The Rumble Strips is a ska/pop/rockabilly/soul/trumpet band originating fro… Read Full Bio ↴The Rumble Strips is a ska/pop/rockabilly/soul/trumpet band originating from South Devon town Tavistock, near Plymouth, but are now based in London, having moved to further their musical career.
The band released debut album, Girls and Weather, in September of 2007. In the past, the band have been on tour with numerous popular artists (The Zutons, Good Shoes, Dirty Pretty Things and The Young Knives), and have also played various festivals (including Glastonbury 07 and Cardiff Calling 07). The band also had a successful album tour hitting many venues around the UK and Ireland, including a trip to home-town Tavistock. The album (created with Tony Hoffer - The Kooks, and The Fratellis), was released mid-September 2007. The band gained alot of recognition when single "Alarm Clock" was played on Radio 1, when lead singer of Snow Patrol took over Zane Lowe's evening slot as a one-off.

Band members include:
Charlie Waller – Lead Vocals and Guitar
Tom Gorbutt – Sax, Vocals and Bass
Henry Clark – Trumpet, Vocals and Piano
Sam Mansbridge - Bass / Vocals / "Rumble Drum"
Matthew Wheeler - Drums

Past releases include the single "Motorcycle" (December 2005 and re-released June 07), single "Hate Me (You Do)" (June 2006) EP "Cardboard Coloured Dreams" (November 2006), single "Alarm Clock" (March 2007), which has received numerous plays off of Virgin Radio and on MTV 2 programme "Spanking New Music", and single "Motorcycle" (June 2007) which also received plays off of "Spanking New Music".
"Girls and Boys In Love" is the most recent song to have been released as a single, and also features in the Simon Pegg film "Run Fat Boy Run" and "Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging"

Lead singer, Charlie Waller, was also in the band Vincent Vincent and the Villains at the same time as playing with current band The Rumble Strips. An attack from his conscience lead him to leave both bands before The Rumble Strips were offered to release a single under record label Transgressive.

Hate Me
The Rumble Strips Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My television
Your television in different rooms
I can hear you laughing
Can you hear me laughing too?

You hate me you do
You hate me you do

I'm knocking on your wall
I'm knocking on your wall in time to a record you play
But I know you're thinking
I can't keep a rhythm

You hate me you do
You hate me you do

I can feel it burnin'
I can feel it burnin'
You're gonna burn down this grubby little flat
The air's so thick, I chewing on it and
I'm bashing on my ribs with a baseball bat

I won't work

You won't work
Ain't life just like one long holiday

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Rumble Strips' song "Hate Me" depict a strained relationship between two individuals who live in separate rooms, symbolized by their televisions being in different rooms. The singer can hear the other person laughing, but there is a question of whether their laughter is reciprocated. The repetition of the phrase "You hate me you do" indicates a deep sense of resentment and animosity between the two parties.

The second verse introduces the idea of the singer knocking on the other person's wall in sync with the record they are playing. This action may be an attempt to connect or communicate with the other person, but there is an awareness that they cannot keep a rhythm or sync with each other. This inability to synchronize could be metaphorical for their overall difficulties in understanding and relating to one another.

The chorus emphasizes the intensity of the emotions involved, with the singer feeling a burning sensation and a potential for destruction. The imagery of the grubby little flat suggests a cramped and suffocating environment, which adds to the tension and frustration. The line "Ain't life just like one long holiday" could be interpreted as sarcastic, implying that their relationship feels like a prolonged period of conflict rather than a carefree vacation.

Overall, "Hate Me" portrays a tumultuous relationship marked by resentment, miscommunication, and a sense of claustrophobia. The lyrics delve into the complexities of human connection and the difficulties that arise when two individuals struggle to understand each other.

Line by Line Meaning

My television
The television that belongs to me

Your television in different rooms
The television that belongs to you, placed in separate rooms

I can hear you laughing
I am able to hear the sound of your laughter

Can you hear me laughing too?
Do you have the ability to hear me laughing as well?

You hate me you do
It is true that you possess feelings of hatred towards me

I'm knocking on your wall
I am intentionally creating knocking sounds on the wall

I'm knocking on your wall in time to a record you play
I am deliberately timing my knocking to match the rhythm of the record you are playing

But I know you're thinking
However, I am aware of the thoughts going through your mind

I can't keep a rhythm
I am unable to maintain a steady beat or tempo

You hate me you do
It is true that you possess feelings of hatred towards me

I can feel it burnin'
I am experiencing a burning sensation or intense emotion