Can't Say What I Mean

Album: Off With Their Heads (2008)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Kaiser Chief bassist Simon Rix told Drowned In Sound about this song with the subject of being tongue-tied: "It sounds like the very first songs we wrote together. It's got a bit of a sixties sound. On this album we recorded to tape a lot, especially vocals. We did the Sgt. Pepper tribute album last year, recording on the original desk. We enjoyed the restriction of that but also the sound of it and wanted to try and recreate a bit of that on our album. It's a very up tempo song that pounds along and I think it'll become a bit of a live favorite when the album comes out. This meant we wanted to record it just like we play it. We didn't use a click or metronome as we wanted the songs natural speeding up and slowing down to stay as that is part of the character of the song. So one evening we went into the live room and played it about three times together exactly as we would on stage, to capture the energy. Mark (Ronson, producer), had his top off and declared it his favorite Kaisers song ever."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.