bar
Just to see if it's true how far you will take your good looks, your wit and charm
Walk out of this place with sixteen girls on each arm

You get admiration from all of the lads
The mothers take a shine to you
That's not the case with the dads

They have to keep both eyes on you just incase you make a move
But we all know that you'd never be so daft and that's what makes you so smooth

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Courteeners' song "How Come" highlight the life of a charming, good-looking man who constantly indulges in drink and drugs, yet still seems to attract everyone, regardless of age or gender. The singer has a reputation for being able to pull girls effortlessly, but still maintains a certain level of respect and admiration from his male peers. Despite his vices, he has managed to get away with behaving badly without much consequence, but also appears never to cross the line completely.

The first two lines of the song directly address the singer's propensity for getting intoxicated but still ending up safely tucked away in his bed with a new girl each time. The lyrics suggest that his good looks and charm are enough to get him out of trouble with these girls, even after kicking them out of his home unceremoniously. The singer's actions have earned him respect from his male peers, who admire his ability to pull girls without trying very hard. Even mothers seem to like him. However, this praise doesn't extend to the dads who seem to worry about him.

The song continues to praise the singer's charisma, describing him as "smooth" and someone who wouldn't be "so daft" as to cross boundaries. However, the lyrics suggest a hint of jealousy from the perspective of the singer, who suggests that he'll watch from afar to see how far the singer's good looks, wit, and charm will take him. "Walk out of this place with sixteen girls on each arm" implies that the singer has a limitless supply of admirers.

Line by Line Meaning

How come you are always off your head
Why are you always drunk/high?

And yet you still end up in your bed
Despite being drunk/high, you still manage to go home and sleep in your bed.

With some mint blonde I've never seen before
You bring home attractive women that your friend has never met before.

And you get away with kicking her face first out of your front door
You are able to get away with treating women poorly, such as kicking them out of your house.

You get admiration from all of the lads
Your male friends admire you and look up to you.

The mothers take a shine to you
Mothers find you attractive and charming.

That's not the case with the dads
In contrast, fathers are wary of you.

They have to keep both eyes on you incase you make a move
Fathers have to keep an eye on you in case you try to make a move on their daughters.

But we know that you'd never be so daft and that's what makes you so smooth
Your friends know that despite your actions, you wouldn't actually do anything harmful or foolish, and that's what makes you smooth.

So next time you're out
The next time you go out to party,

Gonna stand and watch from the bar
I'm going to stand and watch you from the bar.

Just to see if it's true how far you will take your good looks, your wit and charm
I want to see how far you can push your good looks, wit and charm with the women you encounter.

Walk out of this place with sixteen girls on each arm
I think you are capable of leaving with a large group of women, as a testament to your attractiveness and charm.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LIAM JAMES FRAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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