Ever since this hyper-kinetic quartet first landed among us, circa 2002, direct from semi-rural New Zealand, they have been one of rock’s great live attractions. At any given summer festival, thrill-seekers of every colour will flock together from new band tent, or metal stage, or their skate arena, or indeed their own private drunken chaos, to witness Dolf, Christian, Phil and Ben putting their collective boot to the jams, generating their own riff-mangling, speaker-stack-toppling electricity.
The band took their name, rather self-deprecatingly, from the car which is emblematic of the "Jap crap" which floods the Antipodean market. As four kids from Cambridge, New Zealand (population: 12,000), they didn’t feel like their prospects warranted a name like The Cadillacs or The Rolls Royces. Jack White, inspired by a chaotic live show he saw them perform during a White Stripes tour of NZ, duly hired them as a support act in the US in early 2002.
Too metal for garage purists, but also not straight-down-the-line enough for the headbanging crowd, the band have been fighting for their own turf on the world’s stages ever since. Their fans equally defy categorization. The first song Arctic Monkeys ever played together, for instance, apparently, was ‘Harmonic Generator’ off ‘The Datsuns’.
Over the course of the last turbulent eight years the Datsuns have churned out four albums, no mean feat in this lethargic modern age. During that time they managed to circumnavigate the world countless times, playing shows in every country, city and town that had a venue that could contain their raw power. This relentless touring has been key in ensuring that the Datsuns have never strayed far from the public eye or ear.
Finally, feeling ready to commit to tape, or hard drive, the band commenced writing new material for album five during a national tour of New Zealand in the spring of 2010. The tracking is to place in Sweden again at the newly built Gutterview Recorders in Stockholm. Put together by none other than Nicke Andersson (The Hellacopters) & Dolf de Borst himself.
Following the release of album five the Datsuns will embark on another of their lengthy, globe spanning tours.
That Sure Ain't Right
The Datsuns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stand in line
Well I got better things to do with my time
Hold my hand just for tonight
For that's the done thing for kids our age right?
[Chorus]
Well that sure ain't cute so im gonna turn away
Sure ain't cute so im gonna turn away
(My, my, mmm, my baby)
Sure ain't cute, it sure ain't right
So out of touch I keep out of sight
'Cause it can't and it won't and it can't
Stop the mechanism
Start up the works
From the top of the stairs to the cellar it lurks
Hold my hand just for tonight
For that's the done thing for kids our age right?
[Chorus]
Oh, no, no
Hey, liked your smile
You don't know about fashion but you know about style
Oh, it's a sin
How you gave it up
How you let them win
I'm sorry I don't mean to pry
I've sucked the conversation dry
'Cause it can't and it won't and it can't stop
Well that sure ain't cute so im gonna turn away
(My, my, mmm, my baby)
The Datsuns's song That Sure Ain't Right talks about the feeling of being forced to conform to society's expectations and living by the rules set by others rather than doing what makes one happy. The first verse talks about the frustration of waiting in line and wasting time on meaningless tasks when there are more important things to do. The second verse talks about how people are constantly trying to fit in by holding hands or doing activities that are deemed appropriate for their age. The chorus reflects the singer's frustration with the situation, expressing a desire to turn away from what society expects and be true to oneself.
The bridge of the song highlights the irony of the situation, where people are praised for their style but criticized for not following fashion trends. The singer reflects on the difficulty of having meaningful conversations when society dictates the rules and expectations of what is considered acceptable.
Overall, the song conveys a message of frustration with societal norms and the pressure to fit in, urging listeners to break free from these constraints and be who they truly are.
Line by Line Meaning
Hurry up and wait
I'm in a rush but everything is moving too slow
Stand in line
Waiting in a queue with other people
Well I got better things to do with my time
I have more important things to do than wait in line
Hold my hand just for tonight
Let's just pretend to be together for the night
For that's the done thing for kids our age right?
Isn't this what everyone our age is supposed to do?
Well that sure ain't cute so im gonna turn away
I'm not going to continue pretending; it's not cool
Sure ain't cute so im gonna turn away
It's far from being attractive or admirable
Sure ain't cute, it sure ain't right
It's neither appealing nor morally acceptable
So out of touch I keep out of sight
It's so disconnected from reality that I'm staying away from it
'Cause it can't and it won't and it can't stop the mechanism
The system won't change and it will keep on functioning the way it is
Start up the works
Let's get things going
From the top of the stairs to the cellar it lurks
The problem is present everywhere, from high to low
Hey, liked your smile
I appreciate your smile
You don't know about fashion but you know about style
You may not follow the latest trends, but you have your own sense of style
Oh, it's a sin
It's wrong, it's not right
How you gave it up
How you surrendered or gave in
How you let them win
How you allowed them to be victorious
I'm sorry I don't mean to pry
I don't want to be intrusive
I've sucked the conversation dry
I've exhausted the topic of discussion
'Cause it can't and it won't and it can't stop
Nothing can change this situation
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Livingstone, Matthew Terrence Osment, Philip Buscke Somervell, Rudolf Christian DeBorst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind