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]
The Man Who Would Be King
The Libertines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been told if you want to make it in this game
You got to have the luck
You got to have the look
To make what I quite like to make it through the night
My heart beats slow fast, I don't feel right
What about you over there?
Do you think I care?
Well I know you know I know you know I know
And to the man who would be king
I would say only one thing
And to the man who would be king
I will say only one thing
La la la-la-la-laa la la la-la-la-laa
I lived my dreams today
And I have lived it yesterday
And I'll have lived it tomorrow
No don't look at me that way
Well I heed the words you say
But my heart has gone astray
You watched friendship slip away
But it wasn't s'posed to be that way
I lived my dreams today I lived it yesterday
And I'll be living yours tomorrow
Anything else to say?
I lived my dream today I lived it yesterday
And I'll be living yours tomorrow
So don't look at me that way!
What's about you, Nancy my dear
What's about you, Nancy my dear
What's about you, Nancy my dear
What will you do when she comes here?
Oh she'll kill me
Oh, I don't wanna kill me
And to the man who would be king
I will say only one thing
And to the man who would be king
I will say only one thing
La la la-la-la-laa la la la-la-la-laa
It was a newspaper joke
Perish the day when they heed what you say
They'll take you away if they don't like what you say
They don't like what you say
So come what may but I'll never stay
I'll never stay
The lyrics of The Libertines' song The Man Who Would Be King explore the themes of fame, fortune, and society's expectations of success. The opening lines suggest that achieving success in the music industry requires luck and a certain aesthetic appeal. The singer acknowledges feeling uneasy--his heart beats slow and fast, he doesn't feel right--and that he could potentially die with just a sleight of hand. However, he dismisses the concerns of those around him, indicating that he's less concerned about their opinions than his own.
The chorus repeats the phrase "to the man who would be king, I will say only one thing" several times, emphasizing that the singer has only one message for anyone aspiring to greatness. The bridge of the song is followed by the repeated refrain of "la la la-la-la-laa la la la-la-la-laa."
In the second verse, the singer reflects on his choices and self-destructive tendencies. He acknowledges that his heart has gone astray but is dismissive of anyone passing judgment on his decisions. He's living his dream today, and tomorrow, but he's already lost some friendships along the way.
The song ends with a discussion about a "newspaper joke" and the potential consequences of speaking out against societal norms. Despite this, the singer vows never to stay and will continue living his life on his own terms. Ultimately, The Man Who Would Be King is a cautionary tale about the dangers of seeking too much fame and fortune at the expense of one's dignity and integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
Another secret for ya
I have another insider tip for you
I've been told if you want to make it in this game
You got to have the luck
You got to have the look
I've heard that success in this industry is partly determined by chance and appearance
To make what I quite like to make it through the night
My heart beats slow fast, I don't feel right
With a sleight of hand I might die
What about you over there?
Do you think I care?
Well I know you know I know you know I know
And to the man who would be king
I would say only one thing
And to the man who would be king
I will say only one thing
La la la-la-la-laa la la la-la-la-laa
To create what I need to survive the night, my heart beats erratically and I feel unwell
I could die suddenly, but I don't care about your opinion
I'm aware that you're aware of my situation
And to the person who desires authority
I have one message for them
La la la-la-la-laa la la la-la-la-laa
I lived my dreams today
And I have lived it yesterday
And I'll have lived it tomorrow
No don't look at me that way
Well I heed the words you say
But my heart has gone astray
You watched friendship slip away
But it wasn't s'posed to be that way
I lived my dreams today I lived it yesterday
And I'll be living yours tomorrow
Anything else to say?
I lived my dream today I lived it yesterday
And I'll be living yours tomorrow
So don't look at me that way!
I've already achieved my aspirations and will keep living them
Please don't judge me
I acknowledge your advice, but my emotions have taken a different path
Our friendship may have deteriorated, but this wasn't expected
I've already lived mine, and I'll live your dreams tomorrow
Is there anything else you want to mention?
I've achieved my goals before and will achieve them again
So don't judge me
What's about you, Nancy my dear
What's about you, Nancy my dear
What's about you, Nancy my dear
What will you do when she comes here?
Oh she'll kill me
Oh, I don't wanna kill me
And to the man who would be king
I will say only one thing
And to the man who would be king
I will say only one thing
La la la-la-la-laa la la la-la-la-laa
What do you think, Nancy?
What do you think, Nancy?
What do you think, Nancy?
What will happen when she arrives?
She will harm me
Oh, I don't want to harm myself
And to the person seeking power
I have one message for them
La la la-la-la-laa la la la-la-la-laa
It was a newspaper joke
It was just a joke from the media
Perish the day when they heed what you say
They'll take you away if they don't like what you say
They don't like what you say
So come what may but I'll never stay
I'll never stay
I hope people don't take your words too seriously
If they disagree with you, they might eliminate you
They don't respect your opinions
So, whatever happens, I'll always leave
I'll always leave
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CARL BARAT, PETER DOHERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind