Wanting to cut themselves off from their pasts, Mosshart and Hince considered their new project to be Year Zero in their careers, so they renamed themselves "VV" and "Hotel" respectively and began writing sparse, minimalist songs together with the aid of a drum machine. In 2001 they showcased their new songs on a well received demo tape. In true punk rock fashion, however, the pair shunned approaches from major record labels. Recording as VV and Hotel, they contributed the song "Restaurant Blouse" to the compilation If the Twenty-First Century Did Not Exist, It Would Be Necessary to Invent It. Shortly after this they recorded their debut release, the Black Rooster EP, which saw release on British indie label Domino Records and was picked up for distribution by Dim Mak Records in the United States.
Following international touring, they entered Toe Rag studios to record their debut album Keep on Your Mean Side, mostly on 8-track, in just 2 weeks.
Popular indie band, the xx, name The Kills as the major influence for having a male/female lead singer combo: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/05/xx.interview/index.html?iref=allsearch
Their second album, No Wow, was released by Domino records on February 21, 2005. Featuring an artier, less guitar rock sound, the record embraced New Wave and post punk influences and sounded even more stripped down than Keep on Your Mean Side. The first single, The Good Ones, was released on February 7, 2005 and reached number 23 in the UK singles charts.
VV sang the song Meds on Placebo's 2006 eponymous album.
Their third album Midnight Boom was released March 10, 2008. It was followed by 5 different singles since its release.
Ticket Man
The Kills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too many tickets is the problem, man
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many problems is the ticket in my hand
Why don't you give it up, get it down
Spend half as much, kills you in half the time
Oh pull on the baby, red number make it hard to hear
Nothing's gonna kiss you like the kiss that's gonna get to you
From waiting it out
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many tickets is the problem, man
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many problems is the ticket, man
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many tickets is the problem, man
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many problems is the ticket in my hand
Why don't you give it up, get it down
Spend half as much, kills you in half the time
Oh it's a little too easy to always be kind
But the longer it takes, the more you must find
Oh it's a little too easy to always be kind
But the longer it takes, the more you must find
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many tickets is the problem, man
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many problems is the ticket, man
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many tickets is the problem, man
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
Too many problems is the ticket in my hand
The Kills’ song “Ticket Man” appears to be a commentary on the vicious cycle of addiction. The line “Here’s the ticket, what’s the problem?” suggests that the singer is holding a ticket for some sort of drug, perhaps bought from a “ticket man” who is essentially a drug dealer. Too many tickets, in this case, means that the person has accumulated too many drugs, and this addiction has become a major problem.
The second verse pushes the idea that the addiction is getting out of hand, with the lyrics “Oh pull on the baby, red number make it hard to hear / Hard to see and hard to sit around,” essentially describing the experience of being high. The chorus then repeats the idea that too many tickets or too many drugs are the problem, and that the solution is to “give it up” and “get it down,” or quit and suffer through the withdrawal symptoms.
Overall, the song appears to be a warning against drug addiction and the harm it can cause, with the repeated lines emphasizing that having too many tickets or problems is the root of the issue.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
I have a ticket, what's the issue?
Too many tickets is the problem, man
Having too many tickets is the issue.
Here's the ticket, what's the problem
I still have this ticket, what's the matter?
Too many problems is the ticket in my hand
I am holding a ticket that represents all of my struggles and difficulties.
Why don't you give it up, get it down
Why don't you let go and try to relax?
Spend half as much, kills you in half the time
It's better to cut back and enjoy the simple things in life, otherwise you'll burn out quickly.
Oh pull on the baby, red number make it hard to hear
This ticket feels like a burden and is causing me stress and confusion.
Hard to see and hard to sit around
It's difficult to ignore this issue and it's uncomfortable to stay in one place.
Nothing's gonna kiss you like the kiss that's gonna get to you
No one will give you the comfort and assurance that you truly need except for yourself.
From waiting it out
I'm tired of waiting for things to change or get better.
Oh it's a little too easy to always be kind
It's easier to be nice all the time, but sometimes being honest is necessary.
But the longer it takes, the more you must find
If something is taking longer to resolve, it means there's more to uncover and deal with.
Too many tickets is the problem, man
Having too many issues is overwhelming and needs to be addressed.
Too many problems is the ticket, man
All of my issues and struggles are represented by this ticket.
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMIE HINCE, ALISON MOSSHART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dada ko
Love this song!!!!! ;D
Ing A.
So Far From Your Weapon sounds a little like this... At least, the "BUM, Bum, bum...." Great songs, both of 'em.
Hinata Patata
this song is so sexy and dark idk, i like it a lot
Paul Kirby
Isn't it though? Moody. Like sitting on the steps and watching the traffic slish by in the rain.
Simon Hojsak
Well,tnx for this one. ^^