Original personnel were singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell (from Kentish Town, London), keyboardist/guitarist Hans Wärmling (from Sweden, replaced within two years by Brighton-born keyboardist Dave Greenfield), London-born bass guitarist Jean-Jacques Burnel and drummer Jet Black (real name Brian Duffy), a native of Ilford, Essex.
They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edged pub rock group, but eventually branched out to explore other styles of music. The Stranglers were, beginning in 1976, tangentially associated with punk rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour. The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music as well as gothic rock, but their idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within a musical genre.
In August 1990, founding member Cornwell left the band to pursue a solo career. In his autobiography, Cornwell states that he felt the band was a spent force creatively, and cited various examples of his increasingly acrimonious relationship with his fellow band-members, particularly Burnel. The remaining members recruited two replacements, including John Ellis, who had opened for the band in the 1970s as a member of The Vibrators, and singer Paul Roberts.
Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 2001, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on Strange Little Girls. "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie and extensively in the Australian film He Died With A Felafel In His Hand. Their hit "No More Heroes" was covered by Violent Femmes and used for the film Mystery Men. "Peaches", finally, also appears prominently in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer.
The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years - "Big Thing Coming") with the acclaimed Norfolk Coast album and a subsequent sell-out tour. The follow-up album, Suite XVI, was released in September 2006 (the title is a pun on "Sweet 16" and also a reference to the fact that it is the band's 16th studio album).
During the recording of Suite XVI Paul Roberts left the band to pursue his solocareer. Guitarist Baz Warne, who replaced John Ellis in 2000, became the main vocalist.
A quite rare Hugh Cornwell audio interview may be listened to on http://www.jasonwrightonline.com/
Giants
The Stranglers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I have to deal with little men with little hearts
I'm glad my father's not here to see
What happened to men like him
They fought the battles these dwarves can only talk about
Times have been better but littleness won't invade my soul
One word from you and you will make my life whole
I lost respect for so called laws
And the lawmakers all exposed themselves as fool
The whole world was smaller then, shrinking so it seems
The giants you've read about are lost to your dreams
I am just a simple man and I need love to survive
I would be happy If there was a sense to my life
I've come to value man as good as their world
I've learned to laugh as what is absurd
I'm beware of man what they move in herds
The whole world was smaller then, shrinking so it seems
The giants you've read about are lost to your dreams
The Earth was a growing place, turning with the sun
And giants you've heard about are gone, all gone
The Stranglers' song "Giants" is a reflection on humanity's decline from an earlier time when there were giants among us. The opening line establishes this theme: "Once there were giants walking amongst us, now I have to deal with little men with little hearts". The singer longs for the days of old, when men like his father fought real battles, rather than just talked about them.
The second verse speaks to the singer's disillusionment with modern society, where "littleness" has taken hold. He feels that laws and lawmakers are foolish and respect is lost for them. He stops the demons at his doorstep and only values people who are good and can laugh at what is absurd. However, he is still wary of people who move in herds.
The final verse concludes the song's theme, where the singer has come to terms with the fact that the world, including its people, are smaller now than they were before. The giants that were once remembered, honored, and revered are now gone.
Overall, the song is a commentary on how society has changed over time, and how the desire for power and control has caused society to become smaller, which has led to a loss of the heroic figures and values of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Once there were giants walking amongst us
In the past, great and influential people existed in our society.
Now I have to deal with little men with little hearts
Presently, there are small-minded people with no empathy, that I have to interact with.
I'm glad my father's not here to see
I am fortunate that my father did not live to experience the current state of society.
What happened to men like him
I wonder what became of the brave and honourable men like my father, who have now become scarce.
They fought the battles these dwarves can only talk about
My father and his contemporaries fought arduous battles that the present small-minded individuals can only discuss without taking action.
Times have been better but littleness won't invade my soul
In the past, things were better, but I refuse to let the current state of society affect me negatively.
One word from you and you will make my life whole
A single kind word from someone else can bring me immense joy and fulfilment.
I stopped the demons at my door
I have triumphed over the inner demons and self-doubt that plagued me.
I lost respect for so-called laws
I no longer have reverence for certain societal laws and regulations that conflict with my moral values.
And the lawmakers all exposed themselves as fools
The lawmakers who created such laws have shown their ignorance and foolishness.
The whole world was smaller then, shrinking so it seems
It appears as though the world was more connected and accessible in the past.
The giants you've read about are lost to your dreams
The great and influential figures of the past are now merely a figment of our imagination.
I am just a simple man, and I need love to survive
I am a humble individual who requires affection to thrive and survive.
I would be happy if there was a sense to my life
I would find fulfilment if I had a definitive purpose to my existence.
I've come to value man as good as their world
I have learnt to assess individuals by the positive effect they have on the world around them.
I've learned to laugh as what is absurd
I have developed a sense of humour towards things that are nonsensical and irrational.
I'm beware of man what they move in herds
I am wary of people who are prone to follow others blindly without thought or reason.
The Earth was a growing place, turning with the sun
The Earth was once a place of growth and development, revolving around the sun.
And giants you've heard about are gone, all gone
The great and influential figures of the past have now ceased to exist.
Writer(s): David Greenfield, Raymond Barry Warne, Jean Jacques Burnel, Jet Black
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.