(2) The Maccabees (2002-2016) were an indie rock band from London, UK. The line-up consisted of Orlando Weeks (vocals), Hugo White (guitar), Felix White (guitar, vocals), Rupert Jarvis (bass) and Sam Doyle (drums), who replaced Robert Dylan Thomas. Weeks stated once that the band came up with the name by flicking through the Bible and picking out a random word. Despite adopting a name with religious connotations, he affirmed that none of the band are religious.
Debuting in 2004 with the You Make Noise I Make Sandwiches EP (released on Haircut Records), they released their first single X-Ray on Promise Records on November 28, 2005. Receiving just little significant exposure - some evening play on XFM London radio station - the band however scored a minor indie hit with their second post-punk influenced single Latchmere released in April 2006 on Fierce Panda Records.
Then inking a deal with the Polydor imprint (and former home of The Cure) Fiction Records the bands first studio album, Colour It In, was released on May 4, 2007 .
To date (late September 2007) they have released three (widely available) singles from the album (First Love, About Your Dress and Precious Time) with a fourth and final single Toothpaste Kisses released on October 8, 2007.
On May 4, 2009 the band released Wall of Arms, their second album. Preceded by the single Love You Better on April 27th. Markus Dravs, who collaborated in the past with artists such as Björk, Arcade Fire and Coldplay, produced the album. The album has been recorded in various cities including Liverpool and Paris, unlike their first long-player which was recorded in "dribs and drabs" like frontman Orlando Weeks said.
On January 9, 2012 the Maccabees released Given To The Wild, their third album. The band worked on the album at both Rockfield Studios in Wales and their rehearsal space in London's Elephant and Castle district, before decamping to Suffolk to finish the record.
Marks to Prove It, their last album, was released in 2015.
Official Website
Guitarist Felix White was initially in a band called Jack's Basement with fellow friend Jack Peñate. Felix and Hugo White are brothers, along with Will White, who is the frontman of another band called Talk Taxis. Former drummer Robert Dylan Thomas left the band in 2008.
About Your Dress
The Maccabees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's just what all young lovers do
I noticed you
You stood out like a sore thumb
The most
Beautiful sore thumb I'd ever seen
I took you out
We danced all night
And I waited till the time was right when
I was almost sick on you
Echo echo of mine
Do you recall
The night that we first met
And how I burnt your dress
With my cigarette
I don't know why
But I played this game
For you
I'm guessing it's just what all young lovers do
You say
That it's never wrong never right
Never wrong never right
Echo echo of mine
Never wrong never right
Never wrong never right
Never wrong never right
Never wrong never right
Never wrong never right
Never wrong never right
Never wrong never right
Never wrong never right
So echo on
Echo on
Echo on
Echo
It's just what all young lovers do
It's just what all young lovers do
It's just what all young lovers do
The Maccabees’ song About Your Dress is a lyrical, poetic exploration of young love and the experiences that come with it. The first few lines of the song repeat the same phrase twice, suggesting a sense of inevitability about the way young lovers behave. The singer then goes on to recall the night he first met his love interest – she stood out to him as beautiful, and they danced all night before he made his move. He recalls feeling so nervous and overcome with emotion that he was “almost sick” on her, indicating the intensity of the feelings that young love can evoke.
The line “Do you recall the night that we first met and how I burnt your dress with my cigarette” is a powerful contrast to the beautiful, romantic moments the singer has just recounted. It suggests that young love is not all sunshine and rainbows – it can also be messy, inconvenient, and even destructive. Despite this, however, the singer admits that he “played this game for you”, perhaps suggesting that young lovers are willing to endure all kinds of hardships for the sake of love.
The final refrain, “never wrong never right”, encapsulates the ambivalent, contradictory nature of young love. It’s a time when nothing seems certain and everything is in flux, and the singer seems to accept this as just part of the experience of being young and in love.
Overall, About Your Dress is a powerful exploration of the passions, confusions, and contradictions of young love. The lyrics are both poetic and deeply felt, and they capture the range of emotions that come with this intense and often transformative experience.
Line by Line Meaning
It's just what all young lovers do
Falling in love and taking risks, like burning dresses with cigarettes, is a common occurrence among young lovers.
I noticed you
I was immediately drawn to your unique beauty.
You stood out like a sore thumb
You were so striking that you couldn't be missed, even if you tried.
The most beautiful sore thumb I'd ever seen
Your beauty was so captivating that it stood out among the rest, like a beautiful sore thumb.
I took you out
I asked you on a date and wanted to show you a good time.
And showed you a good time
I wanted to create a memorable experience for you.
We danced all night
We enjoyed each other's company and had a great time dancing.
And I waited till the time was right when
I wanted to make sure the moment was perfect before making a move.
I was almost sick on you
I was so nervous because I wanted to make a good impression on you.
Echo echo of mine
My thoughts were consumed with the memory of that night.
Do you recall the night that we first met
I'm reminiscing and asking you if you remember that special night.
And how I burnt your dress with my cigarette
I took a chance and risked burning your dress while trying to appear cool.
I don't know why, but I played this game for you
I took a risk because I wanted to impress you and show you how much I cared.
You say that it's never wrong never right
You're saying that our love is unpredictable and unexplainable.
Never wrong never right
Our love is undefined and goes against logic and reason.
So echo on
I'll keep replaying the memory of that moment in my mind.
Echo on, echo on, echo on, echo
I'll never forget that special moment in our lives.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FELIX WHITE, HUGO WHITE, ORLANDO THOMAS PENHALE WEEKS, ROBERT DYLAN THOMAS, SHEPHERD RUPERT ALEXANDER J. JARVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Samuel Powell
I remember buying this album, amazing from start to finish, my music producer friend in high school used to show me all these great bands but this is one of the first bands I showed him I'm proud to say, my friend has just released a brand new banging indie track, try searching Lonely Gimmick - Grumpy Days, brings back nostalgic indie memoires well worth checking out
Mike Kay
'Do you recall the night that we first met And how I burned your dress, with my cigarette' Pure Love for this band.
Sam Hunt
I used to have this album in the CD changer in my old car for ages and ages, and always used to play it when I was coming to and from my at-the-time girlfriend's for some reason. This song reminds me of that period of my life. It was nice.
THX1188 8855
Its been 11 years do you still feel the same?
Tommy
Oh this brings me back to my indie disco days, great memories. Damn I’m getting old 😀
Christopher Wells
A wonderful moment in time so glad i can come back to, old heads unite. Will see you this Saturday at Frog.
Christopher Wells
i'm old, you're old!
Joanne Neaves
I absolutely love all the maccabees tunes . They all remind me of school especially art 🎨 and my extremely cool Russian art teacher who himself was art because he wore the same clothes for 5 years
jdgonzo1982
man...the drums in this song are just so fun to play along to...the guy knows how to make drumming fun for sure!! :)
Matthew Rendell
This lot will one day get the credit they deserve. And I hope RDT will have his contribution remembered.