British indie rock band - formed in Brighton, England, United Kingdom in 20… Read Full Bio ↴British indie rock band - formed in Brighton, England, United Kingdom in 2004. The band currently consists of Luke Pritchard (vocals, guitar), Hugh Harris (guitar), and Alexis Nunez (drums). They have released five studio albums; their 2006 debut Inside In/Inside Out peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart, and their 2008 follow up Konk reached number one. The Junk Of The Heart (Happy) Songfacts reports that Pritchard found himself writing lyrics containing a lot of emotional drama for their third album and the phrase ‘junk of the heart’ kept coming back to him. Junk Of The Heart was released September 12, 2011. The Kooks released two more albums: Listen (2014), and Let's Go Sunshine (2018), which both peaked within the top 20.

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.

Carried Away
The Kooks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So many people have told me about the world and its ways,
I never believed them at first and I cursed 'em
I threw myself to the wind yeah,
And then my mind finds you in Venice
Remember the good old days?
We had a fight the night before we left
My head was being a mess

But there is a hurricane within me
And it takes control of me

And did I let you in, and did I push you out?
You know I think I still love you,
Are you still heading south?
And did I let you into it, and did I sell you out?
You know I can't quite remember,
What life is about, without you,
Can I steal your grace?

Of all of the people in all of the world with you there’s always something to say,
You never cared if I made it a winner or lost it on the same day,
I always thought that I was invincible, always somewhere to go,
But now I know that there is just one soul you get to take away,

But there is a hurricane within me,
And it takes control of me

And did I let you in, or did I push you out?
You know I think I still love you
Are you still heading south, without me?
Can I steal you grace?
Yeah, yeah, yeah your grace

Did I let you in? Did I push you out again?
You know I think I still love you,
Are you still heading south?
Did I let you into it, and then I pushed you out?
You know I can't quite remember,
What life is about, without you
Can I steal your grace?
Take; take yeah your grace
Yeah, yeah your grace
Yeah, yeah your grace

Yeah, your grace
Yeah, your grace

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Carried Away" by The Kooks describe a person's internal struggle with the hurricane-like emotions within them. The first verse talks about how the singer had never believed the people who had told them about the ways of the world until they met someone in Venice who changed their mind. The second verse talks about how being with that person had made the singer feel invincible, but they ultimately realized that there is only one soul they get to take away, alluding to mortality. The chorus poses several questions to the person the singer is referring to, asking if they let them in or pushed them out and whether they still love them and are heading south without them. The bridge then asks whether the singer can steal the person's grace, which could be interpreted as their inner peace or contentment.

Overall, the song seems to be about grappling with conflicting emotions and questioning whether a past love is still present or has been lost. The hurricane metaphor perfectly captures the intensity that comes with experiencing such emotions, while the Venice setting adds a romantic and melancholic tone to the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

So many people have told me about the world and its ways,
I have received a lot of advice from various people about the nature of the world.

I never believed them at first and I cursed 'em
Initially, I was skeptical and rejected their guidance with hostility.

I threw myself to the wind yeah,
I acted impulsively and recklessly without caution or forethought.

And then my mind finds you in Venice
Unexpectedly, my thoughts and emotions are consumed with thoughts of you in Venice.

Remember the good old days?
Do you recall our happy memories together?

We had a fight the night before we left
Our last moments before separation were marred by an argument.

My head was being a mess
I was overwhelmed by conflicting thoughts and emotions.

But there is a hurricane within me
I am experiencing a powerful and chaotic internal storm of turbulence and disruption.

And it takes control of me
This turmoil has a significant influence on my thoughts, actions, and decisions.

And did I let you in, and did I push you out?
Did I invite you into my life and then shut you out?

You know I think I still love you,
I believe that I am still in love with you.

Are you still heading south?
Are you still moving away from me?

And did I let you into it, and did I sell you out?
Did I involve you in something and then betray you?

You know I can't quite remember,
I am unsure of the details and nuances of our past interactions.

What life is about, without you,
Now that you are gone, I am struggling to find meaning in my existence.

Can I steal your grace?
Can I borrow some of your purity, goodness, or kindness for myself?

Of all of the people in all of the world with you there’s always something to say,
Despite the vastness of humanity, you are the only person who is consistently on my mind.

You never cared if I made it a winner or lost it on the same day,
You were always more concerned about my well-being and happiness than my achievements or failures.

I always thought that I was invincible, always somewhere to go,
I used to feel unstoppable and that the possibilities of life were endless.

But now I know that there is just one soul you get to take away,
Now I realize that the fragility of life means that ultimately, only one thing is certain: death.

Take; take yeah your grace
Please allow me to receive and benefit from your positive traits or qualities.

Yeah, yeah your grace
I strongly desire to obtain the graciousness that you possess.

Yeah, yeah your grace
I hope to one day embody the positive characteristics that you embody.

Yeah, your grace
You have an admirable and desirable quality that I aspire to have.

Yeah, your grace
I deeply respect and admire the graciousness you possess.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUKE PRITCHARD, TONY HOFFER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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