The band's following grew fairly rapidly, with many fans sporting the "glamorous punk" image popularised by frontwoman Kate Jackson. Kate was featured in The Guardian's style section and the NME Cool Lists 2005 and 2006. When questioned about her place in the first list by The Guardian, Jackson remarked: "Probably because they didn't have enough girls. It was so overrun with boring boys, they needed someone to bring a touch of glamour."
The band originally formed through a series of chance encounters: when Kate, guitarist and songwriter Dorian, bassist Reenie, drummer Screech and guitarist / keyboardist Emma bumped into each other at public library counters, charity shop sale rails and the dancefloors of DIY club nights. The following quote appeared on their website and for many served as an introduction to the Long Blondes; "Our shared influences include the Mael Brothers, the Marx Brothers and the Bewlay Brothers. We do not listen to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors or Bob Dylan. We chose an instrument each and learnt to play it. Approximately three months after we formed, we played a victorious 25 minute set at Leeds Hi-Fi club. A success! We inherit the aesthetics of early Roxy Music. We have a lot of influences, sometimes we sound a bit like them, sometimes we sound a lot like them. Sometimes we sound nothing like them at all."
Their second album "Couples" (the quotations are apart of the title, an allusion to the David Bowie album "Heroes") was released in April 2008 featuring the singles "Century" and "Guilt". An album of early "Singles" was rush-released by former label Angular Record Corporation.
Century
The Long Blondes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Century [Repeat: x4]
[Chorus: x2]
Everything I touch
Everything I touch
Everything I touch
Lightening tries to kill my love
One's future must take change
Nostalgic knocked down
Traffic stops abandoned
Out of sync out of fashion
Empty streets collide
Underground doesn't concern you
Architecturally sheik
Soon as we can meet you
[Chorus: x2]
Shop blinds and cloths
A new world war
Untimeless beauty
All the rage
All the rage
Promises broken
Television erased
Nothing is sacred
Cant condense to the golden age
[Repeat: x3]
Black
White
Blocks
Borders
Space
Crowd
Century [Repeat: x7]
The Long Blondes' song Century speaks about change and the struggle of staying relevant in a world that is quickly advancing. The repetition of "Catch me when I'm falling" in the verses alludes to a sense of instability and a need for support during these changes. The chorus speaks to the idea that everything the singer touches seems to be in a state of chaos. "Lightening tries to kill my love" suggests that the singer's passion and love for what they do is constantly being challenged and threatened.
The rest of the lyrics describe the disconnect that the singer feels with the world they live in. They feel out of sync with the fashions and trends of their time, and the emptiness of the streets emphasizes this further. The line "Nothing is sacred, can't condense to the golden age" suggests that the singer recognizes that the past may not have been as perfect as we often remember it to be, but still feels a sense of nostalgia for it.
Overall, Century seems to be a commentary on the fast pace of our world, and the difficulties of keeping up with it, both personally and creatively.
Line by Line Meaning
Catch me when I'm falling
Asking someone to be there for support during tough times
Century
A reference to the timespan of 100 years
Everything I touch
Feeling cursed with a destructive touch
Lightening tries to kill my love
Metaphor for how external events can damage a relationship
One's future must take change
Acknowledgement that the future is uncertain and subject to change
Nostalgic knocked down
Feeling sad about the past and unable to move forward
Traffic stops abandoned
Feeling stuck or alone in a crowd
Out of sync out of fashion
Feeling out of place or outdated
Empty streets collide
Feeling isolated even when surrounded by others
Underground doesn't concern you
Not caring about counterculture or alternative ways of living
Architecturally sheik
Appreciating modern and stylish architecture
Soon as we can meet you
Excitement about the possibility of meeting someone
Shop blinds and cloths
Focusing on material possessions
A new world war
Fear or anticipation of a catastrophic global event
Untimeless beauty
Beauty that is both timeless and not bound by conventional standards
All the rage
Something that is currently popular or in style
Promises broken
Disappointment in unfulfilled promises
Television erased
Rejecting passive consumption of mainstream media
Nothing is sacred
Losing faith in institutions or societal values
Cant condense to the golden age
Frustration with the idea of a 'golden age' in the past
Black
A color associated with darkness or negativity
White
A color associated with purity or innocence
Blocks
A metaphor for obstacles or barriers to progress
Borders
A symbol of division or conflict between nations or groups
Space
A reference to the vastness of the universe or the possibilities of the future
Crowd
A feeling of losing individuality or being lost in a sea of people
Century
A reference to the timespan of 100 years
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHAD ALAN GRACEY, CHAD DAVID TAYLOR, EDWARD JOEL KOWALCZYK, PATRICK DAHLHEIMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Crillion_be
Wooow, I just discovered the group... This song reminds me the best of the "new wave" period... As a result: 2 more albums part of my collection... ;-) As french guys say: "c'est d'la balle"... :-D
Lala woo
wooooooooooow her voice is just perfect and catchy
goncack
The voice of an angel...
Lala woo
0:49 love this part
lepopnoir
This video is actually wicked.
Cantiqua Nova
yeah i know what you mean. it's like that kingsmill ad, where that boy's running through time and everything's jolly (unlike the reality).
hitslondon
you misunderstood me. I'm accusing the video of being nostalgic: it reminds me of any of the 'Protect and Survive' cold war public service info from the 1980's. I can see someone thought "let's make something 'epic'" but it's a bit cold really. I find it odd they removed any association with the group and it's identity to make what looks like a mobile phone ad. And then to follow it with another predictably kitsch video for Guilt...! Anyway, each entitled to their own opinion x
Luis Felipe Rios
i ll keep it on mind
gumtree23
COOLNESS
Crillion_be
And arefvrgfd (?), you're right: the album version is by far superior to the video... Honestly, I admire groups who dare to put back sounds of the 80s...