In 2016, the band were invited to support Massive Attack on their UK and European tour after working together on Massive Attack’s single “ Voodoo In My Blood”, which was released in January 2016.
Young Fathers feature 6 tracks on the Trainspotting T2 soundtrack, including “Only God Knows”, written specifically for the film.
In November 2017 the band announced that they had finished work on their third album to be release on Ninja Tune in early 2018.
Deadline
Young Fathers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What do we sing now? Close to the deadline
No one remembers, shoulder to shoulder
We are pretenders, making the headlines
Signal the weekend, waiting they like eh
No other reason, tangled and frozen
No turning back oooooh, get set and ready
Greater dey numbers
The kids in the bedroom, waiting for harvest
Strong as a cutlass, guilty of nothing
Botched operation, witnessing something
Don't you turn my home against me
Even if my house is empty
Don't you turn my home against me
Even if my house is empty
Don't you turn my home against me
Even if my house is empty
Don't you turn my home against me
Even if my house is empty
The lyrics of Young Fathers's song Deadline convey a sense of urgency and impending doom. It seems like the singer(s) of the song are waiting for some big break that will make them rich, but at the same time, they are aware that time is running out. The line "What do we sing now? Close to the deadline" suggests that they are at a loss as to what to do next, and that they are operating under a lot of pressure. This pressure leads them to put on a façade of confidence and success ("We are pretenders, making the headlines"), even though they know deep down that this is unsustainable.
The second verse adds another layer to the sense of urgency and desperation that pervades the song. The line "Signal the weekend, waiting they like eh" suggests that the singer(s) are waiting for some kind of release, possibly through drugs or alcohol, to forget their troubles for a moment. However, even as they do this, they are aware of the futility of their actions. The line "No turning back oooooh, get set and ready" suggests that whatever they are waiting for, it is inexorable and they can't escape it. This is reinforced by the line "Greater dey numbers", which implies that the stakes are growing higher and the consequences of failure are becoming more severe.
The repeated refrain "Don't you turn my home against me / Even if my house is empty" adds another dimension to the song, suggesting that the singer(s) are desperately trying to hold onto something that is slipping away from them. The use of the word "home" suggests that whatever is at stake is intimately tied to their sense of identity and belonging. Overall, the lyrics of Deadline convey a sense of desperation, urgency, and impending doom, as the singer(s) struggle to hold onto something that is quickly slipping away from them.
Line by Line Meaning
Waiting to be rich, rip it to pieces
We're yearning for wealth and success, tearing everything apart to achieve it
What do we sing now? Close to the deadline
As the deadline approaches, we're struggling to come up with something to show for it
No one remembers, shoulder to shoulder
Despite working together, we're easily forgotten and not making a lasting impact
We are pretenders, making the headlines
We may not be truly genuine, but we're catching people's attention with our actions
Signal the weekend, waiting they like eh
We're looking forward to the weekend, waiting eagerly for something to happen
No other reason, tangled and frozen
We're feeling stuck and confused with no clear motivation or direction
No turning back oooooh, get set and ready
We've made a commitment and there's no going back; we need to prepare ourselves for what's to come
Greater dey numbers
We have strength in numbers and are more powerful together
The colour of money, trigger the lightning
Money is a powerful motivator and can spark a frenzy of action
The kids in the bedroom, waiting for harvest
We're anticipating success, eagerly waiting for a fruitful outcome
Strong as a cutlass, guilty of nothing
We're powerful and unashamed of our actions
Botched operation, witnessing something
We may have made mistakes, but we're witnessing something significant happening
Don't you turn my home against me
We're pleading with someone not to turn our own safe haven or security against us
Even if my house is empty
We're saying that even if we have nothing, we still have pride in what is ours
Don't you turn my home against me
We're repeating our plea, emphasizing the importance of this request
Even if my house is empty
Again, we're stating the value we place on our home, even if it seems like we have nothing to show for it
Don't you turn my home against me
Once more, we're reiterating our request, unwilling to let anyone turn our home against us
Even if my house is empty
We're emphasizing that our home and what it represents is still important to us, even if it may appear empty to others
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALLOYSIOUS MASSAQUOI, GRAHAM HASTINGS, KAYUS BANKOLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ashley
Fucking hell Young Fathers are good,
first time ive been impressed and obsessed in a while, woo
Polly Anna Steiner
Saw them at Glastonbury- EPIC, BEAUTY, TRUTH :) x blessed to experience that performance.
C. line
En live ils déchirent tout ! 💥🙌🏾🙂
Michiah Sievers
DONT YOU TURN MY HOME AGAINST ME EVEN IF MY HOUSE IS EMPTY
diracdirac
i was there as well last night. what a show these boys put on.
nero
I just started listening to this album for the first time right as i'm commenting. These dudes were on anticon??? That makes so much sense now shit
chherd
Very original...love it
norbitfan95
i can dig it
SophisticatedKatze
Love you guys
Pure beings
Music this is
chris gerge
i saw them when they opened in the why? concert. they where fucking awesome. they were actually better than WHY? im being totally serious