The Futureheads are a post-punk band which incorporates elements of a cappe… Read Full Bio ↴The Futureheads are a post-punk band which incorporates elements of a cappella into their music. They were formed in 2000 in Sunderland, England, United Kingdom or more specifically, in Barry's garage. The line-up of the band at that point was Jaff (Bass, Vocals), Barry Hyde (Guitar, Vocals), Ross Millard (Guitar, Vocals), and Peter Brewis (Drums, Vocals), now of cerebral pop-masterpiece-makers Field Music.

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.

The Baron
The Futureheads Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So here we are, queuing on the street
The ground keeps sticking to your feet, it's early.
The queue is a thousand strong
The town is closing down
Businesses are turning to the shadows
As the shutters go down

I hate to say I could be sold

The shutters I was leaving here
Nice to meet you, on your way

I'm gladly watching the walls come tumbling down
What you pulling out your hair for?
Let's dance as it hits the floor
I'm gladly watching the walls come tumbling down
What you pulling out your hair for?
Let's dance as it hits the floor

Every few decades the plans tend to go astray
The blue is turning to the grey, it's the end of the headache
Everybody is at home, and the streets are alone
The only sound is papers that are blown
By the winds from the sea

I hate to say I could be sold
The shutters I was leaving here
Nice to meet you, but on your way

I'm gladly watching the walls come tumbling down
What you pulling out your hair for?
Let's dance as it hits the floor
I'm gladly watching the walls come tumbling down

What you pulling out your hair for?
Let's dance as it hits the floor

Overall Meaning

The Futureheads' "The Baron" is a commentary on the chaos and uncertainty of modern life. The lyrics paint a picture of a crowded street, with a queue of people waiting outside. While businesses close and the town seems to be shutting down, the singer finds himself watching the walls come tumbling down, almost reveling in the destruction. The chorus repeats the line "What you pulling out your hair for? Let's dance as it hits the floor" – a call to abandon worry and embrace the inevitable changes and challenges that come with the passage of time.

The song speaks to the feeling of being adrift in an ever-changing world, where plans can quickly go astray and the only constant is change. The blue sky turns to grey, and everyone seems to be at home, alone. In the face of this, the singer finds a kind of release in watching it all fall apart. The line "I hate to say I could be sold" suggests the danger of becoming too invested in the status quo and losing sight of what really matters.

Line by Line Meaning

So here we are, queuing on the street
We are standing in a line on the street.

The ground keeps sticking to your feet, it's early.
The ground is wet and it's still early in the day.

The queue is a thousand strong
There are a thousand people in line.

The town is closing down
The town is shutting down.

Businesses are turning to the shadows
Businesses are closing and becoming dark.

As the shutters go down
The shutters on the businesses are closing.

I hate to say I could be sold
I don't like to admit that I could be bought.

The shutters I was leaving here
The shutters I was passing by as I left.

Nice to meet you, on your way
Nice to see you, but I have to go.

I'm gladly watching the walls come tumbling down
I am happy to see the walls falling.

What you pulling out your hair for?
Why are you getting upset?