The band claims to be from the village of Noid, England, near Bath. However, no such town exists in England. "Noid" has been suspected of being a pun on the "No ID, No Sale" campaign in pubs in the UK.
Forming in the fertile swamps of England’s West Country in the mid-naughties, around the axis of Dan Taylor (guitarist and songwriter) and Kelvin Swaby (vocalist and songwriter,) the Heavy immediately astounded. Jaw dropping, freshly minted riffs, swinging hip-hop drums, funk-ridden bass and Swaby’s startling, Mayfield-esque vocals meant early singles ‘That Kind of Man’ and ‘Colleen’ blew minds and won hearts. The debut album they were taken from – ‘Great Vengeance and Furious Fire’ – became an instant connoisseurs’ classic.
It was their sophomore album, though, that saw them blasting into homes across the globe. ‘The House that Dirt Built’. It also yielded the mighty ‘How You Like Me Now?’ The single was licensed for a major commercial in the 3rd Quarter of the Superbowl (the biggest ad slot in the world) and quite simply went stratospheric.
“It became such a big tune, that people asked, ‘How are you going to top that?’.” Swaby says.
The answer was 2012’s ‘The Glorious Dead,’ the band’s third album. Even deeper, a touch darker, and with shades of Southern Gothic infesting the swampy rock n’ soul of previous records, the album was another giant step forward, Frankensteining swampy voodoo and b-movie zombies with garage rock and Gospel-soaked soul.
Lead single ‘What Makes a Good Man?’ showed that The Heavy were able to write brilliant singles time after time, with synchs snowing in once again, and American radio coming on board. The band toured the world exhaustively, wowing audiences with their transcendental live performances.
“It was over the top, in a good way,” adds Heavy frontman Kelvin Swaby. “We went pretty cinematic, setting out to score a film that hasn’t been written.”
“It’s good to have a bit of light and shade,” Taylor adds.
Since then, The Heavy has gone on to achieve storming success in Japan, playing Fuji Rock, chalking up a #1 alternative album on iTunes Japan, scoring a major Pepsi synch and playing Japan’s biggest breakfast TV show, ‘Sukkiri.’
Their music was used in the stunning Guiness Sapeurs ad, they played Glastonbury, sold out Shepherd’s Bush Empire and re-recorded How You Like Me Now? with none other than 50 Cent, to launch ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft Week.
To top it all, How You Like Me Now? reached Gold status in the United States – a stunning achievement for an English, independent artist. How to top all that, you might ask? Well, there’s a new album on the way, and The Heavy just happen to have a habit of exceeding themselves…
Brukpocket's Lament
The Heavy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Best that I could
I tried to live
Like a good man should
I tried to hard
But where did I go?
For my baby don't want to know
Please understand
I need assistance
A chemical hand
Give me release
My head's 'bout to blow
Oh my baby don't want to know
I saw a priest
Let me explain
Baby Jesus gonna
Hear my pain
I read the book
But his hard to follow
Still my baby don't want to know
I saw my mama
Mama hold me still
I'm starting to talk
Like I'm mentally ill
Fetch me my rifle
I've done all I could
No my baby don't come for good
I'm sorry baby
I'm so sorry baby
The lyrics to The Heavy's song "Brukpocket's Lament" are a heartbreaking confession from someone who has given their all to love the person they are singing to, but has ultimately failed. The singer is crumbling under the weight of the rejection, and is desperate for any kind of help, whether it be medical or religious assistance. They've tried everything they can to win their lover back, but nothing seems to be working. The singer is so distraught that they even start talking like they're "mentally ill" and consider violence as an option.
The lyrics express a sense of hopelessness and despair that is palpable throughout the song. The heavy instrumentation and the rawness of the vocals add to this feeling of desperation. The repetition of the line "my baby don't want to know" only further drives home the idea that the singer is at the end of their rope. It's a haunting and powerful song that captures the pain of unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to love her
I did my best to give her my love and affection
Best that I could
I put in all my effort into showing her my love
I tried to live
I attempted to be the best version of myself
Like a good man should
I wanted to fulfill my role as a respectable and reliable partner
I tried too hard
I put too much pressure on myself to meet her expectations
But where did I go?
I lost track of myself and struggled to understand what went wrong
For my baby don't want to know
My partner has lost interest in me and doesn't want to hear from me
I saw a doctor
I sought medical help
Please understand
I hope you can empathize with my situation
I need assistance
I require support and help to get through this
A chemical hand
I'm turning to medication for help
Give me release
I need a way to escape my overwhelming emotions
My head's 'bout to blow
I feel like I'm about to lose control
Oh my baby don't want to know
My partner is not invested in my well-being and doesn't want to hear about my struggles
I saw a priest
I turned to religion for guidance
Let me explain
I need to express my thoughts and feelings
Baby Jesus gonna
God will
Hear my pain
Listen to my distress and discomfort
I read the book
I studied religious texts
But his hard to follow
But it's difficult to understand and implement
Still my baby don't want to know
Despite turning to religion for guidance, my partner remains uninterested in my struggles
I saw my mama
I reached out to my mother for comfort
Mama hold me still
I need my mother's warmth and comfort to help me cope
I'm starting to talk
I'm becoming mentally unstable
Like I'm mentally ill
I am beginning to exhibit symptoms of a mental disorder
Fetch me my rifle
I am desperate and may resort to harmful measures
I've done all I could
I feel like I've exhausted all my options and efforts
No my baby don't come for good
My partner has left me for good and won't be returning
I'm sorry baby
I deeply regret any actions or choices that may have caused my partner to leave
I'm so sorry baby
My remorse over losing my partner is profound
Contributed by Austin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.