They have produced 4 albums.
Their debut album No Love Lost was released on 17 July 2006 which peaked at #26 in the UK charts. Their highest charting single is Repeated Offender which reached #26.
They released their second album entitled Great Escape on 26th January 2009 (originally scheduled for 13th October 2008 release), which peaked at #27 in the UK charts and reached the number 2 slot in the UK indie charts. The first single from the album Fall To Sorrow was also released that day.
Robert Pyne and Grant Marsh(drums) left the band on 17 October 2010.
Long time friends Lee Burgess and Kenton Shinn from the band Garda were added to The Rifles early in 2011. Their 3rd album Freedom Run was released on 19th September 2011. This reached #37
In May 2013, the band announced that the four original members, including Marsh and Pyne, had reunited and were working on a fourth album. The new album, None the Wiser, was released on 20 January 2014. This peaked at #21 in the UK charts.
The band's current line-up is as follows:
Joel Stoker (vocals, guitar)
Lucas Crowther (vocals, guitar)
Robert Pyne (bass guitar)
Grant Marsh (drums)
The General
The Rifles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And leave you lying with a hunger for some novocaine
Hit the switch on the lights in a heartbeat
Just like your worst nightmare with a mean streak
But all the talent and the money's only gonna breed
Every Queen every King you're ever gonna need
And they'll be nothing of the man and the legacy
By the time that they get through
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man you used to be
When he was younger he could rumble like a hurricane
But now he stands out like a puddle in the pouring rain
Trying hard to chase an ever fading memory
Before the days of grace are never gonna be
So gather round and buy a ticket for the funeral
Bring your camera and flowers for the general
Sit around and reminise about the glory days
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man you used to be
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man that people see
The lyrics of The Rifles' song The General express the process of aging and the fading away of a person's former glory, power, and fame. It refers to the man who used to be like a hurricane, who could create havoc and have people trembling in fear with just a glance, and now he is nothing more than a memory of what he used to be. The song takes a critical view of the celebrity culture that only breeds more kings and queens every day without any regard for the man behind the fame.
The song's chorus, "Every time you close your eyes, you see your memory, 'Boy you dream a lot,' cause you're really not that man you used to be," highlights how people cling to their past accomplishments and can't come to terms with their loss of power and influence. The imagery of standing out like a puddle in the pouring rain shows the isolation and loneliness that the person feels as they try to hold onto their glory days.
Overall, The General is a poignant reminder of how transient fame and power can be and how important it is to value the person behind the fame.
Line by Line Meaning
When he was younger he could rumble like a hurricane
In his youth, he possessed an explosive energy that could shake everything around him
And leave you lying with a hunger for some novocaine
He had the ability to hurt others deeply, leaving them in pain and in need of relief
Hit the switch on the lights in a heartbeat
He had the power to turn things on quickly, like a light switch
Just like your worst nightmare with a mean streak
His ruthlessness and cruelty were comparable to a person's worst nightmare
But all the talent and the money's only gonna breed
Despite being talented and financially successful, it only leads to the creation of more entitled and demanding people
Every Queen every King you're ever gonna need
These entitled and demanding people will become the ruling class and everything society wants
And they'll be nothing of the man and the legacy
The original person's identity and achievements will be overshadowed and forgotten by the new ruling class
By the time that they get through
When the new ruling class takes over, everything will be different and unrecognizable
Trying hard to chase an ever fading memory
He is struggling to hold onto the person he used to be and his youth that is slipping away
Before the days of grace are never gonna be
He is desperately attempting to recapture the innocence and purity he had in the past, which is now lost forever
So gather round and buy a ticket for the funeral
Everyone should come together and accept that the old version of him is gone and will never return
Bring your camera and flowers for the general
This is a metaphorical funeral for his past self, and people should come prepared to mourn the loss
Sit around and reminise about the glory days
In the wake of his transformation, people should remember the old days, and the changes he underwent
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
He is haunted by his memories of his former self, and cannot escape the past
'Boy you dream a lot'
Others may consider him to be overly nostalgic and lost in his own imagination
Cause you're really not that man you used to be
He is acutely aware that he is a different person from the one he was in the past
Contributed by Isabelle F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@caca-rx6kc
When he was younger he could rumble like a hurricane
And leave you lying with a hunger for some novocaine
Hit the switch on the lights in a heartbeat
Just like your worst nightmare with a mean streak
But all the talent and the money's only gonna breed
Every Queen every King you're ever gonna need
And they'll be nothing of the man and the legacy
By the time that they get through
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man you used to be
When he was younger he could rumble like a hurricane
But now he stands out like a puddle in the pouring rain
Trying hard to chase an ever fading memory
Before the days of grace are never gonna be
So gather round and buy a ticket for the funeral
Bring your camera and flowers for the general
Sit around and reminise about the glory days
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man you used to be
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man that people see
@Brian-ej9ew
Absolutley a terrific album. A hidden gem.
@DavidBrown-bs7gg
I didn't think the album version could be bettered, the strings really transform it
@TheTaz1999
Best album I've ever purchased in 20 years ...phenomenal.
@caca-rx6kc
When he was younger he could rumble like a hurricane
And leave you lying with a hunger for some novocaine
Hit the switch on the lights in a heartbeat
Just like your worst nightmare with a mean streak
But all the talent and the money's only gonna breed
Every Queen every King you're ever gonna need
And they'll be nothing of the man and the legacy
By the time that they get through
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man you used to be
When he was younger he could rumble like a hurricane
But now he stands out like a puddle in the pouring rain
Trying hard to chase an ever fading memory
Before the days of grace are never gonna be
So gather round and buy a ticket for the funeral
Bring your camera and flowers for the general
Sit around and reminise about the glory days
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man you used to be
Every time you close your eyes you see your memory
'Boy you dream a lot'
Cause you're really not that man that people see
@jowalsh9613
Simply beautiful đź’—
@jowalsh9613
The Amazing Rifles đź’—
@jowalsh9613
Amazing đź’—đź’—đź’—
@avrilnolan1268
Excellentl, that's all I can really say
@michaelforde1358
Just Brilliant
@ballsymore
anyone know where i can find the guitar tabs for this song?