Throughout the band's history, members have regularly been replaced, with the only constant member being the band's founder, singer and guitarist Ginger. Several band members have appeared in the line-up more than once. The band has also been split up or placed on hiatus by Ginger multiple times. In the 2010s, the band convened occasionally for various anniversary tours. A 2018 anniversary tour by the band's 1995 lineup led to a return to the studio. They released a new album in 2019 after a ten-year hiatus. Their most recent album, 21st Century Love Songs, was released in September 2021.
Current line-up:
Ginger - vocals, guitar (1989–1997, 1998, 1999, 2001–2004, 2005, 2006–2009, 2012–present)
CJ - guitar, vocals (1989–1994, 2001–2004, 2005, 2006–2009, 2012–present)
Ritch Battersby - drums (1993–1997, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006–2009, 2012–present)
Danny McCormack - bass, vocals (1991–1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002–2003, 2005, 2018–present)
Discography
Earth vs the Wildhearts (1993)
P.H.U.Q. (1995)
Fishing for Luckies (1996)
Endless, Nameless (1997)
The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed (2003)
The Wildhearts (2007)
Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before Vol. 1 (2008)
¡Chutzpah! (2009)
Renaissance Men (2019)
21st Century Love Songs (2021)
http://www.thewildhearts.com
Anthem
The Wildhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The ships have gone
I'm fine and dry and much to my relief
I'm flying high
To beat the sky
And One by One my blues lie underneath
A time to die
A time to open up your eyes and see
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
Why waste time
To find the place
When all the time the world was mine to keep
A time to live
A time to die
A time to open up your eyes and see
Rocks and stones
and breaking bones
The fits, the shakes, he tries to get some sleep
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
Hold your breath
And count to ten
So good to be so fucked up... oh yeah!
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
The Wildhearts' song "Anthem" can be interpreted as a celebration of the wild and reckless spirit of rock and roll. The opening lines, "The lights are on, the ships have gone, I'm fine and dry and much to my relief," suggest a feeling of liberation from the constraints of normal life. The singer then describes his exhilaration at "flying high to beat the sky," with "One by One my blues lie underneath." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for leaving one's problems behind and being overcome by the euphoria of music.
The lyrics then contemplate the fleeting nature of time, with "A time to live, a time to die, a time to open up your eyes and see." However, the singer seems to have already found meaning in his life through rock and roll. He declares his love for the rock and roll world, repeating the line "I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world" multiple times. The chorus becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the sheer repetition of the phrase serves to reinforce and celebrate his deep connection with the music.
The final lines, "Hold your breath and count to ten, so good to be so fucked up... oh yeah!" suggest a continued embrace of danger and chaos, further emphasizing the reckless spirit of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
The lights are on
Everything is up and running
The ships have gone
The time for leaving has come and gone
I'm fine and dry and much to my relief
I am doing well, and I am relieved
I'm flying high
I feel like I'm soaring
To beat the sky
I am reaching for the heavens
And One by One my blues lie underneath
I am shedding my sadness one by one
A time to live
There is a time to live life to its fullest
A time to die
There is also a time to die
A time to open up your eyes and see
It's important to be aware of the world around you
I'm in love with the rock 'n' roll world
I have a strong passion for the world of rock and roll
Why waste time
It's pointless to spend time doing something unproductive
To find the place
To search for a sense of belonging
When all the time the world was mine to keep
I could have been exploring the world this whole time
Rocks and stones
Physical obstacles
and breaking bones
Literal physical injury
The fits, the shakes, he tries to get some sleep
Struggles with sleeping and staying still
Hold your breath
Wait for the right moment
And count to ten
Take a moment to calm down and think
So good to be so fucked up... oh yeah!
It feels exhilarating to feel so out of control
Lyrics © SENTRIC MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Mark Feeney
When this came out I remember being horribly disappointed; ironically, I did listen to really heavy “Industrial” stuff (I try not to use that word, but it’s the closest I can think of) but this just sounded so far away from their previous material. Listening now at the age of 45 in 2021 I appreciate it so much more, and it’s not just nostalgia, it’s just a fantastic Rock ‘n’ Roll tune.
Crypty
The whole album is a work of genius...
John Dice
Massively underrated
Stu Pididiot
The whole album was a massive disappointment………….way too much distortion just made it unlistenable! They went from a pure heavy rock n roll band to this industrial sounding distorted nonsense!
Alberto M
Back in those days, I was so exited to hear that an new album of The Wildhearts was coming out but afterwards I was really disappointed when I heard it. More that twenty years later I think it is an album with great tunes and it still sounds pretty cool
John Dice
Amazing album love it to this day. If you don’t like it you’re not listening hard enough!
BiggsyBiggs
That is a fuckin' riff. Loved this album, my intro into The Wildhearts.
Home Boy
Still quality after all these years!
Alex Chant
Such a great tune✌🏻
Mister jammy pants
Danny is just so fucking rock n roll. Born to it. Love watching him perform.