After playing countless hometown shows, the Futureheads took the show on the road with a massive helping hand from Slampt Records' Milky Wimpshake. A tour of Squats and Youth Centres in Central Europe came in summer 2001, due to which the band switched out drummers. In place of Peter Brewis ambled a young pretender, Mr David Hyde (Drums, Vocals).
Several singles followed - the first, Nul Book Standard, can now be seen casually hanging out on eBay from time to time. A relationship with the lovely people at Fantastic Plastic briefly followed. 'The Futureheads' was released in summer 2004, on 679 Recordings, and then the band hit the road. Some highlights of 2005 include playing Glastonbury Festival on Baz's birthday, Hounds Of Love going Top Ten, meeting Dennis Hopper on Jimmy Kimmel's US TV Show, and getting that most infamous of Albatrosses, The Second Album under their belts.
‘News and Tributes’ was released in May 2006. It reached 11 in the album chart, and saw the band touring the world and continuing to win fans and supporters with their exhilarating live shows.
Fast forward to 2008, and The Futureheads are back, bolder and better than ever, exploding back onto the scene with their new album ‘This Is Not The World’. Embracing the punk-rock ethic like never before, Barry, Ross, Jaff and Dave are releasing their third album independently and taking control of their own destiny. It’s going to feel like the first time, all over again…
Annoyed and frustrated too many times by the bureaucratic nightmare that music had become, the band split with former label 679 in late 2006. A silently busy year followed which saw the band writing and recording, and launching their own label Nul Records, solely to release music by The Futureheads. Free of major label shackles, the band are taking back control and relishing being their own bosses.
‘This Is Not The World’ was recorded in 3 weeks in the summer with super-producer Youth at his studio ‘Space Mountain’ in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Andalusia. About as far away atmospherically as you can get from the bleak Scarborough farm in which they recorded ‘News And Tributes’, the band couldn’t help but be influenced by Youth’s enthusiasm, and describe the album as one of ‘defiance, optimism and joy.’
Keen to share the joy with fans, the band released 2 tracks as free downloads and played intimate shows in London and Sunderland at the end of 2007. They begin 2008 with a tour of uni venues and kick off the year with storming new single ‘The Beginning Of The Twist’, released March 10th.
Area
The Futureheads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You left your luggage in the hallway and a thief ran away with it (he ran away with it)
His excuse was boredom; tell me how bored you have to be
And I promise you won't be bored when it gets to the point that you're finished with me
You have to buy an alarm; the lasers pick up movements in the dark
It's better than a dog bark; it guarantees you can be secure at night (area, area, area, area)
Your area's in ruin, your area's in ruin (area), your area is free (area)
When it gets to the point that you're finished with me and all the first are ready
Very certain that she has to go; where do you come from, what do you know?
The doors have metal plates fitted to the inside of the exit alleys to the front gates
Security's expensive; it can cost a fortune if you buy your locks from the wrong place
It's the area disgrace
It's the area disgrace
It's the area disgrace
(Area's in ruin, area's in ruin)
Ruin, ruin
When it gets to the point that you're finished with me and all the first are ready
Very certain that she has to go
Very certain that she has to go
Very certain that she has to go
Where do you come from, what do you know?
The Futureheads' song "Area" was released in 2004 on their self-titled debut album. The song is a commentary on the state of urban areas and the need for security in modern society. The opening lines describe a situation in which the singer's house is falling apart, requiring them to stay in a hotel. However, even in this supposedly secure environment, their luggage is stolen. The thief's excuse is that he was bored, highlighting the desperation and lack of opportunities that plague many areas.
The chorus repeatedly refers to the "area in ruin," suggesting a bleak and desolate environment that has been abandoned by society. The singer's attempts at securing their surroundings are described in the second verse, with mentions of laser alarms and metal-plated doors. However, these measures are expensive and ultimately futile in the face of an area in decline.
The song ends with the repeated refrain of "very certain that she has to go, where do you come from, what do you know?" This could be interpreted as a commentary on the societal pressures that force people to leave their homes and seek security elsewhere, as well as a cynical view of how people judge and stereotype those from different areas.
Overall, "Area" portrays a stark and pessimistic view of urban life, highlighting the challenges and frustrations of living in an environment where security is elusive and opportunities are scarce.
Line by Line Meaning
You have to stay in a hotel because your house was falling to pieces
Your home is breaking apart and you have no choice but to seek shelter at a hotel
You left your luggage in the hallway and a thief ran away with it (he ran away with it)
A thief stole your belongings when you left them in the hallway
His excuse was boredom; tell me how bored you have to be
The thief stole your luggage out of sheer boredom and we wonder how anyone can be so bored
And I promise you won't be bored when it gets to the point that you're finished with me
The singer promises that you will never be bored with him and will want to stay with him forever
You have to buy an alarm; the lasers pick up movements in the dark
To secure your safety at night, you need to purchase an alarm that can detect movement in the dark through lasers
It's better than a dog bark; it guarantees you can be secure at night (area, area, area, area)
The alarm is better than a dog barking at night, and it provides a guarantee of safety and security in your area
Your area's in ruin, your area's in ruin (area), your area is free (area)
The area you live in is in a state of disrepair, but at least it provides freedom to move around
When it gets to the point that you're finished with me
At some point, you may feel like you don't want to be with the singer anymore
When it gets to the point that you're finished with me and all the first are ready
When you're done with the singer, and everything else is ready to move on
Very certain that she has to go; where do you come from, what do you know?
Someone is certain that she needs to leave and is asking a person where they're from and what they know
The doors have metal plates fitted to the inside of the exit alleys to the front gates
The exit doors have metal plates on the inside that lead to the front gates
Security's expensive; it can cost a fortune if you buy your locks from the wrong place
Security measures can be expensive, and if you don't buy locks from the right places, it can cost a lot of money
It's the area disgrace
The way the area looks and functions is a disgrace
(Area's in ruin, area's in ruin)
The area is falling apart
Ruin, ruin
Everything is falling apart
Very certain that she has to go
Someone is sure that a woman needs to leave
Where do you come from, what do you know?
The same question from earlier is repeated, wondering where the person is from and what they know
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY HYDE, DAVID CRAIG, DAVID HYDE, ROSS MILLARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
xunt
👏👏👏 bravo!!!