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.
We Need Medicine
The Fratellis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
My soul's on fire, but my heart she's made of stone
I'd be a good man if only my wicked thoughts were known
I don't believe in nothing that isn't shown
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
I won't be happy 'til I don't have a friend
I just can't convince myself of what I'll never comprehend
I'm not a sinner, I confess at the end
But don't trust a single word I say
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
I cry your tears while all my friends stand in line
I've seen no injustice in that broken-hearted victory sign
If I was them I would be no friend of mine
I laugh when the walls come crashing down
Well you could buy me for a handful of dust
But I'm so cheap that gypsies only deal with me when they must
I'm only happy when the gold turns to rust
It's the kind of thing that makes my day
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
To get us to the end of time
To get us to the end of time
To get us to the end of time
The Fratellis's song We Need Medicine can be interpreted in a number of ways. On the surface level, it's about needing medicine to survive until the end of time. However, there are deeper themes at play, including the idea of a personal struggle with vices and inner demons. The opening lines of the song are repeated throughout - "we need medicine and we need it now" - creating a sense of urgency and desperation.
The verses seem to be written from the perspective of someone struggling with addiction or other vices. The line "my soul's on fire, but my heart she's made of stone" suggests a disconnect between the emotional and spiritual self. The singer goes on to describe himself as not being "the kind of man you take back home," implying a sense of shame or guilt over his personal struggles. He also admits to not believing in anything that isn't shown, indicating a possible lack of faith or belief in a higher power to turn to for help.
The chorus repeats the opening lines, and the song ends with the repetition of "to get us to the end of time." This could be interpreted as a plea for a temporary fix, rather than a permanent solution to the problems at hand.
Overall, the lyrics of We Need Medicine suggest a struggle with personal demons and a desperation for temporary relief. It's a powerful and relatable message that is likely to resonate with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
To get us to the end of time
To survive through the long haul, we need to address our current woes immediately.
My soul's on fire, but my heart she's made of stone
While my emotions are fiery, my heart remains unyielding and cold.
I'd be a good man if only my wicked thoughts were known
If people could only see my hidden vices, I’d be considered a decent person.
I don't believe in nothing that isn't shown
I need concrete evidence to believe in something.
I'm not the kind of man you take back home
I am not the type of man to introduce to one’s family or bring home.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
To get us to the end of time
To survive through the long haul, we need to address our current woes immediately.
I won't be happy 'til I don't have a friend
I will not feel content until I cut myself off from social connections.
I just can't convince myself of what I'll never comprehend
There are certain things I cannot understand, no matter how hard I try to convince myself.
I'm not a sinner, I confess at the end
While I may not be a saint, I do admit my shortcomings in the end.
But don't trust a single word I say
Despite my confessions, I am not entirely trustworthy.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
To get us to the end of time
To survive through the long haul, we need to address our current woes immediately.
I cry your tears while all my friends stand in line
I empathize with others' pain, while my friends queue up for their own struggles.
I've seen no injustice in that broken-hearted victory sign
That symbol of desperation and sadness resonates with me; I do not see it as wrong.
If I was them I would be no friend of mine
I would not befriend someone like myself.
I laugh when the walls come crashing down
I find humour in moments of chaos or destruction.
Well you could buy me for a handful of dust
I am worth very little.
But I'm so cheap that gypsies only deal with me when they must
I am considered of such little worth that only those with no other choice would deal with me.
I'm only happy when the gold turns to rust
I find delight in the destruction of valuable items.
It's the kind of thing that makes my day
These occurrences bring me joy, even though they may not be characteristic of socially acceptable behaviour.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
We need medicine and we need it now
We require a remedy to overcome our current predicament urgently.
To get us to the end of time
To survive through the long haul, we need to address our current woes immediately.
To get us to the end of time
To survive through the long haul, we need to address our current woes immediately.
To get us to the end of time
To survive through the long haul, we need to address our current woes immediately.
To get us to the end of time
To survive through the long haul, we need to address our current woes immediately.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
3 kronor
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
My soul's on fire, but my heart she's made of stone
I'd be a good man if only my wicked thoughts were known
I don't believe in nothing that isn't shown
I'm not the kind of man you take back home
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
I won't be happy 'til I don't have a friend
I just can't convince myself of what I'll never comprehend
I'm not a sinner, I confess at the end
But don't trust a single word I say
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
I cry your tears while all my friends stand in line
I've seen no injustice in that broken-hearted victory sign
If I was them I would be no friend of mine
I laugh when the walls come crashing down
Well you could buy me for a handful of dust
But I'm so cheap that gypsies only deal with me when they must
I'm only happy when the gold turns to rust
It's the kind of thing that makes my day
Oleg Marmazinsky
Well she's halfway over this hard on son
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
And she's quite sure she's not the only one
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
Well there's a quiver up her backbone, dogs in the dust
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
And she'll take what she needs and she'll do what she must
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
There's a raw bone whisper underneath the cover
Louder than a dead man's drum
There's a joke that they told her when she got much older
When she knew just what she'd become
Oh let me tell ya that she's...
One part evil, three-fifths blind
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
And she's oh so delicate and still don't mind
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
Well there's a chance that she knows where the bodies are kept
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
And she still don't remember the tears that she wept
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
There's a raw bone whisper underneath the cover
Louder than a dead man's drum
There's a joke that they told her when she got much older
When she knew just what she'd become
Oh let me tell ya now...
Well she's all too generous with my time
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
And she knows that injustice is no real crime
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
And I will always remember the way that she crawled
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
When I throw up in the rain she pretends she's appalled
She's not gone yet but she's leaving
There's a raw bone whisper underneath the cover
Louder than a dead man's drum
There's a joke that they told her when she got much older
When she knew just what she'd become
kaden talbot
i love this band not a single bad song!
i wish this band were more popular and would come to my town.
sebbe91
Same
Japi Bavink
Great band, great song!
Megan Meyer
Have always loved this song. The Fratellis are fantastic! 💗💗
3 kronor
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
My soul's on fire, but my heart she's made of stone
I'd be a good man if only my wicked thoughts were known
I don't believe in nothing that isn't shown
I'm not the kind of man you take back home
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
I won't be happy 'til I don't have a friend
I just can't convince myself of what I'll never comprehend
I'm not a sinner, I confess at the end
But don't trust a single word I say
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
We need medicine and we need it now
To get us to the end of time
I cry your tears while all my friends stand in line
I've seen no injustice in that broken-hearted victory sign
If I was them I would be no friend of mine
I laugh when the walls come crashing down
Well you could buy me for a handful of dust
But I'm so cheap that gypsies only deal with me when they must
I'm only happy when the gold turns to rust
It's the kind of thing that makes my day
spiderhead
we really need medicine now lol
sebbe91
All hail the hospital patient's anthem
VinceTheLovableStoner
to get us to the end of time <3
Ayush Sharma
Was watching Frankie Boyle's short comedy 'Gasping' when I heard this song. This is good music.
Sudenur Özdemir
we really need medicine!