History
2005–2006: Origins and The Fratellis EP
The band's name came from the criminal family in The Goonies and received their first radio playing in 2005, on central Scotland's Beat 106 (later XFM Scotland, now Galaxy Scotland) Beatscene show hosted by Jim Gellatly. They were signed by Fallout Records.
They played their first show on 4 March 2005 in the O'Henry's bar in Glasgow across the road from the Horseshoe bar. The Fratellis EP was released on 3 April 2006, featuring the tracks "Stacie Anne" and "The Gutterati?". "Creepin' Up the Backstairs" was never a single released by the band, even though a video was made for it. The first single released by the band was Henrietta, which was released on 12 June 2006 and charted at number 19 on the UK Charts.
2006–2007: Costello Music and mainstream success
Costello Music was the debut album for the Fratellis and was released on 11 September 2006. It charted at number two in the UK album charts for three weeks. The success of the album led to the Fratellis winning the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act in 2007, an award that was voted for by BBC Radio One listeners.
The Fratellis perform in Scotland.
The Fratellis supported Kasabian in December 2006 on their UK tour before playing 10 dates by themselves in February and March 2007. The tour of the UK festival circuit, playing at Glastonbury and headlining at festivals such as NME's Rock 'n' Riot tour, OXEGEN 2007 and T in the Park 2007, amongst others. They also opened for The Police Reunion Tour in the summer of 2007 in some of the North America dates. The Fratellis also recorded some cover songs during the year including "All Along the Watchtower" for Radio 1's 40th Anniversary Double Album, Radio 1: Established 1967, and "Solid Gold Easy Action" for the soundtrack of the film Hot Fuzz, which also included the single "Baby Fratelli".
The band released their first live DVD, Edgy In Brixton, in the UK on 1 October 2007, which was recorded at the Brixton Academy in London. The DVD contains a locations included Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and London. Following the release of the album, the Fratellis embarked on a full live performance of the debut album Costello Music, B-sides from various singles and a new song called "Pretty Like a Girl". Extras on the DVD include the band being asked questions by members of the Fratellis' website, and on the deluxe edition, . It was released in the United States on 30 October 2007.
2007–2009: Here We Stand
The band's filmed on 18 June 2008 at the Fillmore, San Francisco; performances of "Milk and Money", "Flathead" and "Mistress Mabel" from Abbey Road Studios and the videos for second album, Here We Stand, was first mentioned in November 2007 on the Fratellis' official website, which stated that work had begun on the album in a rehearsal space in Glasgow. The band said that they were self-producing the album and had their own studio to record in. Recording finished on 13 January 2008.
On 22 February 2008, they played a highlights from the T in the Park 2007 festival small show for fans at Queen Margaret Union to debut new songs from the upcoming album. About eight new going towards the Teenage Cancer Trust. The third single was "A Heady Tale", released on 22 December. The Fratellis released a deluxe edition of Here We Stand internationally songs from their new album were played, including "Mistress Mabel", "Acid Jazz Singer", and "Look Out Sunshine!". This performance introduced two new touring members, a guitarist, Robin Peringer and a keyboard player, Will Foster. However, after the Teenage Cancer Trust show in 2008, Robin departed the tour for unknown reasons. Will Foster subsequently played both keyboard and guitar during live performances.
The album, was released on 9 June 2008 in the UK and 10 June 2008 in the United States. The band marked the US release of the album with sold-out shows in New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles. The first single from the album,"Mistress Mabel", was released on 26 May 2008. The next single, "Look Out Sunshine!", released on 18 August 2008 and with money on 8 December. The CD included a new song titled "Moriarty's Last Stand" and the accompanying DVD which features "The Year of the Thief" (a documentary of the band on the road in the US), a live show the singles "Mistress Mabel" and "Look Out Sunshine!".
During 2009, the band did a mini-tour of Australia and Japan during February and March. The Fratellis headlined the Island Records 50th anniversary show on 27 May 2009 where they debuted their new track to be included on the Island 50: 50 Years of Island Records which was Bob Marley's "Stir It Up". The band also headlined the Hop Farm Festival 2009 on 4 July, with a gig at the Middlesbrough Empire on 3 July to prepare for the upcoming headline slot.
2009–2012: 'Indefinite' hiatus and side projects
After the Hop Farm show in 2009, the band were going to take an extended break citing exhaustion and relationships within the band turning sour after a series of prolonged touring and working together. Jon went on to form a new band with singer/songwriter Lou Hickey called Codeine Velvet Club. He released an self-titled album with the band in December 2009 and toured during late 2009 and early 2010. The band came to a finish and he decided to become a solo artist. He released his debut solo album, Psycho Jukebox in 2010 and intended to release a second, titled Bright Night Flowers in 2012 but this was shelved due to the Fratellis reuniting. It would eventually be released in 2019, in a re-recorded form after the fifth Fratellis album In Your Own Sweet Time.
Barry initially stated that he was starting his own musical project and would let Fratellis fans know about it via the Fratellis website. He didn't let fans know his musical ventures until November 2011, where he revealed he had joined Birmingham band the Twang, who he played with until August 2012 when he rejoined the Fratellis. He is also a regular on the DJ circuit, and still DJs now when he can.
Mince initially joined a heavy metal band called Throne o' Diablo, before leaving the band for unknown reasons. He would go on to join Jon's solo band as a second drummer, backing vocalist and occasional guitarist during live shows for his Psycho Jukebox tour.
2012–2014: We Need Medicine
The Fratellis played their first show since 2009 to raise money for the Eilidh Brown Memorial Fund on 15 June 2012, marking nearly 3 years since they last shared a stage together. They then performed at O2 ABC Glasgow on 26 September 2012 and announced a UK tour in April 2013. During the UK tour, 3 more songs were debuted live; "She's Not Gone Yet But She's Leaving", "Seven Nights Seven Days" and "Whiskey Saga". The band went on to perform dates in Oxford, Leicester and Sheffield with another date at Loopallu festival, forming a small September tour. During the tour, the band debuted 2 new tracks, "This Old Ghost Town" (previously played by and mainland Europe. With 2014, the band played festivals across the world, returning to the US, UK and Europe and also headed over to Japan before finishing the We Jon in a solo show) and "Rock n Roll Will Break Your Heart".
On 4 February 2013, the Fratellis finished recording their third album, which was to be called We Need Medicine with a release date of 7 October 2013. "Seven Nights Seven Days" was released as a single on 29 September. The album was recorded in Glasgow with Jon Fratelli and Stuart McCredie on production duties.
The band saw out 2013 with a highly successful tour of the US, UK Need Medicine album campaign with two shows in Russia in September 2014. The band released a brand new EP in September 2014 called The Soul Crush EP, which was released for free on their website.
2014–2016: Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied
During Christmas break 2013, the band started writing new material, and two of the songs debuted live in 2014. "Too Much Wine" was played on the early 2014 US tour, with "All the Live Long Day" (later to be known as "Impostors (Little By Little)") turning up later on. Upon releasing The Soul Crush EP in 2014, the band stated they would be heading to LA to record their fourth album, with Barry confirming on Twitter it was once again with Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air), producer-architect of both their debut album and of Jon's solo album Psycho Jukebox.
News stayed quiet until 1 June 2015, when the band announced their new album would be called Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied and would be released through Cooking Vinyl on 21 August 2015. The band revealed the first song from the album "Me and the Devil" through their website, and later announced the first single "Baby Don't You Lie To Me" on 29 June. Both tracks were made available as instant downloads with your pre-order of the album. The band shared a new video for "Baby Don't You Lie To Me!" on 24 July 2015.
In late 2016, the Fratellis launched a UK-wide tour to mark the 10-year anniversary of Costello Music, playing 16 shows through November and December.
2017–2019: In Your Own Sweet Time and Bright Night Flowers
In 2017, the band headlined posts since 30 April, the band confirmed on Instagram that they were in Los Angeles to record their fifth album with Tony Hoffer once again producing.
On 29 September 2017 the band announced their the Vicar's Picnic music festival 14–15 July, as well as the Lindisfarne Festival, which ran 31 August to 3 September.
On 8 May, after hinting through several fifth studio album, In Your Own Sweet Time which was released on 16 March 2018 and followed by with a UK concert tour in March 2018. The album was released on CD, LP, limited edition orange LP and cassette. They also toured the U.S. in late Spring 2018 and early Summer.
After the recording of In Your Own Sweet Time, Jon had quietly re-recorded his shelved 2012 solo album Bright Night Flowers and after the main bulk of touring was finished for In Your Own Sweet Time, Jon announced his solo album would be released in February 2019, supported with two shows in London and Glasgow. His first solo shows in 6 years featured nearly the entirety of Bright Night Flowers with only one song from his previous solo album showing up along with Fratellis' favourites "Whistle for the Choir" and "Laughing Gas" in rearranged forms and a series of covers.
12-Ole Black
The Fratellis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I'll give the girl a hand
And a microphone.
Looks like she's all alone.
She can bring a friend,
Though she's not my kind of friend.
She keeps on staring me out with her
Ole black 'n' blue eyes.
And I can take her dancin'
Just to give the girl a chance 'n'
I was never that good
At being nice when I should.
I guess that she'll forgive me
Right before she tries to kill me
'Cause I sold her on yesterday's
Come take me home eyes.
And I can take you waltzin'
Just so she could kick my head in.
Oh, I do believe I was drunk
And both of my heads had shrunk.
I guess her name was Tina,
'Cause before I'd even seen her
I was lost in her "What's your name?
Just get me...
Oh take me home eyes.
And Chelsea says she's got nowhere to go,
And if she does she's gettin' there slow,
And I can help her out but I've got somewhere to be,
And that's the very thing when your dealing with me.
Young soul shagger,
Beggin' me to bag her
Filthy heart and swollen hips,
And she said, "Oh, my dearest,
I'm not pretty.
Isn't it a pity
That you won't kiss these rotten lips?"
Oh take me home eyes.
Ole black and blue eyes.
And Chelsea says she's got nowhere to go,
And if she does she's gettin' there slow,
And I can help her out but I've got somewhere to be,
And that's the very thing when your dealing with me.
Do do do do do do do do do....
The Fratellis's "Ole' Black 'n' Blue Eyes" is a song that tells a story of a man who encounters a girl with eyes that are both black and blue. He wants to help her out and give her a chance to showcase her singing talent in his band. However, he feels guilty because he is not genuinely interested in her as a person but only attracted to her physical beauty. The beauty he refers to is encapsulated by her "come take me home eyes." In the subsequent verses, he tries to avoid her after she develops an interest in him. He acknowledges that his actions are not right, especially because the girl genuinely needs help, but he is too selfish to prioritize her. Thus, in the last verse when another girl approaches him, Chelsea, he outrightly tells her that he is too busy to help her, and this is the way he operates.
The choruses in the song, "Take me home eyes, Ole black and blue eyes" are the girl's cry for help, hidden behind the beauty of her eyes that the man sees. By highlighting the contrast between the girl's physical beauty and emotional turmoil, the song emphasizes the importance of acknowledging people for who they are, not just for their appearance.
Line by Line Meaning
Well she wants to be a singer in the band,
A girl wants to sing in the band, and the singer is willing to help her by giving her a microphone and singing with her.
Maybe I'll give the girl a hand
The singer will assist the girl with singing and try to help her improve.
And a microphone.
The singer will give the girl a microphone so she can perform.
Looks like she's all alone.
The girl may feel lonely while she's singing, and the singer wants to support her.
She can bring a friend,
The girl is allowed to invite her friends to watch her singing.
Though she's not my kind of friend.
The girl’s friends may not be the singer’s group of friends.
She keeps on staring me out with her
The girl is aggressively staring at the singer with her charming eyes.
Ole black 'n' blue eyes.
The girl has very attractive black and blue eyes.
And I can take her dancin'
The singer offers to take the girl dancing to show that he appreciates her singing.
Just to give the girl a chance 'n'
Taking the girl dancing will give her an opportunity to show her dancing talents.
I was never that good
The singer may not be very skilled at dancing.
At being nice when I should.
The singer sometimes finds it difficult for him to be nice even when he needs to be.
I guess that she'll forgive me
The girl may forgive the singer for his mistakes and shortcomings,
Right before she tries to kill me
The girl may be so infatuated with the singer that she may harm the singer.
'Cause I sold her on yesterday's
The singer acted on impulse and pretended to like the girl when he met her earlier.
Come take me home eyes.
The girl’s attractive eyes convinced the singer to approach her and show interest in her.
And I can take you waltzin'
The singer offers to take the girl waltzing, although he may not be very good at it.
Just so she could kick my head in.
The girl may become hostile and violent towards the singer even though he wants to help her.
Oh, I do believe I was drunk
The singer may have consumed alcohol and was not in his right mind when he met the girl.
And both of my heads had shrunk.
The singer may have been foolish and naive when he met the girl.
I guess her name was Tina,
The singer thinks the girl's name is Tina, but he may not be sure.
'Cause before I'd even seen her
The singer had unrealistic expectations while approaching the girl.
I was lost in her "What's your name?
The singer was charmed by the girl and was drawn to her because of her curiosity in his name.
Just get me...
The girl wants the singer to take her home.
Oh take me home eyes
The singer is attracted to the girl's beautiful eyes and may take her home.
And Chelsea says she's got nowhere to go,
There is another character in the song, Chelsea, who declares that she doesn’t have a place to go.
And if she does she's gettin' there slow,
If Chelsea finds a place to go, she still may not leave quickly.
And I can help her out but I've got somewhere to be,
The singer is willing to help Chelsea, but he may not have the time to do it.
And that's the very thing when your dealing with me.
The singer may not be the most reliable person when it comes to helping others.
Young soul shagger,
A person who enjoys having sexual relations with younger people.
Beggin' me to bag her
The girl is flirting and trying to convince the singer to have sex with her.
Filthy heart and swollen hips,
The girl has a wicked and depraved heart, and her hips may be larger than the average person's.
And she said, "Oh, my dearest,
The girl may use a charming voice to attract and manipulate the singer.
I'm not pretty.
The girl may use reverse psychology to make the singer believe that she is not beautiful.
Isn't it a pity
The girl is indirectly asking for the singer's sympathy.
That you won't kiss these rotten lips?"
The girl is yearning for a relationship with the singer and believes that her lips are undesirable.
Do do do do do do do do do....
Repeating background music.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Herselfjeannemac Mccarthy
He was a bit hoarse,still great.
Herselfjeannemac Mccarthy
He was a bit hoarse,still great.
Steven Tasker
Mince is the fucking best haha
Vladimyr Morris
What was he saying at the beginning?
sockpuff
mince is hilar
Vladimyr Morris
What was mince saying at the beginning?
Vladimyr Morris
@Young Ed Jon didn't think it was funny
Vladimyr Morris
@Young Ed Oh. Haha. That's funny.
Young Ed
He was pointing out the horn section, but they stayed in the dark and the lighting guy didn't/couldn't actually move the lights so they could be seen
will trow
+vladimyr morris "cheers to the lighting guy"