The band formed in Liverpool, England in 2001, taking their name from Magic Band guitarist Bill Harkleroad, better known as Zoot Horn (or "Zuton") Rollo. With all the members being Liverpudlian, this led to comparisions with The Coral, especially as both bands were signed to the same record label - Deltasonic - and had the same producer - Ian Broudie. Their debut album - Who Killed The Zutons? - was released on October 18th 2004, and reached number 9 in the UK album chart.
Line up
David McCabe on lead vocals and guitar Abi Harding on saxophone and vocals
Sean Payne on drums, percussion and vocals
Russell Pritchard on bass guitar and vocals
Not A Lot To Do
The Zutons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a lot to do
Think of all
The places I could be
People I could meet
Life so small
I'm watching drops of rain
Empty streets
And no one knocks around
No one goes to town
I'm a-going out
Sick of staying in
Living life
With worries on my mind
Waste away the time
day there was a storm
Closed up all the doors
So restricted
Put my life of shame
Through the window pane
Now I'm blessed
Cause god created Sundays
So we could stay in
And watch the rain falling down
I lay on my bed
I feel all left out
I switch off my head
And I can live on my own
And stay in all day
And watch the rain falling down
I lay on my bed
I feel all left out
The Zutons' song "Not A Lot To Do" seems to describe the dreary experience of being stuck indoors on a rainy Sunday afternoon with nothing to occupy your time. The lyrics suggest a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction, with the singer longing for greater excitement and connection in their life, but feeling trapped and uncertain about how to break free of their boredom. The repeated references to the rain and the emptiness of the streets add to the melancholy mood of the song, emphasizing the sense of isolation and disconnection the singer feels from the world around them.
Even as the singer expresses a desire to go out and seek new experiences ("I'm going out / Sick of staying in / Living life with worries on my mind"), there's a note of resignation in the lyrics as well. The storm that closed up all the doors is a reminder that sometimes circumstances beyond our control can limit our possibilities for adventure and change. The singer seems to find solace in the idea that Sundays are meant for staying in and watching the rain fall, suggesting that there's a certain comfort in embracing the quiet simplicity of a day spent doing nothing much at all.
Overall, "Not A Lot To Do" is a poignant expression of the universal human struggle to find meaning and purpose in the midst of the mundane. The song speaks to the desire for connection and adventure that lies within us all, while acknowledging the difficulties of breaking out of our routines and the occasional necessity of surrendering to the forces that are beyond our control.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunday afternoon
The singer is telling us that the events take place on a Sunday afternoon.
Not a lot to do
The singer is bored and doesn't have much to do on this Sunday afternoon.
Think of all
The singer is wondering about all the things they could have done instead of staying at home.
The places I could be
The artist is thinking of all the places they could have gone instead of being stuck at home on this Sunday afternoon.
People I could meet
The artist is thinking about all the people they could have met had they gone out instead of being stuck at home on this Sunday afternoon.
Life so small
The singer feels that their life is very limited and boring.
I'm watching drops of rain
The singer is looking out the window and watching raindrops fall.
On my window pane
The artist specifically mentions that they are watching the raindrops fall on their window.
Empty streets
The artist is describing the quiet and peacefulness of the streets outside.
And no one knocks around
The artist is emphasizing how quiet it is outside by mentioning that nobody is out and about.
No one goes to town
The singer is saying that nobody is going to town and the town is empty.
I'm a-going out
The artist has decided to leave the house on this Sunday afternoon.
Sick of staying in
The singer is tired of staying in the house and wants to go out and do something.
Living life
The singer wants to live their life to the fullest and not waste it being bored and stuck at home.
With worries on my mind
The singer has some worries on their mind and wants to get out and do something to take their mind off them.
Waste away the time
The artist feels that staying at home is a waste of time, and wants to go out and do something productive.
day there was a storm
The artist is describing a day when there was a storm.
Closed up all the doors
The singer or someone else closed all the doors because of the storm.
So restricted
The singer feels restricted on this Sunday afternoon because of the storm.
Put my life of shame
The artist is admitting that their life is shameful and they need to make changes.
Through the window pane
The artist is looking out the window and reflecting on their life.
Now I'm blessed
The artist now feels blessed and fortunate for the opportunities they have in life.
Cause god created Sundays
The singer is pointing out that Sundays are meant to be a day of rest and relaxation.
So we could stay in
The artist is saying that it's okay to stay in on Sundays and do nothing.
And watch the rain falling down
The singer is content with staying in and watching the rain fall.
I lay on my bed
The singer is lying on their bed.
I feel all left out
The singer feels excluded and sad.
I switch off my head
The artist is trying to clear their mind and stop worrying.
And I can live on my own
The artist is independent and can enjoy their own company.
And stay in all day
The singer is content with staying in the house all day.
And watch the rain falling down
The singer is content with watching the rain fall while they stay in the house.
I lay on my bed
The artist is once again lying on their bed.
I feel all left out
The artist still feels excluded and sad.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ABIGAIL HARDING, BOYAN CHOWDHURY, DAVID ALAN MCCABE, RUSSELL THOMAS PRITCHARD, SEAN FRANCIS CALEB PAYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kirkuleetz
Lyrics
"Not A Lot To Do"
Sunday afternoon
Not a lot to do
Think of all
The places I could be
People I could meet
Life so small
I'm watching drops of rain
On my window pane
Empty streets
And no one knocks around
No one goes to town
I'm a-going out
Sick of staying in
Living life
With worries on my mind
Waste away the time
Days that I was born
Closed up all the doors
So restricted
Put my life of shame
Through the window pane
Now I'm blessed
Cause god created Sundays
So we could stay in
And watch the rain fall down
I lay on my bed
I feel all left out
I switch off my head
And I can live on my own
And stay in all day
And watch the rain falling down
I lay on my bed
I feel all left out
And switch off my head
bobyid
I can't believe this song hasn't had more views...their sound is fantastic and this is a great album. I would always listen to it the whole way through.
Rab Moghal
it's a hell of a tune.
Richard Boldt
That's the decline of humanity showing just how evident people hear and don't know or appreciate the value of the term
......LISTEN........
kirkuleetz
Lyrics
"Not A Lot To Do"
Sunday afternoon
Not a lot to do
Think of all
The places I could be
People I could meet
Life so small
I'm watching drops of rain
On my window pane
Empty streets
And no one knocks around
No one goes to town
I'm a-going out
Sick of staying in
Living life
With worries on my mind
Waste away the time
Days that I was born
Closed up all the doors
So restricted
Put my life of shame
Through the window pane
Now I'm blessed
Cause god created Sundays
So we could stay in
And watch the rain fall down
I lay on my bed
I feel all left out
I switch off my head
And I can live on my own
And stay in all day
And watch the rain falling down
I lay on my bed
I feel all left out
And switch off my head
Samantha Larner
Why this band hasn’t had the biggest exposure! I don’t know. My favourite x
John Beresford
This takes me back, think this was my favorite track from the record
Wicho Chicken Shit
Una caricia a los oídos
Yero Wolf
Relaxing... I like it.
Clownery Johnson
Found this on an 8tracks playlist 👌🏽
Andithatbrit
Bloody fangtastic