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]
Mocking Bird
The Libertines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won me a mocking bird when i gambled all night long
Mocking bird was squaking bird squaking bird squaking bird
Mocking bird was squaking bird squakin all night long
I tried for the money but i just wasnt able
Had two more drinks and then i slipped under the table
And she mocked me all night long
Drinks served by a Chinese girl Chinese girl Chinese girl
Drinks served by a Chinese girl Chinese all night long
She said
"You can look my boy but you cant touch,
You got a jack a five and a couple of threes,
I got the royal flush"
She mocked me all night long
The song "Mocking Bird" by The Libertines is a narrative of a night-long gambling session gone wrong. The song describes the singer winning a mockingbird after gambling all night long, but the mockingbird squawks and mocks him all night, making him feel like a fool. The singer goes on to describe how he tried to win money but failed, and ended up getting drunk and passing out under the table, with the mockingbird still squawking and mocking him all night. The singer also mentions a Chinese girl serving drinks and mocking him too by flaunting her Royal Flush hand to his lower hand.
The song touches upon themes of addiction, loss, and despair. The singer was trying to win money but couldn't, and this failure led him to drink, gamble more and ultimately lose. The mockingbird, while seemingly a minor element in the song, serves as a constant reminder of the singer's loss and defeat. The Chinese girl's mocking of the singer, despite her servitude role in the club, also brings to light issues of race and class, and the slippery slope of power dynamics.
Line by Line Meaning
I won me a mocking bird a mocking bird a mocking bird
I acquired a mocking bird, repeated three times for emphasis
I won me a mocking bird when i gambled all night long
I obtained the mocking bird as a result of gambling throughout the night
Mocking bird was squaking bird squaking bird squaking bird
The mocking bird was vocalizing and vocalizing and vocalizing
Mocking bird was squaking bird squakin all night long
The mocking bird was being noisy and noisy and noisy all night long
I tried for the money but i just wasnt able
I attempted to win money but failed to do so
Had two more drinks and then i slipped under the table
I consumed two more beverages and became so intoxicated that I collapsed under the table
And she mocked me all night long
The mocking bird continued to make fun of me throughout the entire night
Drinks served by a Chinese girl Chinese girl Chinese girl
Beverages were provided by a Chinese female, repeated three times
Drinks served by a Chinese girl Chinese all night long
The Chinese woman served drinks throughout the whole night
"You can look my boy but you cant touch,
You got a jack a five and a couple of threes,
I got the royal flush"
The mocking bird taunted me by saying that although I had a mediocre hand in the card game, she possessed the strongest possible hand
She mocked me all night long
The mocking bird ridiculed me continuously throughout the evening
Contributed by Luke W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@DarthArab
Yes
@skemkarlos
Like a sparrow in the rain
@josemariarecalde9984
Fast east of eden?
@merdacalcio
Should have been an A side but they really went for a more aggressive sound on the overall record.
@2010dame
Where the fooook are the comments at like ????
@JOAna-nj3ii
Si, porque no?
@reniisgod
Shite