The Kooks formed at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music, where they were all students. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Luke Pritchard, got bassist Max Rafferty involved in a college project, which formed the base of the band. After getting lead guitarist Hugh Harris and drummer Paul Garred involved, they took their name from the song Kooks on the 1971 David Bowie album Hunky Dory. When they tried to trademark the name, they found that in the late/mid 1990s a Swedish band by the same name released an album in Sweden called Too Much is Not Enough.
The Kooks released a debut EP and played gigs around Brighton, where they were based at the time. They were signed to Virgin Records.
2. Swedish indie rock/alternative band - It consisted of members Henrik Berglund, Leo Dahlin, Michael Lohse and Josef Zackrisson, and was active between 1998 and the early 2000's. Micke Lohse and Henrik Berglund are currently members of the band Atomic Swing.
California
The Kooks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dig down deep when I say I love you
Well I can hold my own with the best of them
I guarantee you, you never seen nothin'
Nothin' like this again
California say that you love me
From all the darkness I couldn't break through
Oh man, it's gonna break your heart
Don't you know that I'll do the things I could
I rubbed your back when you were sleeping
But all along baby it was understood
That you were leaving, absolutely
The very first day we met
California say that you love me
From all the darkness I couldn't break through
I'm gonna miss you
I'm gonna miss you
I'm gonna miss you
I'm gonna miss ya
I'm gonna miss you
I'm gonna miss ya
I'm gonna miss you
The Kooks' song "California" begins with the singer declaring himself as a "leading man" who can deeply love someone. He's confident of his abilities to love someone and hold his own with the best of them. However, the rest of the song is a different story. It's a song about a failed relationship where one person moves on while the other is left heartbroken. The lyrics hint at the feeling of being stuck in a dark place that you cannot get out of, and that's where the other person comes in. The singer believes that California, with all its beauty and light, represents someone who can love him and help him get over his darkness.
The chorus repeats the line "California say that you love me" while the lyrics hint at the sadness of the situation. The singer misses the ocean and the person he loves, but he knows it's going to break his heart. The second verse is about the singer trying his best to do things that he could to make the relationship work—he even rubbed her back when she was sleeping. But it was understood that she was leaving him, and that was established on the very first day they met.
Overall, "California" is a bittersweet song about a failed relationship, heartbreak, and the longing for someone to love and help you through difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you know baby I'm a leading man
I want you to know that I am confident and capable.
I dig down deep when I say I love you
When I express my love for you, it comes from a place of sincerity and genuine feeling.
Well I can hold my own with the best of them
I am confident in my abilities and can compete with anyone.
I guarantee you, you never seen nothin'
I promise that what I have to offer is unique and unlike anything you have experienced before.
Nothin' like this again
This experience will be one-of-a-kind and cannot be replicated.
California say that you love me
I long to hear from California that you love me.
From all the darkness I couldn't break through
Despite being in a dark place, I hold onto hope that your love can bring me out of it.
Now, I miss the oceans when I go to sleep
I long for the beauty and peace of the ocean when I am trying to rest at night.
Oh man, it's gonna break your heart
The emotional weight of this situation may be hard for you to handle.
Don't you know that I'll do the things I could
I want you to know that I will try my best to do what I can for you.
I rubbed your back when you were sleeping
I was there for you and comforting you even when you weren't aware of it.
But all along baby it was understood
Deep down, we both knew that this relationship was not meant to last forever.
That you were leaving, absolutely
You had made up your mind to leave from the very beginning.
The very first day we met
This realization goes all the way back to when we first met each other.
I'm gonna miss you
I know that I am going to miss having you in my life.
I'm gonna miss ya
I will deeply miss you and the bond we shared.
I'm gonna miss you
I want to emphasize just how much I will miss you.
I'm gonna miss ya
This loss will be difficult for me to cope with.
Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.