All Those Friendly People

Album: Lily Of The Valley (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Funeral Suits, an alt rock quartet from Dublin, Ireland, caught their big break when acclaimed producer Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur) agreed to helm their debut LP, Lily of the Valley. This synthpop-infused single finds the band recalling a wasted youth ("Hid away 'til I was eighteen, only saw colors on a TV screen") and facing a doomed romance with a girl who has nicotine lips and a heart of stone.
  • The popular music video, directed by Shaun Ryan, is part of a trilogy inspired by William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, that also includes "Health" and "Hands Down By Your Side." In this installment, an exuberant masked showman drags a woman across a beach before unleashing his pig-men sidekicks on her. The clip was shot over three days in Ireland's Wicklow Mountains and Malahide Beach. Of the video, Funeral Suits vocalist/guitarist Mik McKeogh tells Songfacts: "It documents an age-old battle between the oppressor and the oppressed. It's surreal… It's quite juxtaposed to the song, but I think they complemented each other really nicely."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Strange Magnetics

Strange MagneticsSong Writing

How Bing Crosby, Les Paul, a US Army Signal Corps Officer, and the Nazis helped shape rock and Roll.

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.