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.
First Day
The Futureheads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hope you have a wonderful first day
We are so happy to have you join the team
You are so lucky on your first day
And they say
This is the job that people die for
I hope you're ready for the next stage
Don't let them get in your way
Dinner time you go to the canteen
You make a new friend at the dinner break
You like to talk when you're eating
But today you listen to him
And he says like it or not
You have to do what they say
And it is something that you would like to talk about
But it's only your first day
And they say
This is the job that people die for
I hope you're ready for the next stage
A lot of people work in the same place
Don't let them get in your way
And they say faster, faster
It's time to take you to the next stage
But it's only your first day
And you're not ready for the next stage
And they say faster, faster
It's time to take you to the next stage
And it is something that you would like to talk about
But it's only your first day
(First day) you are so lucky on your first day (first day)
You feel so happy on your first day (first day)
You are so lucky on your first day (first day)
This is the job that people die for
I hope you're ready for the next stage
A lot of people work in the same place
Don't let them get in your way
Welcome to your new job (first day)
Hope you have a wonderful first day (first day)
We are so happy to have you join the team (first day)
You are so lucky on your first day (first day)
Lucky, lucky, lucky on your first day
(People die for people die for)
(People die for people die for)
(People die for people die for)
(People die for people die for)
The Futureheads’ “First Day” is a song about entering a new job for the first time. The lyrics speak about the hope and anticipation of the first day, but also the expectations placed on new employees. The song starts by welcoming the new employee to the team and expressing how lucky they are to have the opportunity to work at this job. However, the lyrics then take a darker turn, warning the employee about the demands and pressures of the job, as well as the other employees who may try to hinder their success.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase “This is the job that people die for,” which seems overly dramatic at first but captures the idea of how high the stakes can be in certain careers. There is a sense of urgency as the song progresses, with the repeated phrase “faster, faster” indicating the speed at which the new employee is expected to adapt and perform. The final line of the song repeats the sentiment of the beginning, reminding the employee how lucky they are to have this opportunity.
Overall, the song is a reflection of the often-complicated emotions that come with starting a new job. It captures both the excitement and fear that new employees can feel, while also highlighting the expectations placed on them by both the job itself and their coworkers.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome to your new job
A greeting for starting a new job
Hope you have a wonderful first day
Wishing for a great first day at work
We are so happy to have you join the team
Expressing delight in the new employee joining the team
You are so lucky on your first day
Giving the impression that the first day is something fortunate to experience
And they say
Referring to some unknown ‘they’ who are giving advice
This is the job that people die for
Implying that the job is so demanding that people would be willing to die for it
I hope you're ready for the next stage
Expecting that the demands on the employee will increase
A lot of people work in the same place
Noting the number of people who work there
Don't let them get in your way
Don’t allow coworkers to be a hindrance to your work
Dinner time you go to the canteen
A description of what happens at dinner time
You make a new friend at the dinner break
Having met someone new while on a break
You like to talk when you're eating
Enjoying the social aspect of mealtime
But today you listen to him
Choosing to listen to what the new friend has to say
And he says like it or not
Beginning the new friend's opinion on the job
You have to do what they say
Noting that instructions given must be followed
And it is something that you would like to talk about
Feeling like there's something to discuss
But it's only your first day
Not wanting to cause any conflict on the first day of the job
And they say faster, faster
Implying that advice is being given at a rapid pace
It's time to take you to the next stage
Explaining that a new level of work is expected soon
But it's only your first day
Feeling like the expectations are somewhat daunting for a new employee
(First day) you are so lucky on your first day
Repetition of the importance of the first day
(first day) You feel so happy on your first day
Reiterating the positive emotions related to starting a new job
(first day) You are so lucky on your first day
Emphasizing the good fortune felt by a new employee
Lucky, lucky, lucky on your first day
Repeating the idea of being lucky on the first day of a job
(People die for people die for)
A reference to the part of the song repeated earlier
(People die for people die for)
The repetition continues
(People die for people die for)
The repetition continues
(People die for people die for)
The repetition continues
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY HYDE, DAVID CRAIG, DAVID HYDE, ROSS MILLARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krazi Mac
Ah man, I was obsessed with this song back in 2003!😮
Alex Hodgson
Bloody loved this song and this band when I was a teen in art college. I had to revisit it for a nostalgia hit. Though this song comes to my defence in calling ‘lunch’ dinner. Must be a northern thing 😂
Count Dunkelheit
Quality track, quality video
SEATACx
Classic song/video
Biff Tetherton
That bass is hitting the brown note if you know what I'm saying
J B
This era had a lot of new bands playing throwback guitar music. Indie and alternative pop tinged goodness. These guys sort of fell into the cracks. Shame...they are a lot of youth energy fun.
Gabe Schleifer
I think a lot of us took the garage rock revival for granted when it happened. It's only in hindsight that we realized how cool it was.
BelleStarr
They are a fantastic band!
SomeDude
sounds like hes speaking chinese