After their initial formation in 2008, their debut album "Passive Me, Aggressive You" was released on the "Somewhat Damaged" label during September 2010. The single "Young Blood" debuted at number one on the New Zealand chart - the first New Zealand artist to do so in three years. On 6 December 2010, the BBC announced that The Naked and Famous had been nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll.
Their second album, 2013's In Rolling Waves, reached the top 5 on the New Zealand Albums chart, and top 15 on the Australian Albums and US Billboard Top Alternative Albums charts. Their following album, Simple Forms, was Xayalith and Powers' first release as a two-piece. Their fourth album, Recover, was released in 2020, and peaked at 19 on RMNZ's New Zealand Artist Albums chart.
I Kill Giants
The Naked and Famous Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And took you away
We were all crying
Felt like I was dying
Black dress & black shoes
Tied laces for you
The saddest of days
Inside my head
At the edge of the bed
Where somberness lay
In your children that day
As goodbyes are spent
Holding on to what's left
The saddest of days
Why couldn't we save you?
Nothing but ashes
In the old fire place
With all of the memories
He has erased
Heavier heels
His mourning concealed
On the saddest of days
Why couldn't we save you?
The song "I Kill Giants" by The Naked and Famous is a powerful and emotional tribute to a loved one who has passed away. The lyrics describe the pain and sadness that comes with losing someone, especially when that person is taken suddenly and without warning. The end of June represents the end of a season and the end of a life, and the sadness is palpable as the singer and others cry and feel like they are dying.
The imagery of the black dress and shoes, tied laces, and ashes in the fireplace all add to the mournful tone of the song. The singer is haunted by memories of the loved one, and the edge of the bed where the sadness lay serves as a poignant reminder of the loss. Despite the sadness, the singer continues to hold on to what's left, as he struggles to come to terms with the tragedy.
Throughout the song, the singer repeats the question "Why couldn't we save you?" It's a common feeling, especially when someone is taken before their time or unexpectedly. But the song also serves as a reminder to cherish the people we have in our lives while we can, because we never know when they'll be taken away from us. Overall, "I Kill Giants" is a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of appreciating the people we love while they're still here.
Line by Line Meaning
The end of June came
The specific time when we lost you was at the end of June.
And took you away
That's when you were taken away from us.
We were all crying
All of us were weeping.
Felt like I was dying
The emotional pain was so great that it felt like dying.
Black dress & black shoes
You were dressed in black, wearing black shoes.
Tied laces for you
We helped you get ready by tying your laces for you.
The saddest of days
It was the most sorrowful day.
Why couldn't we save you?
We wish that we were able to save you from what happened.
Inside my head
In my thoughts.
At the edge of the bed
Sitting near the bed.
Where somberness lay
Where the atmosphere was full of sadness.
In your children that day
Your children were also feeling the sorrow of that day.
As goodbyes are spent
As we said our final goodbyes.
Holding on to what's left
Trying to keep ahold of the memories of you and what remains.
Nothing but ashes
All that's left is ashes.
In the old fire place
In the place where the fire used to be.
With all of the memories
Even though there are memories, it feels like there is nothing left.
He has erased
He (possibly death) has taken away and removed the memories without our consent.
Heavier heels
Walking with a greater weight on the feet.
His mourning concealed
Trying to keep the sadness hidden from others.
On the saddest of days
On the most sorrowful day.
Why couldn't we save you?
We wish that there was something we could have done to prevent what happened to you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALISA XAYALITH, THOM POWERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nordheart
The end of June came
And took you away
We were all crying
Felt like I was dying
Black dress & black shoes
Tied laces for you
The saddest of days
Why couldn’t we save you?
Inside my head
At the edge of the bed
Where somberness lay
In your children that day
As goodbyes are spent
Holding on to what’s left
The saddest of days
Why couldn’t we save you?
Nothing but ashes
In the old fire place
With all of the memories
He has erased
Heavier heels
His mourning concealed
On the saddest of days
Why couldn’t we save you?
@dirtywater5336
I feel guilty absolutely loving a song that is so sad. It sounds so lively and fun and upbeat that you forget it's about her mother being taken by breast cancer. I can literally listen to this song a hundred times on repeat and never get tired of hearing it. I love this band with every fiber in my body. I've never heard anything like them before. They play and sing with such passion and feeling. It's something that is missing ion a lot of music these days. I was an arms length from Alisa for a show they did near me and I'll never forget how awesome and surreal it was to be that close to her. It made their music mean even more to me. They're definitely one of a kind and I'm going to love introducing my kids to them one day
"If what you're listening to doesn't make you feel something, skip to the next track"
@MrMattanFriends
Amen to that! It's so exciting to think about all of the awesome things I will be showing my kids(when I have them)... Especially TNAF! Best of luck to ya!
@SirMrDrProfSir
Who did you quote with such fervor?
@iMarLeon
I almost cried when I read your comment, I used to work at river island and that was one of the songs in our playlist. Always reminds me of summer in my hometown xx
@kirbyeckert2242
My kid just introduced me to it...
@camnorickotoole7770
Exactly know what you mean when you say its hard to like a song that's so sad. A good friend of mine just lost her mother and this is her favorite band....I liked this song and I looked up the lyrics one day................yeah..this gets skipped on my Pandora....I don't need to be crying on the way to work.lol
@anru4901
The golden era of TNAF !! 🥰🥰🥰
@natalief1938
I can't even stop listening to this. I lost my Dad to terminal lung cancer when I was 16. It's coming up to the 2 year anniversary. This song is helping to cure the hole in my heart. Genuinely never related to a song as much as I can relate to this. It's audio perfection xo
@relinquishd1
+natta farzaneh I lost my daughter in 2014 due to her Mothers neglect and the long fought custody battle, I won custody, but by the time the one, she was already incurably sick. I relate to this song as well, way to much
@yuyostorm
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