They are signed to the Wichita Recordings label, and have currently released 5 albums through this imprint - 'The Cribs' (2004), 'The New Fellas' (2005), 'Mens Needs, Womens Needs, Whatever' (2007), 'Ignore The Ignorant' (2009), and 'In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull' (2012).
Despite starting off as an underground band, The Cribs have experienced commercial success with 'Mens Needs, Womens Needs, Whatever' charting at #13 in the UK album charts, and 'Ignore The Ignorant' achieving the band their first Top Ten album, charting at #8. They also have 7 top 40 hit singles to their name, the most successful of which being 'Men's Needs' (#17). In 2008, Q magazine described The Cribs as "The biggest cult band in the UK".
The Chi-Town Songfacts says that The Cribs' fifth studio album, In the Belly of the Brazen Bull, was recorded at London's Abbey Road and Chicago's EAR studio with famed lo-fi rock engineer Steve Albini and Tarbox Road studio in New York with David Fridmann (Mercury Rev, The Flaming Lips).
After some hard times during which they were (according to an interview in DIY Magazine) "nearly losing the rights to their entire back catalogue, and coming close to calling time on the group entirely," in 2020 they released the album "Night Network."
Don't You Wanna Be Relevant?
The Cribs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all you want is that you'll never be
Tommorow always comes too fast, the first to leave still came in last
And how much longer till this time has passed? Oh no...
Cos you can't go taking it back - there's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
It's a double-sided attack but that's all I had, don't make me laugh cos it's not
Fought so real, hard to beat, men that I see in the street
People I don't ever wanna be
The lovers, they're the lonely ones, they're lost and blinded by their day in the sun
How much longer til our war is won? Oh no.. wooo!
Cos you can't go taking it back - there's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Cos it's a double-sided attack but that's all I had, don't make me laugh cos it's not
Your onstage antics out in Leed were tailor-made to suit men's needs x2
Cos you can't go taking it back - there's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Cos it's a double-sided attack but that's all I had, don't make me laugh cos it's not
The Cribs's song "Don't You Wanna Be Relevant?" is an anthem that critiques the desperate yearning for cultural relevance and prestige that the media often celebrates. The song exposes the superficiality of this obsession with relevance and the emptiness that can result from striving for it. The lyrics lament the lack of authenticity and the sense of constant pressure to keep up with the trend, even if that means living outside of your means. The chorus poses the question "Don't you wanna be relevant?" with a cynical tone that suggests that striving to be relevant might ultimately lead to a life devoid of meaning.
The lyrics also reference the performers who focus more on their onstage antics than on the quality of their music, catering to the audience's expectations of a rockstar image rather than their unique creative expression. The song argues that these performers are simply playing to satisfy others, rather than following their true artistic vision.
Overall, the song presents a critical perspective on the cult of relevance, revealing its hollowness and the toll it can take on one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a lie, it's fake, but it's the dream, living outside of your means
Living falsely beyond one's means is a hollow dream, even if it appears glamorous.
And all you want is that you'll never be
Yet, despite this, we still yearn for this unsustainable lifestyle.
Tomorrow always comes too fast, the first to leave still came in last
Time seems too fleeting as we rush to keep up with others, but those who leave first are still not winners.
And how much longer till this time has passed? Oh no...
We wonder how much longer this futile pursuit will continue.
Cos you can't go taking it back - there's no time and no place for that
There's no going back once we've committed to this pattern of living, and no use trying to revert to the past.
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Despite the hollowness of it all, we still crave the feeling of being relevant in society.
It's a double-sided attack but that's all I had, don't make me laugh cos it's not
However, this desire for relevance is also a trap, one that we can't cynically dismiss since we're also ensnared by it.
Fought so real, hard to beat, men that I see in the street
Many men we see on the streets are tough and resilient fighters, hard to overcome.
People I don't ever wanna be
Yet, even if they seem formidable now, we don't actually aspire to become like them.
The lovers, they're the lonely ones, they're lost and blinded by their day in the sun
Love, while it may seem to bring happiness and fulfillment, also has the power to make us lose ourselves in its glow.
How much longer til our war is won? Oh no.. wooo!
We're engaged in a personal war to try and break free from this societal trap of relevance, but we're not sure if we'll ever emerge victorious.
Your onstage antics out in Leed were tailor-made to suit men's needs x2
The way we present ourselves to others, even on stage, is often a ploy to fit in with what we think they want us to be.
Contributed by Peyton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Samuel J. N. Bunner
It's a lie, it's fake, but it's the dream
Living outside of your means
And all you want is that you'll never be
Tomorrow always comes too fast
The first to leave still came in last
And how much longer 'til this time has passed?
Oh no...
'Cos you can't go taking it back
There's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
It's a double-standard attack
But that's alright, ha don't make me laugh
'Cos it's not
Thoughts so real, hard to beat
Men that I see in the street
Are people I don't ever wanna meet
Lovers, they're the lonely ones
They're lost in and blinded by their day in the sun
And how much longer til our war is won?
Oh no...
'Cos you can't go taking it back
There's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Cos it's a double-standard attack
But that's alright, ha don't make me laugh
'Cos it's not
Your onstage antics out in Leeds
Were tailor-made to suit men's needs
Your onstage antics out in Leeds
Were tailor-made to suit men's needs
Cos you can't go taking it back
There's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Yeah it's a double-standard attack
But that's alright, ha don't make me laugh
'Cos it's not
Daniel Cropp
LYRICS
Don't You Wanna Be Relevant?
The Cribs
It's a lie, it's fake, but it's the dream, living outside of your means
And all you want is that you'll never be
Tommorow always comes too fast, the first to leave still came in last
And how much longer till this time has passed? Oh no...
Cos you can't go taking it back - there's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
It's a double-sided attack but that's all I had, don't make me laugh cos it's not
Fought so real, hard to beat, men that I see in the street
People I don't ever wanna be
The lovers, they're the lonely ones, they're lost and blinded by their day in the sun
How much longer til our war is won? Oh no. wooo!
Cos you can't go taking it back - there's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Cos it's a double-sided attack but that's all I had, don't make me laugh cos it's not
Your onstage antics out in Leed were tailor-made to suit men's needs x2
Cos you can't go taking it back - there's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Cos it's a double-sided attack but that's all I had, don't make me laugh cos it's not
Songwriters: Gary John Jarman / Ross Anthony Jarman / Ryan James Jarman
Hannah Gillett
The Cribs are so undeservedly underrated! Ryan may not be the best singer but i think that emphasises the catchy riffs and adds to their charm :)
Magnus Sjöstrand
the thing I love about music is when you find a genre you really love you got like thousands of diffrent groups to listen to and they all stimulate you. Thank you, evolution!
fretui medak
It's epic the way alternative bands highlight music, the tough work they do for bringing a new message and mainly for remarking the subtle and straightforward difference between a solid band and the uninspired artists! You can't even knwo how difficult it is to find a deserving band, someone capable to rip your heart off and to plague your ears! When you bump into a band like that you feel tremendously compelled to listen to this sort of stuff, you turn addicted to many subgenres and you immediately figure out that you have never grabbed as much insight and charm in a band as now.
Samuel J. N. Bunner
It's a lie, it's fake, but it's the dream
Living outside of your means
And all you want is that you'll never be
Tomorrow always comes too fast
The first to leave still came in last
And how much longer 'til this time has passed?
Oh no...
'Cos you can't go taking it back
There's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
It's a double-standard attack
But that's alright, ha don't make me laugh
'Cos it's not
Thoughts so real, hard to beat
Men that I see in the street
Are people I don't ever wanna meet
Lovers, they're the lonely ones
They're lost in and blinded by their day in the sun
And how much longer til our war is won?
Oh no...
'Cos you can't go taking it back
There's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Cos it's a double-standard attack
But that's alright, ha don't make me laugh
'Cos it's not
Your onstage antics out in Leeds
Were tailor-made to suit men's needs
Your onstage antics out in Leeds
Were tailor-made to suit men's needs
Cos you can't go taking it back
There's no time and no place for that
But don't you wanna be relevant? Oh no
Yeah it's a double-standard attack
But that's alright, ha don't make me laugh
'Cos it's not
Muscle Rider
truly an underrated band of its time
Ryan Aréstegui
I'd say Canada has the Indie scene pretty solid, but really, so many countries have an arsenal of excellent indie talent.
Casey Haynes
What an immense tune. Love it.
XXIVVIXCIII
This band. wow this song and mens needs is why i love the post-punk-revival scene so much
Rael99
A band that keep it real...down to earth...bags of energy..remind me of The Ramones...keep it Sweet Lads
Brian Scheneman
Man, this song brings back some good memories! Its hard to be relevant in this time when music sounded so much better before...