Tag Archives: kings of leon

#1105: Kings of Leon – Red Morning Light

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Every once in a while I’ll write about a song on here that I have to owe to a video game for cluing me in to its existence. The majority of the time it’s been through the FIFA series, which between 2002 to about 2013 introduced me to so many artists and genres from the West to the East that really shaped my musical interests in my childhood/adolescence. FIFA 2004 was a big, big game in that regard. Heck, I have a tag dedicated to it. And today brings yet another song included in the game’s soundtrack. Before booting up the game, I know for a fact I had no idea who Kings of Leon were. But then the opening chords to ‘Red Morning Light’ started blasting out the speakers during its introduction, and that was it. A brand new song in the head of a nine-year-old kid.

Well, I don’t think it was as instant as that. I was probably marvelling more at the skill moves of Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho. But through playing the game, probably almost every weekend in 2004 (at the max, any moment I had free time), I got accustomed to hearing the track at random points when I was navigating my way through the menus. The little tag would pop up showing the song information when it started playing. “Red Morning Light” by “Kings of Leon” on the album Youth & Young Manhood. Ah, so that was the band’s name. One to remember. Like the songs from the game I’ve written about before, I eventually got to singing along to it. I at least tried. Not that I got every word correct because Caleb Followill kinda blends one word into the next and slurs and mumbles his words throughout. But the chorus was always the best part, “And I say na-na hey, hey, you’re giving all your cinnamon away-hey.” I didn’t know what it meant. Still don’t now, really. But it was good, good stuff.

So, to keep things short, ‘Red Morning Light’ was the first song by Kings of Leon that I’d ever heard, and it’s thanks to FIFA 2004. When I finally received the game as a gift, 2004 had been a thing for four months. I got it as a birthday gift, you see, even though I really wanted it the Christmas that had gone. The band had gained their big following over here in the UK, and they were probably well on their way to working on their second album. As a result, the Aha Shake Heartbreak era of the band is the one that properly introduced me to their music. The video for ‘The Bucket’ came on TV one day, and it was like, “Oh, Kings of Leon, it’s those guys.” Then they never really disappeared from that point onward. I’ve been able to listen to Manhood, and it’s not my favourite album of the band’s, I have to admit. Not that it’s bad. There are at least two of the band’s that I think are better. But for the band it all began there and with ‘Red Morning Light’ as the opening track, so I have to give it props just for that.

#974: Kings of Leon – On Call

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Two and a bit years on from Aha Shake Heartbreak, the time had come around for a new Kings of Leon album. The music video for ‘On Call’ premiered in the UK on Channel 4. If anyone from the UK remembers when Channel 4 used to premiere brand new music videos, shout out to you. But they always showed them at the latest times of the day. I was 11 years old at the time, and didn’t have enough energy to stay up until 11:45pm or whenever time they were showing it. It was some ungodly time, for an 11-year-old at least. My sister, however, did. When I asked her how it was the next morning, though I can’t remember the specifics, I do recall her making a comment on how the camera zoomed on Caleb Followill’s face every time he sang, “Be there.” I asked, “Kinda like Kurt Cobain in the ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ video?” She said, “Something like that, sure.” It wasn’t too long until the video started regularly playing on MTV2. Followill isn’t as unhinged as Cobain was in that music video. But the similarity was there.

Gotta say, ‘On Call’ is quite a strange choice for a single. Especially the first one for an album that fans would have been eagerly anticipating. In a lot of ways, it shouldn’t work. There’s no guitar-led introduction like the other typical KoL singles. Instead, in came these slow ghostly keyboards, with which Caleb Followill joins in not too long after. Even he delivers his lines, one after the other, quite shyly with spaces in between to really make those keyboards heard. Then that ominous tape-echoed bassline comes in with that chugging guitar line on the right by Matthew Followill. All these elements make for quite the mysterious introduction to a song. Then Caleb really starts singing. The “I’m on call to BE THERE” line is one that has a melody that, again, should not work in any way. But then the band properly fall in at 1:18 and everything comes together, it all starts to make sense. Then by the time the guitar solo comes in, you’ve got yourself another classic KoL track.

Think I’ve made it clear in other posts concerning Kings of Leon, but after Because of the Times, things were just never the same. The video for ‘On Call’ sort of marked an end of an era. It was the last video of the band’s in which Caleb Followill had his long hair, something of a remainder from the Aha Shake era. The band released the track ‘Fans’ as a single, but the next music video they would make would be for ‘Charmer’, where those locks were chopped off. Amazing how he looked almost like a completely different person through that act. But I’m not afraid to say I’m one of those fans who think it all went wrong from ‘Sex on Fire’ onwards. I don’t cry and wish they’d go back to their old style though. No point. By this point I’ve made my peace with the matter. But for a while Kings of Leon had us all going.

#850: Kings of Leon – Molly’s Chambers

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“Molly’s chambers, oh, the chambers of Molly” is how I used to sing the chorus to this track when I first became aware of it many moons ago. The video played quite frequently on TV, and this would have been years after Youth & Young Manhood was available to the public. Then I found out that that wasn’t what Caleb Followill was singing. But really, the way he mumbles his vocals throughout you wouldn’t be able to really know until you looked it up.

So, ‘Molly’s Chambers’ is a track from Kings of Leons’ first album. It was released as the second single from there, way back in 2003. My personal experience, I don’t think I knew this song existed until maybe after the release of Aha Shake Heartbreak a year later. All I knew was ‘Red Morning Light’ and that was because it was the opening track on FIFA 2004. But as I explained I saw the ‘Chambers’ video, thought that was all right, and as a result came to like the song by association.

It’s one of those songs about mysterious girls who make men want to drop to their knees and be close to them just because of how cool they seem to be. I think there’s a gun reference in the song title too. Like the chamber in a gun? Maybe the effect this Molly has is like a bullet to the brain. Or maybe it’s chambers as in a bedroom. I’ve never thought about all this until now. Maybe it’s deeper than I ever thought it was. Best to not think about it too much though. Might start a run of sleepless nights.

#818: Kings of Leon – McFearless

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Kings of Leon released a new album quite recently. Their first in five years. As nice as that might be, I’m one of those who thought they were never the same post Because of the Times. To me it was the last record of theirs where they were a bit daring at the least, and had a bunch of songs on there that were exciting to listen to. I got my copy of The Times, quite soon after it was released actually. Came out three days before my 12th birthday, and ‘On Call’ was on there and to be able to hear that whenever I wanted to, I needed the CD.

‘McFearless’ comes straight after ‘On Call’ on the album. Caleb Followill sings the ‘be there’ lyric on there, and then ‘McFearless’ enters which this massive fuzz bazz in the centre, followed by this erratic, high-hat heavy drumming pattern by Nathan Followill and wah-wah drenched guitar riff. To an erratic 11 soon to be 12-year-old, these sounds were quite awe-inspiring. Because of C.Followill’s vocal delivery and cadence, I don’t think I’ve ever sang along to this one correctly. Except for the chorus. And even then. But I’ve looked at the lyrics. My interpretation is that the song is just about a man who’s trying to live his best life, keep on the straight and narrow and maintain their sanity in a crazy world. I think that’s fair.

Time’s gone by and sometimes I wonder whether the chorus to this is actually good. Caleb Followill’s clearly giving it his all, his voice is at the point of breaking many times during those repetitions, but I can’t help but find it funny sometimes. You might not feel the same, but that’s fine. I’ll still listen to this with great joy whenever it comes on.

#700: Kings of Leon – King of the Rodeo

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This is another one of those songs where I was actually alive and could remember its video showing on the TV as opposed to finding it years later. One thing I remember about this track is that I, somehow, always managed to change the channel to MTV2 when the video for this song was almost finishing. I don’t think I ever saw the beginning until YouTube came along. Or maybe it was on the band’s official website when bands used to have their music videos on their in a .wmv format back in the day.

‘King of the Rodeo’ is on Kings of Leon’s second album Aha Shake Heartbreak, released in 2004. It was the album’s third single. I still don’t really know what Caleb Followill is saying throughout this thing. It’s never come to mind that I should find the lyrics and truly understand what he’s singing. I’ve always appreciated the sound of his voice here. The coarse tone, the breaks when he’s reaching for the high notes. It’s a characteristic that made the Kings of Leon those days very exciting to listen to. Yes, I’m one of those people. I think the real main highlight in the track is the guitar work of Matthew Followill. While Caleb pretty much plays two chords for the whole song, Nathan keeps the momentum going with the crunchy riffs and string bends. It’s in the left speaker if you’re using your headphones. Or the right, if you’re watching the video.

Now, I have read the lyrics. Apparently, there are a few references to the film Withnail and I in the track. I wasn’t expecting that. Other than that, there’s not much meaning to the lyrical content. I’ll take it that about they’re about some relationship between a guy and a girl in the South.