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.
Romance
Young Fathers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Free from disaster is your plea
Time and time again is the story
Celebrating in disguise before I leave
Fill the cup
Fill it up
Full the cup oh
Fill it up
Full the cup oh
Little Jimmy Thought He Found a Lady
Beautiful and naked was the start of
Soak a broken heart in kerosine
So my dear, don't dare to leave
Fill the cup
Fill it up
Full the cup oh
Fill the cup
Fill it up
Full the cup oh
Pass the parcel, pretty preacher
Skin of an Alligator
Rigor mortis on his conscience
No need for respirators
China white crystal features
You have more than sex appeal
Reveal the cost of righteous living
Television something new
Fill the cup
Fill it up
Full the cup oh
Fill the cup
Fill it up
Full the cup oh
The first verse of "Romance" by Young Fathers seems to be a plea for escape from destruction of some sort. With the line, "mission to Nasa to break free," it can be inferred that the singer is looking for something out of this world to find relief from their troubles. What these troubles exactly entail are left to interpretation, but it is clear that they are weighing heavy on the singer's mind. The line "celebrating in disguise before I leave" suggests that the singer is possibly leaving something or somewhere behind, and wants to have one last celebration before departing. The repetition of "fill the cup" could signify the repeated attempts of the singer to numb the pain they are experiencing with alcohol or other substances.
The second verse introduces a character named Little Jimmy who falls for a woman he believes to be his salvation, but ultimately has his heart broken. The image of soaking a broken heart in kerosene is a violent one, suggesting that the pain of this heartbreak has left Little Jimmy with thoughts of destruction. The lines "so my dear, don't dare to leave" could be interpreted as Little Jimmy pleading with the woman not to leave him, knowing that he cannot survive another heartbreak.
The third verse is the most surreal and confusing, with lines like "pass the parcel, pretty preacher" and "skin of an alligator." These lines not only add to the surrealist nature of the song, but they could possibly be alluding to someone in power who is corrupt or dangerous. The line "reveal the cost of righteous living" suggests that even those who are trying to live good lives can still fall prey to the evils of the world. The repetition of "fill the cup" at the end of every verse suggests that the characters in the song are trying to cope with their pain in unhealthy ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Mission to Nasa to break free
Escaping a difficult situation by reaching for the stars
Free from disaster is your plea
Desperately hoping to avoid failure
Time and time again is the story
Repeating the same mistakes over and over
Celebrating in disguise before I leave
Putting on a fake smile and pretending everything is okay before departing
Fill the cup
Indulging in excess
Fill it up
Taking things to the extreme
Full the cup oh
Completely immersing oneself in the experience
Little Jimmy Thought He Found a Lady
Being naive and falling for a false image
Beautiful and naked was the start of
Beginning with alluring appearances
Soak a broken heart in kerosine
Trying to numb the pain of heartbreak
So my dear, don't dare to leave
Begging for someone to stay despite the toxicity
Pass the parcel, pretty preacher
Handing off responsibility to an attractive manipulator
Skin of an Alligator
Being tough and unfeeling
Rigor mortis on his conscience
Feeling guilty and unable to move past it
No need for respirators
Unaffected and unfazed
China white crystal features
Aesthetic qualities associated with drug addiction
You have more than sex appeal
Being desirable for something beyond physical attraction
Reveal the cost of righteous living
The difficult and painful path to being morally upright
Television something new
Seeking escapism and novelty through media
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALLOYSIOUS MASSAQUOI, GRAHAM HASTINGS, KAYUS BANKOLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Sophikatzroute69
I love this song so much. It's like playing in the background of my life on certain moments.
@Paperbagman555
I was playing 'Tape One' just in the background while browsing the web and as soon as this song came on I had one of those 'holy shit that sounds amazing' moments. I let go of the laptop, shut my eyes and got lost in the beautiful melody of this song.
@ironicusername2
Seriously. Through his reviews I've found sub-genres, sounds, and artists that I never even knew existed. I even listen to music in a different way.
@CorporateCarrots
I love this. Keep up the good work, Young Fathers and Anticon!
@tripleverbosity
An open heart and a vibrant soul.
@mirandabenzies2568
Love this song! Have been listening to Dead, then checking out some earlier stuff found this. Amazing.
@johnmc244
Every group take influences of many music genres thats what makes the young fathers so good and i for one can't wait to see them in liverpool :)
@jevonmahoney
did you have fun John? :)
@YukoYoshikane82
So beautiful and makes me cry
@Jenbyboy
this song is really beautiful