1. The Killers is an Ame… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists using this name:
1. The Killers is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2001.
They got the name from the fictional band The Killers in the video for New Order's song Crystal.
As of 2021, the band has released six studio albums, which have sold 28 million records worldwide.
The Early Years
Initially, The Killers played at large clubs in Las Vegas. With the band's line-up stable and their repertoire of songs expanding, the band began to attract attention from talent bookers, local agents, major label, scouts — and a UK representative for Warner Bros. Though the Warner Bros representative passed on the band, he took the demo back with him, showing it to a friend who worked at UK (London-based) indie label Lizard King Records (now Marrakesh Records). The Killers then signed in the summer of 2002 to a British label.
Hot Fuss
They released their debut album Hot Fuss on June 2004 in the United Kingdom and US (on Island Records). Their first single was Somebody Told Me. The band also had chart success with their singles Mr. Brightside, which reached the Top 10 in the UK when released, and All These Things That I've Done.
Sam's Town
The band started recording its second album, Sam's Town, on February 15, 2006, at The Palms Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. It was released on October 2006.
The first single, When You Were Young debuted on radio stations in late July 2006. In late August 2006, it was offered as a downloadable track before the album's debut. The single then entered the chart on downloads alone at #5, and the following week on its official release went to #2 in the UK.
The video clip of the second single, Bones, was directed by Tim Burton.
The third single was Read My Mind. The video for it was filmed in Tokyo, Japan.
The last one was For Reasons Unknown, released in June, 2007.
The album sold over 700,000 copies worldwide in the first week of release, with a No. 2 debut on the United World chart.
Sawdust Compilation
The compilation album Sawdust, containing B-sides, rarities, and some new material, was released on November 12, 2007.
The album's first single Tranquilize, a collaboration with Lou Reed, was released on October 2007. The band also released their cover of Joy Division's song Shadowplay on the U.S. iTunes Store. The album contains songs Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town (a The First Edition cover), Romeo and Juliet (a Dire Straits cover), and a new version of Move Away (previously available on the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack). One of the tracks on Sawdust is Leave the Bourbon On The Shelf, the first but previously unreleased part of the so called Murder Trilogy, in which it is followed by Midnight Show then Jenny Was a Friend of Mine.
(Red) Christmas EP
In 2006 Songfacts reported that The Killers were recognized for their work with Bono's Product Red campaign, which is dedicated to fighting AIDS in Africa.
In the same year they have released their first Christmas themed song and music video, A Great Big Sled in aid of the charity, followed by Don't Shoot Me Santa on December 1, 2007.
Their festive tunes have subsequently became an annual event and (Red) Christmas EP intended to raise money for the Product Red campaign on November 29, 2011.
Day & Age
The third album Day & Age was released on 25th November 2008 (24th November for the UK).
The album's first single Human was debuted on 22nd September and on the 30th September, the single was made available on iTunes, with many radio DJ's suggesting it was the best single by The Killers yet.
Killers frontman Brandon Flowers said (in December 2008) that he thinks that his band "will be bigger than U2 eventually, and sooner than you might think". He told The Daily Telegraph that "U2 are unbelievable, but they're getting old. It feels like it's time".
The album was reviewed at Silent Soundwaves.
Battle Born
The band was on hiatus, but returned to the studio to record their fourth studio album in early 2011. Songfacts reported that Runaways, the first single from the new album, was released on July 10, 2012.
The Killers' fourth studio album, Battle Born, was released on 18 September 2012.
It took 15 months to record it. The band began working on it after they took a touring break for a little over a year. The album had five producers, with The Killers producing one song by themselves, The Rising Tide.
The debut single was Runaways, followed by Miss Atomic Bomb and Here with Me.
Wonderful Wonderful
In 2015, Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning began to discuss recording a fifth studio album. The band recorded the album between September 2016 and May 2017, with production by Jacknife Lee. Band members Dave Keuning and Mark Stoermer both announced that they would take a break from touring. The Killers' fifth studio album, Wonderful Wonderful, was released on September 22, 2017, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200. Stoermer
Imploding the Mirage
On November 15, 2019, the Killers announced their sixth studio album titled Imploding the Mirage for a Spring 2020 release. On March 12, 2020, the album's lead single "Caution" was released, featuring a guitar solo by former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. Buckingham said of the band, "There’s such a strong center to what they’re doing. Their material is so well crafted that it cuts across a lot of generational lines." Brandon Flowers also confirmed that guitarist Dave Keuning was still on hiatus and did not participate in recording the album. On April 25, 2020, "Caution" reached number one on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart, setting a record of 13 years and 6 months since the band's last number-one song on the chart.
The Killers' sixth studio album, " Imploding the Mirage" was released on August 21, 2020. It debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200.
Influences
Much of The Killers' music is based on British influences and on the music of the 1980s, particularly New Wave. Flowers has also said in interviews that the larger-than-life sound of many of the band's songs is due to the influence of living in Las Vegas, a city where everything is about flash and who can top whom. They appreciate post-punk bands that sprang up during the 80's such as Joy Division, and they are also avowed fans of New Order (with whom Flowers has performed live), Pet Shop Boys, Dire Straits, David Bowie, The Smiths, Morrissey, Depeche Mode, U2, Queen, Oasis and The Beatles. Their second album was said to be greatly influenced by Bruce Springsteen's music and lyrics.
Their line-up is:
Brandon Flowers (vocals, keyboards),
Dave Keuning (guitar, backing vocals),
Mark Stoermer (bass guitar, backing vocals),
Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums, percussion).
2. The Killers was an Uruguayan rock band from the early 1970s which released an album Good Bye in 1972.
3. The Killers was an American hardcore band from Chicago, IL, from the 1990s founded by former members of Charles Bronson.
They released records on Hater of God and Gloom, and had split records with A.P.B. & 9 Shocks Terror.
Reminds of Behead The Prophet No Lord Shall Live meets The Oath.
4. The Killers (aka Insanity and The Killers) was an American band from Cleveland, Ohio. They released one 7″ on Huh? Oh? in 1981.
5. The Killers was a British punk rock band from England formed in 1977 (though released their first 7", I Don't Care, as Joe Cool & The Killers).
In 1978 they released their one and only album called Killer; by then they had dropped the Joe Cool and released the record under this name.
6. The Killers was a Brazilian garage rock band that released one album in 1964 titled The Killers. The band members were João Bosco (drums), Luiz Carlos (bass guitar), João Carlos (lead guitar), and Gustavo (rhythm guitar)
The Cowboys' Christmas Ball
The Killers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the Truckee's waters flow
Where the cattle are a-browsin'
And the Spanish ponies grow
Where the northers come a-whistlin'
From beyond the Neutral Strip
And the prairie dogs are sneezin'
As if they had the grippe
Round the ranches after dark
And the bluebirds are singin’
To the lovely meadowlark
Where the bighorns are a-grazin'
And the lonely plovers call
It was there that I attended
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
The boys had left the ranches
And come to town in piles
The ladies kinda scatterin'
Had gathered in for miles
The room was togged out gorgeous
With mistletoe and shawls
And candles flickered frescoes
Around the airy wall
The women-folk looked lovely
The boys looked kinda treed
Till the leader got to yellin'
Hey fellers, let's stampede
And the music started sighin’
An' a-wailin’ through the hall
As a kind of introduction
To The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
Their leader was a feller
That came from Swenson's Ranch
They called him Windy Billy
From little Deadman's Branch
His rig was kinda careless
Big spurs and high-heeled boots
He had the reputation
That come when a feller shoots
His voice was like a bugle
Upon a mountainous height
His feet were animated
In a mighty movin’ sight
When he commenced to hollerin'
Now fellers, stake your pen
Lock horns with all them heifers
An' rustle ‘em like men
Salute yer lovely critters
Now swing an' let ‘em go
Climb the grapevine round ‘em
All hands do-si-do!
You mavericks, join the round-up
Just skip her waterfall
Huh! It was gettin' happy
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
Don’t tell me 'bout cotillions
Or Germans no sirree
That whirl at Carson City
Just takes the cake with me
I’m sick of lazy shufflins
Of them I’ve had my fill
Just give me a frontier breakdown
Backed up by Wild Bill
McAllister ain't nowhere
When Windy leads the show
I’ve seen 'em both in harness
And so I sorta know
Oh, Bill, I shan't forget ya
And I'll oftentimes recall
That lively gaited soirée
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
Oh, Bill, I shan't forget ya
And I'll oftentimes recall
That lively gaited soirée
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
"The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" is a song that recounts a Christmas party held in Nevada among the cowboys and their ladies. The singer paints a vivid picture of the location, where the Truckee River flows, and the cattle graze, and the Spanish ponies grow. The weather is raw, and the winter winds howl, but it is a cozy venue enhanced by the Christmas decorations, mistletoe, and shawls.
The first verse of the song showcases the location and the setting where the cowboys and their ladies gathered. The second verse captures the feeling of the party, with everyone dressed beautifully, ready to enjoy the festivities. The singer praises the cowboys' leader, "Windy," who calls the dances and leads the revelries. The third verse describes the dancing and how it differs from the more formal dances in towns like Carson City. Instead, it is a lively and raucous frontier breakdown that takes pride in their way of life and their unique culture.
"The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball" was inspired by an actual Christmas party that took place in 1885 in Anson, Texas. The songwriter, William Lawrence Chittenden, also known as "Lonesome Bill," was a cowboy poet who attended the party and later immortalized it in his poem, "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball." The song's melody was written by Michael Martin Murphey, who also recorded it in 1991.
Line by Line Meaning
Way out in ol' Nevada
In a remote location in Nevada
Where the Truckee's waters flow
Where the Truckee River runs through
Where the cattle are a-browsin'
Where the cattle are grazing
And the Spanish ponies grow
And where the Spanish bred ponies are raised
Where the northers come a-whistlin'
Where the cold northern winds blow
From beyond the Neutral Strip
From beyond the area of land that separated Texas and the Oklahoma Territory
And the prairie dogs are sneezin'
And the prairie dogs are making a sneezing sound
As if they had the grippe
As if they had the flu
Where the coyotes come a-howlin'
Where the coyotes are howling
Round the ranches after dark
Around the ranches at night
And the bluebirds are singin'
And the bluebirds are chirping
To the lovely meadowlark
To the beautiful meadowlark
Where the bighorns are a-grazin'
Where the bighorn sheep are grazing
And the lonely plovers call
And the lonely plovers are calling out
It was there that I attended
It was there that I went to
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
The Cowboys’ Christmas dance
The boys had left the ranches
The cowboys had left their ranches
And come to town in piles
And came to town in large numbers
The ladies kinda scatterin'
The ladies were somewhat scattered
Had gathered in for miles
Had gathered from far away
The room was togged out gorgeous
The room was beautifully decorated
With mistletoe and shawls
With mistletoe and women's shawls
And candles flickered frescoes
And candles flickered on frescoes
Around the airy wall
Around the open wall
The women-folk looked lovely
The women looked beautiful
The boys looked kinda treed
The cowboys looked slightly nervous
Till the leader got to yellin'
Until the leader started shouting
Hey fellers, let's stampede
Hey guys, let's start dancing
And the music started sighin'
And the music began playing softly
An' a-wailin’ through the hall
And was echoing through the hall
As a kind of introduction
As a type of opening to the dance
To The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
To The Cowboys’ Christmas dance
Their leader was a feller
Their leader was a man
That came from Swenson's Ranch
Who came from Swenson's Ranch
They called him Windy Billy
They referred to him as Windy Billy
From little Deadman's Branch
From the small Deadman's Branch
His rig was kinda careless
His attire was somewhat careless
Big spurs and high-heeled boots
He wore big spurs and high-heeled boots
He had the reputation
He had earned the reputation
That come when a feller shoots
That comes when a man is an accomplished marksman
His voice was like a bugle
His voice was loud and commanding
Upon a mountainous height
Echoing from a high place
His feet were animated
His feet were lively and active
In a mighty movin’ sight
In a powerful and impressive way
When he commenced to hollerin'
When he began shouting
Now fellers, stake your pen
Now guys, take your partner
Lock horns with all them heifers
Get active and dance with all the women
Salute yer lovely critters
Pay homage to your beautiful companions
Now swing an' let ‘em go
Now dance and let them move
Climb the grapevine round ‘em
Dance around and amongst them
All hands do-si-do!
Everyone join in doing the do-si-do!
You mavericks, join the round-up
You rebels, join in with the rest
Just skip her waterfall
Just don't worry about the consequences
Huh! It was gettin' happy
Huh! Everyone was enjoying themselves
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
The Cowboys’ Christmas dance
Don’t tell me 'bout cotillions
Don't talk to me about cotillions
Or Germans no sirree
Or German dances, no sir
That whirl at Carson City
That spin around at Carson City
Just takes the cake with me
Just takes the prize for me
I’m sick of lazy shufflins
I'm tired of slow, lazy dances
Of them I’ve had my fill
I've had enough of those
Just give me a frontier breakdown
Just give me a lively frontier dance
Backed up by Wild Bill
With Wild Bill supporting the music
McAllister ain't nowhere
McAllister doesn't compare
When Windy leads the show
When Windy is in charge
I’ve seen 'em both in harness
I've seen both of them dancing
And so I sorta know
And so I have a good idea
Oh, Bill, I shan't forget ya
Oh, Bill, I won't forget you
And I'll oftentimes recall
And I'll remember for a long time
That lively gaited soirée
That lively and well-attended dance party
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
The Cowboys’ Christmas dance
Oh, Bill, I shan't forget ya
Oh, Bill, I won't forget you
And I'll oftentimes recall
And I'll remember for a long time
That lively gaited soirée
That lively and well-attended dance party
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
The Cowboys’ Christmas dance
Contributed by William L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Northern New England Railfanning Productions
トラッキー川の水が流れるオールド ネバダに出て、
牛が「a-browzin」であり、スペインのポニーが成長する場所。
ニュートラル ストリップの向こうから北部の人々が「口笛を吹く」場所。
そして、プレーリードッグはまるで「ザ・グリップ」を持っているかのようにくしゃみをしています。
暗くなってからカヨーテが牧場の周りをうなり声を上げてやってくるところ、
そして青い鳥は美しい「草原のひばり」に合わせて歌っています。
ビッグホーンが放牧され、孤独なチドリが鳴く場所
私が「カウボーイズ・クリスマス・ボール」に出席したのはそこでした。
少年たちは牧場を出て、積み重なって町にやってきた。
女性たちは、「ちょっと散らかっている」ように、何マイルにもわたって集まっていました。
部屋はヤドリギとショールで豪華に飾られていました。
そして、風通しの良い壁の周りで、ろうそくがフレスコ画を揺らしました。
女性たちは可愛らしく見えたし、男の子たちはちょっと木のように見えた。
リーダーが大声で叫ぶまでは:
そして、音楽はため息をつき始め、ホールを通り抜けました
「カウボーイズ・クリスマス・ボール」の一種の紹介として。
彼らのリーダーは、スウェンソンの牧場から来たフェラーでした。
彼らは彼を「リトル・デッドマンズ・ブランチ」から「ウィンディ・ビリー」と呼んだ。
彼の装備は「ちょっと不注意」で、大きな拍車とハイヒールのブーツでした。
彼は「フェラーズが撃つ」ときに来るという評判がありました。
彼の声は山のような高さのラッパのようでした。
彼の足は活気があり、力強く、動く光景でした。
彼が大声で叫び始めたとき、「さあ、野郎どもがお前のペンを賭けろ！
「すべての未経産牛と一緒に角をロックし、男性のように「騒ぎ」ます。
「あなたの素敵な生き物に挨拶してください。さあ、スイングして放してください。
「ぶどうのつるをよじ登り、みんなで力を合わせて！
「マーベリックス、ラウンドアップに参加してください。彼女の滝をスキップしてください」
は！幸せになってきた カウボーイズ・クリスマス・ボール
コティリオンやドイツ人については言わないでください。いいえ、シレエ！
カーソンシティでのあの渦は、私と一緒にケーキを持っていきます。
怠け者のシャッフリンにはもううんざりだ。
Wild Ol' Bill に支えられたフロンティアの内訳を教えてください。
ウィンディがショーをリードするとき、マカリスターはどこにもいません。
両方ともハーネスをつけているのを見たことがあるので、なんとなく—
ああ、ビル、私はあなたのことを決して忘れません。
その活気に満ちた歩き方の叫び声—「カウボーイのクリスマスボール」。
ああ、ビル、私はあなたのことを決して忘れません。
その活気に満ちた歩き方の叫び声—「カウボーイのクリスマスボール」。
Kevin Kunzen
I've listened to this song 100 times, but I just listened to it while looking at the lyrics. I probably had to look up a dozen words or phrases that I didn't know. My appreciation for this song just grew immensely, this band clearly put a lot of time and effort into writing this song!
Brad McGovern
The lyrics are actually a poem from 1890, a New York writer went down to Texas and wrote the "Cowboys Christmas Ball" based on his experience, trying to give his New York readers a taste of the West. The Killers adjusted the lyrics a bit to move it from Texas to Nevada :-) The Killers aren't the only ones to put the poem to music, Michael Martin Murphey also has a well-loved version that's more country music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx5XuwNo2iM
Kevin Kunzen
@Brad McGovern fascinating, thanks for letting me know!
Ja Grange
Agreed. One of the best Christmas songs that is newer that I have heard in a long time! This is one of the best bands of this generation. That is for real.
Carlos steven de la Cruz
If you guys didn't know the killers always make a Christmas song and donate the proceeds to a charity almost every year
Tim Bolen
That's awesome!!
Renzo Ugarelli
Since 2006.
Roberto M. Vázquez
This year they didn't upload a song :'(
João Borges
@Roberto M. Vázquez they stopped doing it :(
Ammo
@João Borges why?