Championed by NME, the band's first single What a Waster charted at number 37, despite being banned from Radio 1 and commercial radio due to an overabundance of foul language; this set the trend for steadily increasing returns, culminating in a #2 single and #1 album in the UK Charts. However, the band's music was often eclipsed by its internal conflicts, many of which stemmed from Doherty's considerable drug use, and it was mostly because of this that after a final show in Paris (without Pete) that the band was disbanded at the end of 2004.
The former members of The Libertines have gone on to form three splinter bands, with varying degrees of commercial and critical success. These bands include Peter Doherty in Babyshambles, Carl Barât and Gary Powell in Dirty Pretty Things and John Hassall in Yeti.
Pete and Carl recently came back to work on Babyshambles' charity cover of The Clash's 'Janie Jones' for Strummerville. Carl and Pete also performed 13 songs together in April 2007 as Carl appeared on stage at one of Pete's shows. On the 29th of March 2010 the Libertines announced they had reunited to play the Leeds and Reading festivals in August.
On 20 April 2014 an image of London's Hyde Park was released to the band's Facebook page. Around this time both Carl Barat and Peter Doherty indicated in interviews that they had accepted an offer to play the venue on July 5, 2014. On 25 April, it was confirmed that The Libertines will play on Saturday 5 July in London's Hyde Park, headlining the day, as part of the Barclaycard British Summer Time series of concerts. Support for the concert will be provided by a number of bands and artists, most notably The Pogues, Spiritualized, Maxïmo Park, Raglans and The Enemy
On 20 May, it was confirmed that The Libertines will play on Saturday 19 July in Benicassim FIB, Spain, as headliners.
They have also announced a European tour, their first tour in 10 years, consisting of 9 dates prior to the release of a new album in 2015, 11 years after their previous studio release.
The band's reunion album was followed by a series of festival appearances, including a surprise gig during the 2015 Glastonbury Festival, as they were secretly called to replace Florence + the Machine (who were earlier announced as unscheduled headliners after Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl's injury prevented the latters from headlining the day). The Libertines were filmed as they landed down off an helicopter outside the festival site, and stated their show with a hit from their 2nd album, Can't Stand Me Now.
On the 13th of October 2023 the band released their first single in eight years, as well as announcing that their new album All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade will be arriving on March 8, 2024.[40] To celebrate the announcement of the new album the band announced "The Albionay Tour". An intimate club tour that sold out in seconds. [41]
Gunga Din
The Libertines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To my chagrin
Getting sick and tired of
Feeling sick and tired again
I tried to write
'Cause I got the right
To make it look as if
I'm doing something with my life
It's always the same
And a drink to ease
The panic and the suffering
I woke up again
Dreamt of Gunga Din
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beat and afraid
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
Woke up again
To my evil twin
That mirror is fucking ugly and I'm
Sick and tired of looking at him
Been up all night
I probably picked a fight
'Cause I can't help it I'm
A bastard in the morning
So I try to write
I think I have the right
A little drink-y now and then
To help me just to see the light
Just another day
And it feels like nothing's changed
Oh f*** it
Oh here I go again
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beat and afraid
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
What's the point in you now
I can't chase you know how
Oh, leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight from Sunday blues
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beat and afraid
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
La la-la la, la la-la la, la la-la la la
La la-la la, la la-la la, la la-la la la
Oh what are you doing, you stupid f*** idiot
Wake up
Hey
The lyrics of The Libertines' Gunga Din speak about the struggles of addiction and the daily challenges of staying sober. Pete Doherty, lead vocalist and songwriter, wrote about his personal experiences with drug addiction and how it affected his daily life. The song starts with the singer waking up feeling sick and tired and wishing to do something meaningful with his life. He struggles to find a vein to inject drugs and a drink to ease his anxiety and suffering. Despite his efforts to get better, the singer ends up picking fights and feeling like nothing has changed, as he repeats his same old habits.
Later in the song, the singer addresses his evil twin and reflects on how his addiction has affected him, making him feel ugly and unable to escape his Monday blues. The chorus speaks about the long road of recovery and how someone who stays strong despite their fears and betrayals is a better man than the singer. The song ends with a sudden outburst where he calls himself a stupid f*** idiot and urges himself to wake up.
The lyrics of Gunga Din showcase the pain and struggle of addiction as well as the daily battles and hopes of getting better. The song draws from Pete Doherty's personal experiences with addiction and his ability to face his demons through music. Doherty's bandmates have also disclosed that they recorded the song in a Brooklyn hotel room, with a hideous portrait of a colonial figure that they titled "Gunga Din."
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up again
Starting another day feeling the same sense of disappointment and discomfort
To my chagrin
Feeling a mix of frustration and embarrassment over the situation
Getting sick and tired of
Feeling worn out and fed up with the current state
Feeling sick and tired again
Experiencing the familiar feeling of exhaustion and malaise
I tried to write
Attempting to use creative expression to cope with the situation
'Cause I got the right
Feeling empowered to express oneself despite struggles
To make it look as if
Creating the appearance of productivity and purpose
I'm doing something with my life
Finding a sense of worth and meaning through creative endeavors
Got to find a vein
Seeking temporary relief from physical and emotional pain through substance use
It's always the same
Falling into a pattern of self-destructive behavior
And a drink to ease
Using alcohol to numb oneself from the difficulties of the world
The panic and the suffering
Trying to escape from the overwhelming feelings of anxiety and pain
I woke up again
Starting another day feeling the same sense of disappointment and discomfort
Dreamt of Gunga Din
Escaping reality through vivid dreams and fantasies
Oh, the road is long
Life is a difficult journey
If you stay strong
Perseverance and resilience are admirable qualities
You're a better man than I
Acknowledging that others may have more strength and courage than oneself
You've been beat and afraid
Life is filled with challenges and fears
Probably betrayed
Recognizing that trust can be broken and relationships can be damaged
Woke up again
Starting another day feeling the same sense of disappointment and discomfort
To my evil twin
Confronting the darker parts of oneself
That mirror is fucking ugly and I'm
Disliking the reflection of oneself due to one's internal struggles
Sick and tired of looking at him
Being fed up with the version of oneself that is struggling
Been up all night
Having trouble sleeping due to internal struggles
I probably picked a fight
Possibly lashing out at others due to one's own emotional turmoil
'Cause I can't help it I'm
Feeling out of control of one's own emotions and behavior
A bastard in the morning
Feeling grumpy and unpleasant in the beginning of the day
So I try to write
Using creative expression to cope with the struggles of the day
I think I have the right
Feeling entitled to express oneself despite struggles
A little drink-y now and then
Using alcohol as a temporary escape from the struggles of reality
To help me just to see the light
Using alcohol to find a temporary sense of happiness and hope
Just another day
Feeling as though each day is the same
And it feels like nothing's changed
Feeling as though no progress has been made toward overcoming struggles
Oh f*** it
Feeling defeated and hopeless
Oh here I go again
Feeling as though one is stuck in the same cycle of struggles
What's the point in you now
Questioning the purpose of someone or something that was once important
I can't chase you know how
Feeling unable to recapture something that has been lost
Oh, leave me alone
Feeling overwhelmed and wanting to be left in peace
I've got those Monday blues
Feeling down and unmotivated at the start of the week
Straight from Sunday blues
Continuing to feel unhappy and unmotivated after the weekend
La la-la la, la la-la la, la la-la la la
Using a nonsensical phrase to indicate a lack of clarity or understanding
Oh what are you doing, you stupid f*** idiot
Berating oneself for perceived mistakes and shortcomings
Wake up
Encouraging oneself to become more aware and active
Hey
A simple interjection to signal attention or interest
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAN FISHER, IRENE HIGGINBOTHAM, ERVIN M. DRAKE, CARL BARAT, PETER DOHERTY, PETER WILLIAM WOLFE, JOHN COREY HASSALL, GARY ARMSTRONG POWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James McCall
Woke up again
To my chagrin
Getting sick and tired of
Feeling sick and tired again
I tried to write
'Coz I got the right
To make it look as if
I'm doing something with my life
Got to find a vein
It's always the same
And a drink to ease
The panic and the suffering
I woke up again
Dreamt of Gunga Din
[Chorus]
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beat and afraid
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
[Verse 2: Carl Barât]
Woke up again
To my evil twin
That mirror is fucking ugly and I'm
Sick and tired of looking at him
Been up all night
I probably picked a fight
'Coz I can't help it I'm
A bastard in the morning
So I try to write
I think I have the right
A little drink-y now and then
To help me just to see the light
Just another day
And it feels like nothing's changed
Oh fuck it
Oh here I go again
[Chorus]
[Bridge: Carl Barât]
What's the point in you now?
I can't chase you nohow
Oh, leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight from Sunday blues
[Chorus]
[Outro]
La la-la la, la la-la la, la la-la la la
La la-la la, la la-la la, la la-la la la
Oh what are you doing, you stupid fucking idiot?
Wake up!
Hey!
Dezmo59
Woke up again to my chagrin
Getting sick and tired of feeling sick and tired again
I tried to write, because I got the right
To make it look as if I'm doing something with my life
Got to find a vein, it's always the same
And a drink to ease the panic and the suffering
I woke up again
Dreamt of Gunga Din
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beaten and flayed
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
Woke up again to my evil twin
The mirror is fucking ugly and I'm sick and tired of looking at him
Been up all night, I'll probably pick a fight
'Coz I can't help it, I'm bastard in the morning
So I try to write, I think I have the right
A little drink-y now and then to help me just to see the light
Just another day, it feels like nothing's changed
Oh fuck it, oh here I go again
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beaten and flayed
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
What's the point in you now?
I can't chase you nohow
Oh, leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight from Sunday booze
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beaten and flayed
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
Oh what are you doing, you stupid fucking idiot?
Wake up!
Hey!
villa murillo
[Verse 1: Pete Doherty]
Woke up again to my chagrin
Getting sick and tired of feeling sick and tired again
I tried to write, because I got the right
To make it look as if I'm doing something with my life
Got to find a vein, it's always the same
And a drink to ease the panic and the suffering
I woke up again
Dreamt of Gunga Din
[Chorus]
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beaten and flayed
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
[Verse 2: Carl Barât]
Woke up again to my evil twin
The mirror is fucking ugly and I'm sick and tired of looking at him
Been up all night, I'll probably pick a fight
'Coz I can't help it, I'm bastard in the morning
So I try to write, I think I have the right
A little drink-y now and then to help me just to see the light
Just another day, it feels like nothing's changed
Oh fuck it, oh here I go again
[Chorus]
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beaten and flayed
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
[Bridge: Pete Doherty/Carl Barât]
What's the point in you now?
I can't chase you nohow
Oh, leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight from Sunday booze
[Chorus]
Oh, the road is long
If you stay strong
You're a better man than I
You've been beaten and flayed
Probably betrayed
You're a better man than I
[Outro]
La la-la la, la la-la la, la la-la la la
La la-la la, la la-la la, la la-la la la
Oh what are you doing, you stupid fucking idiot?
Wake up!
Hey!
Meagan Murray
I’m still obsessed with The Libertines and The Babyshambles, helped me get threw a rough patch in my life. 5 years sober now!!! My obsession started in 2007- still strong!!
Roman plays.
Congratulations on 5 years. All the best, and good luck for the future. 👊
rock will save you
I like your playlist
rock will save you
Wish to meet someone like you and hear the music i m not lingee heart the music
Mike McCaine
you just need to learn to spell now and you've cracked it!
Wazkaty
Congratulations 🎊!! You can be very proud of that
Mike Kelly
This song gets better with every listen. One of the best live bands I have ever seen.
Liberty's Dive Bar
Im seeing them for the first time in Ireland on Thursday. ..
tmf1977
Agreed. I was fortunate enough to see The Libs at CBGBs before all hell broke loose with Pete's addiction. The band had such raw talent, and Carl and Pete harmonizing was just brilliant. I'll probably will have to fly out to the UK, or drive up to Toronto when they finally go on tour; I don't think they will tour the U.S.
Beatriz Gaspar
@tmf1977 shit you saw them at cbgbs, that in itself is awesome