Their debut single, Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants backed with The Old Dog was released on Bad Sneakers Records on 20th November 2006. Their second single Through Dark Night backed with Please, Sir was released 23rd April as their last single on Bad Sneakers. In February 2007 the band signed to Domino Records. A debut album Limbo, Panto was released in the UK on June 16 2008 with strong critical endorsement. Their second album, Two Dancers, was released on 3 August 2009 to widespread critical acclaim, receiving 9/10 reviews from NME and Drowned in Sound. It was also ranked at #41 on NME's top 100 albums of the decade. Their third album, Smother was released on May 9, 2011.
The four boys of Wild Beasts aren’t concerned with being of the modern or being of the renaissance, being baggy pantsed or being tight pantsed, being in a scene or being in a place. Wild Beasts’ music just is.
On 25 September 2017, the band announced that they were disbanding, playing their final gig on 17 February 2018.
Cheerio Chaps Cheerio Goodbye
Wild Beasts Lyrics
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Don′t render me the sorriest parody...
Potty gobbed fickle mob clamour for climax
Don't render me the sorriest parody...
Be blasted or be lambasted instead
Don′t render me the sorriest parody...
Cheerio chaps, cheerio goodbye
Cheerio chaps, even cheer me if I die
For me snivellin', for me sufferin', for me constant cowerin′
I get this...
My pain played back, like crude happy slap, and for the laff
I get this...
Another cosmos, beneath the big top, when I belly flop
I get this...
No not hugged or hand shook
Just left bereft, well walloped, wanting to have warwhoopfully have wept
So I gloat with, with gritted grin
To cheat my chin into keeping the womanly wibbling in
Cheerio chaps, cheerio goodbye
Cheerio chaps, even cheer me if I die
For me snivellin′, for me sufferin', for me constant cowerin′
I get this...
My pain played back, like crude happy slap, and for the laff
I get this...
Another cosmos, beneath the big top, when I belly flop
I get this...
A requiem in a circus tent...
The lyrics to Wild Beasts's song Cheerio Chaps Cheerio Goodbye seem to be about someone who is feeling overwhelmed by their own emotions and the expectations of others. The first few lines describe a lonely barrel with sour metal smells, which could represent a sense of isolation and decay. The singer then pleads not to be turned into a sorry parody, suggesting that they are afraid of being reduced to a caricature of themselves.
The second verse describes a "potty gobbed fickle mob" who are clamoring for climax. This could represent the pressures of a society that demands constant excitement and entertainment. The singer again begs not to be turned into a parody, then offers a list of things that they "get" in return for their suffering. These seem to be dark rewards, such as pain played back like a crude happy slap, or feeling like they are in another cosmos beneath the big top.
Line by Line Meaning
Sour metal smells in a lonely barrel
A sad and unpleasant atmosphere is created with the imagery of metallic smells that are sour, in a barrel that is isolated and lonely.
Potty gobbed fickle mob clamour for climax
The crowd is vulgar and unreliable in their pursuit of excitement, screaming for a peak that may or may not arrive.
Be blasted or be lambasted instead
There are only two options: either be destroyed with force or be harshly criticized.
Cheerio chaps, cheerio goodbye
A sarcastic farewell is given to those who are leaving, suggesting a lack of empathy or care.
Cheerio chaps, even cheer me if I die
There is no hope for survival or support, even in death.
For me snivellin', for me sufferin', for me constant cowerin'
The singer is always crying, enduring pain, and living in fear.
I get this...
Despite everything, the only thing that the singer gets is more pain and humiliation.
My pain played back, like crude happy slap, and for the laff
The artist's suffering is treated as entertainment by others, who may take pleasure in it.
Another cosmos, beneath the big top, when I belly flop
The artist is like a performer in a circus, falling flat on their face in front of an audience in another universe.
No not hugged or hand shook
There is no support or comfort coming from others, not even in the form of a simple gesture like a hug or handshake.
Just left bereft, well walloped, wanting to have warwhoopfully have wept
Feeling abandoned and beaten down, the singer wishes to express their distress more vividly through crying out and wailing.
So I gloat with, with gritted grin
The artist takes satisfaction, albeit twisted and bitter, from their own suffering.
To cheat my chin into keeping the womanly wibbling in
The singer tries to suppress their emotions and tears, which are seen as feminine and shameful.
A requiem in a circus tent...
This line emphasizes the absurdity and tragic nature of the singer's situation, comparing it to a funeral song played under a circus tent.
Writer(s): Ben Little, Christopher Talbot, Hayden Thorpe, Thomas Fleming
Contributed by Mateo J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.