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]
Mayday
The Libertines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In arabesques and minarets
Tablecloths and serviettes
She's singing 'this is what you get'
First you put the tongue in then you put the boot in
Yeah yeah oh yeah
First you put the tongue in then you put the boot in
Yeah yeah oh yeah
The mob goes fifteen ways
I dunno which way to go
The mob goes fifteen ways
And my head (my poor head)
Feels like a smashed window
George is twenty-four, he's easily bored
All his life he's seen nothing but closed doors
(Not any more)
First you put the tongue in then you put the boot in
Yeah yeah oh yeah
First you put the tongue in then you put the boot in
Yeah yeah oh yeah
And he mob goes fifteen ways
I dunno which way to go
The mob goes fifteen ways
And my head, my poor head
Feels like a smashed window
In The Libertines’ song “Mayday,” the lyrics describe a girl who slaves away her days in a Middle Eastern setting, surrounded by intricately designed objects such as arabesques and minarets, as well as tablecloths and serviettes, while singing “this is what you get.” The lyrics then switch to George, a twenty-four year old who has always been easily bored, until he finds new opportunities, represented by the lyrics “not anymore.” The chorus repeats the phrase “first you put the tongue in then you put the boot in,” which could imply a deceptive or abusive relationship. Lastly, the mob is described as going fifteen ways, indicating confusion or disorganization, and causing the singer’s head to feel like “a smashed window.”
The meaning behind the lyrics of “Mayday” is somewhat ambiguous and open to interpretation, but one possible explanation is that they represent emotional turmoil and conflict, particularly within relationships. The idea of putting the tongue in before the boot could suggest a manipulative or hurtful dynamic, while the “fifteen ways” the mob goes could represent the various directions and possibilities present within relationships, as well as the overwhelming nature of navigating these intricacies. Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of unease, confusion, and instability, which are common themes in The Libertines’ music.
Line by Line Meaning
A slaves a girl who slaves her days away
A young woman works hard day in and day out
In arabesques and minarets
She works in an intricate and elegant environment
Tablecloths and serviettes
She tends to the needs of customers, providing them with fine dining experiences
She's singing 'this is what you get'
Despite the exhaustion, she remains content with her circumstances as they are
First you put the tongue in then you put the boot in
People will first charm and then manipulate you
Yeah yeah oh yeah
This is the sad reality
The mob goes fifteen ways
The crowd is uncertain and divided in their opinions
I dunno which way to go
It's hard to make a decision in such an environment
And my head (my poor head)
The confusion and stress is taking a toll on me
Feels like a smashed window
I feel shattered and broken inside
George is twenty-four, he's easily bored
A young man is feeling restless and unfulfilled
All his life he's seen nothing but closed doors
He has encountered setbacks and disappointments in his past
(Not any more)
But now things are different
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carl Barat, Peter Doherty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind