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.
Mon Yous Mon Us But No Them
The Fratellis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She does it in the alley
Sells it when the kid goes
All around the discos
You can see him crashing
All after a fashion
Like the girls in my street
And little Petey Pan steams
All the girls from show reels
Sells them for a fiver
For Jezabel Godiva
She'd burn him in the kitchen
Just to stop the bitching
He said the girls on my street
Have all been around
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
Dublin Dave
He said those Hard Rock girls are so brave
Miss Dagger's got my heart
She's known it from the start
Oh, I was a serious boy
I couldn't buy me no joy
And it's all about the way that you
String those fancy words of yours together
And you lived in the West End
All of your life and it shows
Well drunk1 got a kicking
Because his bones were sticking
We threw him on the pavement
For easy entertainment
Oh, what a cheeky fellow
He says hi
I say hello
He said the girls on my street
Have all been around
Johny Small was thinking
To stop himself from drinking
And Gizmo had the reason for aggravated treason
I just can't fit them all in
But Bean, she comes a-calling
I killed them all
They said my sister's
Been around
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
The lyrics to "Mon Yous Mon Us But No Them" by The Fratellis are a collection of snapshots featuring a cast of characters living in an urban setting. The lyrics seem to paint a picture of a seedy and chaotic world where Shorty does ballet in alleyways and sells it to patrons in discos. Meanwhile, Peter Pan sells show reel girls for a fiver to Jezebel Godiva. The characters are all interconnected in some way, with Anna having a broken look in her eye and Dublin Dave admiring the Hard Rock girls.
The song then takes a darker turn with the line "I killed them all, they said my sister's been around." This could suggest that the singer of the song has taken violent action against those who have made derogatory comments towards his sister, but it's not entirely clear. The repetition of the line "Anna lies, she's got that broken look in her eye, whoopee-dee, she's so much more good looking than me" could suggest that the singer is envious of Anna's looks, or possibly that the world is judging people on their appearance.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mon Yous Mon Us But No Them" paint a dark and vivid picture of a world usually hidden from view. The song seems to be commenting on the desperation and depravity of some of the people living in urban areas, and their connections to one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Well Shorty's into ballet
The girl Shorty enjoys ballet as an activity
She does it in the alley
She practices ballet in an alleyway
Sells it when the kid goes
She offers her ballet performance for money when a child passes by
All around the discos
She performs ballet at various discotheques
You can see him crashing
The boy is present and dancing at the disco
All after a fashion
Everyone is dancing in their own way
Like the girls in my street
Girls who live nearby
Have all been around
Are experienced in love
And little Petey Pan steams
Petey Pan is eagerly seeking opportunities
All the girls from show reels
All the actresses on films
Sells them for a fiver
Sells something related to the actresses for five pounds
For Jezabel Godiva
Jezabel Godiva is a woman who is a source of temptation
She'd burn him in the kitchen
She would hurt him in any way to stop his antics
Just to stop the bitching
To stop nagging or complaints
He said the girls on my street
Someone stated that the girls who live nearby
Have all been around
Are experienced in love
Anna lies
Someone named Anna is lying or deceiving others
She's got that broken look in her eye
Her eyes express something sad or damaged
Whoopee-dee
An expression of excitement, usually sarcastic
She's so much more good looking than me
Anna is more attractive than the person speaking
Dublin Dave
A person named Dublin Dave
He said those Hard Rock girls are so brave
Dave admires the girls who enjoy Hard Rock music for being courageous
Miss Dagger's got my heart
A woman named Miss Dagger has captured Dave's heart
She's known it from the start
She has known that Dave likes her since the beginning
Oh, I was a serious boy
The singer used to be a serious person
I couldn't buy me no joy
The singer was unable to find happiness
And it's all about the way that you
The key to happiness is in the way that you
String those fancy words of yours together
Put together fancy and elaborate sentences
And you lived in the West End
The artist lives in the West End neighborhood
All of your life and it shows
Living in the West End for a long time is reflected in their personality or actions
Well drunk1 got a kicking
Someone named Drunk1 got physically attacked
Because his bones were sticking
His skeleton was visible due to his low weight or lack of flesh
We threw him on the pavement
The attackers threw Drunk1 on the ground
For easy entertainment
The attackers did it for fun or amusement
Oh, what a cheeky fellow
The singer finds the attacker's behavior to be impudent or saucy
He says hi
The attacker greets someone
I say hello
The singer responds with a hello
Johnny Small was thinking
A person named Johnny Small was contemplating something
To stop himself from drinking
Johnny wants to stop consuming alcohol
And Gizmo had the reason for aggravated treason
Someone named Gizmo had a good excuse to commit a serious betrayal
I just can't fit them all in
The artist has too many people and stories to mention
But Bean, she comes a-calling
Someone named Bean comes to visit or call the singer
I killed them all
The singer killed everyone mentioned before, probably in a metaphorical way
They said my sister's
They accused the artist's sister of something
Been around
The sister is experienced in relationships and love
Contributed by John S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vicente L
e Fratellis Lyrics
"Mon Yous, Mon Us, But No Them"
Well Shorty's into ballet
She does it in the alley
Sells it when the kid goes
All around the discos
You can see him crashing
All after a fashion
Like the girls in my street
Have all been around
And little Petey Pan steams
All the girls from show reels
Sells them for a fiver
For Jezabel Godiva
She'd burn him in the kitchen
Just to stop the bitching
He said the girls on my street
Have all been around
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
Dublin Dave
He said those Hard Rock girls are so brave
Miss Dagger's got my heart
She's known it from the start
Oh, I was a serious boy
I couldn't buy me no joy
And it's all about the way that you
String those fancy words of yours together
And you lived in the West End
All of your life and it shows
Well drunk1 got a kicking
Because his bones were sticking
We threw him on the pavement
For easy entertainment
Oh, what a cheeky fellow
He says hi
I say hello
He said the girls on my street
Have all been around
Johny Small was thinking
To stop himself from drinking
And Gizmo had the reason for aggravated treason
I just can't fit them all in
But Bean, she comes a-calling
I killed them all
They said my sister's
Been around
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
Clomeval
Sounds beautiful. Perfect for a romantic scene.
Dublin Dave
Those hard rock girls are so brave...
Rebelbhoy
One of my fav fratellis songs
g mail
If i heard this like on the radio or something i would never guess it was jon singing it
Guss
Spotify this please :)
Vicente L
e Fratellis Lyrics
"Mon Yous, Mon Us, But No Them"
Well Shorty's into ballet
She does it in the alley
Sells it when the kid goes
All around the discos
You can see him crashing
All after a fashion
Like the girls in my street
Have all been around
And little Petey Pan steams
All the girls from show reels
Sells them for a fiver
For Jezabel Godiva
She'd burn him in the kitchen
Just to stop the bitching
He said the girls on my street
Have all been around
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
Dublin Dave
He said those Hard Rock girls are so brave
Miss Dagger's got my heart
She's known it from the start
Oh, I was a serious boy
I couldn't buy me no joy
And it's all about the way that you
String those fancy words of yours together
And you lived in the West End
All of your life and it shows
Well drunk1 got a kicking
Because his bones were sticking
We threw him on the pavement
For easy entertainment
Oh, what a cheeky fellow
He says hi
I say hello
He said the girls on my street
Have all been around
Johny Small was thinking
To stop himself from drinking
And Gizmo had the reason for aggravated treason
I just can't fit them all in
But Bean, she comes a-calling
I killed them all
They said my sister's
Been around
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
Anna lies
She's got that broken look in her eye
Whoopee-dee
She's so much more good looking than me
Cosmic Cowboy
This makes me very Randy John.
wesjohn2
Noice
Georgiev Rado
Noodle the god <3
Cameron
Giant 4Head