Upon the release of their debut album, Is This It, in 2001, the group was met with much critical acclaim, being hailed by some as the "saviors of rock and roll." NME made Is This It their Album of the Year. Since then, the band has maintained a large fan base, notably in the UK, US and Australia. As of 2007, Is This It has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide.
They released their second album Room on Fire in October 2003, to good reviews, but to less success commercially, although it still went gold. The album's sound maintained the Strokes' familiar reference points, while also evoking groups such as The Cars, Bob Marley, and Blondie. In the process, they made the cover of Spin Magazine for the second time, with each member receiving his own cover. They also made the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time. Additional media coverage of the band came from the relationship between Moretti and actress Drew Barrymore, which ended in January 2007.
In late September 2005, "Juicebox", the first single from The Strokes then unreleased third album, was leaked online, forcing the single's release date to be advanced. The single was then released as an exclusive on online download services. "Juicebox" became The Strokes' second UK Top 10 hit, as well as their second US Modern Rock Top 10 success. During November and December 2005 the Strokes did a promotional tour for the still unreleased album, which involved doing one-off shows in major cities around the world.
Their third album, First Impressions of Earth, was released in January 2006 to mixed reviews and debuted at number four in the US and number one in the UK, a first for the band. In Japan it went gold within the first week of release. It was also the most downloaded album for two weeks on iTunes. Fraiture claimed that the album was "like a scientific breakthrough". In January 2006, the band then made their second appearance on Saturday Night Live playing "Juicebox" and "You Only Live Once".
The Strokes' frontman Julian Casablancas and guitarist Nick Valensi started writing new material for their band's forthcoming new album in the latter stages of January 2009, which they were set to go in the studio to finalize in February of the same year. In February 2010, Julian Casablancas told NME that the band's fourth album was set to be released in September 2010. The release date has been pushed back again, and the album, titled "Angles" will now be released March 22, 2011 in America. The album's first single, "Under Cover of Darkness" was made available as a free download from the band's website on February 9, 2011 for a 48 hour period.
The Strokes' fifth album is called "Comedown Machine" and was released on March 26th 2013 In North America and March 25th in the U.K. The first single is called "All the Time".
They released their first collection of material after their departure from RCA, the Future Present Past EP, in June 2016 through Casablancas' independent Cult Records label.
Later that decade, the Strokes began working with Rick Rubin on a new album. In April 2020 they released their first studio album in seven years, The New Abnormal, through Cult and RCA. Critics generally considered the album a return to form.
Official website: http://www.thestrokes.com
Gratisfaction
The Strokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she tries to recognize me with the eyes she saw me with in December
And she's starting to realize that it's actually not a good thing
And it's so tough because you're down to go out again and have another adventure
All her friends in the alleyway shout back but she can't hear them
But you're never gonna get my love
We can only play in the sun
You'll be frustrated 'til the day that you're done
He got punched in the mouth for sticking his nose in other people's business
No good solution, always on the verge of some revolution
Well tough luck, it may take a thousand years, but I think we can do it
Best friends fight but they never enjoy life as good as when they abuse it
He said, "The soldier is a necessity in light of all the failures of man", yeah
But you're never gonna get their love
We can only fight in the sand
You get tired when the days are too long
You get lonely when the days are gone
He could never mention it out here and now
Without quick tears in his eyes, ooh
'Cause you're never gonna get my love
We can only play in the sun
You get tired when the days are too long
You get lonely when the days are gone
Oh, you're never gonna get this love
We can roll around in the dark
That's about as far as we go
Get up in the morning and run
The lyrics of The Strokes's song Gratisfaction, from their 2011 album Angles, are full of enigmatic and cryptic phrases. The song seems to be about a person who is reflecting on a past relationship, possibly with regret or nostalgia. He admits that he barely remembers some details and that the person he used to know is starting to realize that it's not a good thing. There's a sense of frustration and a longing for adventure that the person wants to experience again, but also a realization that it might not be possible.
The lyrics also touch on some themes of violence, politics, and existentialism. The lines about getting punched in the mouth for sticking one's nose in other people's business and the soldier being a necessity despite the failures of humankind suggest a critical view of authority and oppression. The final lines about getting tired and lonely when the days are too long and gone indicate a sense of weariness and melancholy.
Overall, the song is musically and lyrically rich, with a mix of rock, pop, and new wave influences that characterize The Strokes's sound. Its lyrics are open to interpretation and can resonate with different listeners based on their own experiences and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh b-baby, don't you be so mad because I barely remember
The singer apologizes for not being able to remember a past encounter and hopes that the other person is not upset about it.
And she tries to recognize me with the eyes she saw me with in December
The other person is trying to remember what the singer looked like the last time they saw each other in December in order to recognize them now.
And she's starting to realize that it's actually not a good thing
The other person is beginning to understand that the singer not remembering their encounter is not a positive sign and may impact their relationship moving forward.
And it's so tough because you're down to go out again and have another adventure
It's difficult because the other person is interested in going out and having another experience with the artist even though the artist can't remember the past one.
All her friends in the alleyway shout back, but she can't hear them
The other person is so focused on trying to connect with the artist that they are deaf to the feedback from their friends that this may not be a good idea.
But you're never gonna get my love
The singer is making it clear that they are not interested in a romantic relationship with the other person.
We can only blame the sun
The singer is suggesting that the reason why things may not work out with the other person is out of their control, much like the rising and setting of the sun each day.
Get up in the morning and run
The artist is suggesting that the other person needs to move on and find someone else who is interested in them.
You'll be frustrated 'til the day that you're done
The artist is warning that the other person will continue to be disappointed until they accept that the artist is not interested in them.
He got punched the mouth for sticking his nose in other people's business
The artist is telling a story of someone who got physically injured because they got involved in a situation that was none of their business.
No good solution, always on the verge of some revolution
The singer is lamenting the fact that sometimes there are no easy solutions to problems and that people often feel like they need to start a revolution to effect change.
With tough luck it may take a thousand years but I think we can do it
The artist is expressing hope that even though it may take a long time, people can still make a difference despite the odds being against them.
Best friends fight, but they never enjoy life as good as when they abuse it
The singer is reflecting on the fact that even though best friends may fight, they still have a special bond that allows them to enjoy life in a unique way.
He said the soldier is a necessity, lied of all the failures of man
The singer is criticizing someone who thinks that having a soldier is necessary because they believe that humans cannot be trusted to govern themselves and that soldiers are needed to maintain order.
You're never gonna get their love
The singer is suggesting that the other person will never be able to win over or change the feelings of others who are not interested in them.
We can only fight in the sand
The artist is saying that sometimes the only way to deal with a situation is to argue endlessly about it, similar to trying to fight in quicksand.
You get tired when the days are too long
The artist is acknowledging the fact that people can get worn out when faced with long and difficult situations.
You get lonely when the days are gone
The singer is highlighting the feeling of emptiness one can get when an experience or relationship ends and they are left alone.
He could never mention it out here and now
The singer is indicating that there is something they can't talk about in the current time and place due to outside pressures or personal limitations.
Without quick tears in his eyes
The artist is noting that the thing they can't talk about often brings them to tears, but they are not crying at this moment.
Oh you're never gonna get this love
The artist is emphasizing once again that they are not interested in reciprocating the romantic feelings of the other person.
We can roll around in the dark
The artist is suggesting that they are willing to engage in physical intimacy with the other person, but this does not mean they want a romantic relationship with them.
That's about as far as we go
The singer is again indicating that the physical relationship is the extent of what is possible between them, and it will not progress beyond that point.
Get up in the morning and run
The artist is once again suggesting that the other person should move on from their failed attempt at a relationship with them and find someone else.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Julian Casablancas, Fabrizio Morretti, Nick Valensi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind