Jacqueline Lyrics
working on a desk
when Ivor
Peered above a spectacle
forgot that he had wrecked a girl
Sometimes these eyes
Forget the face they're peering from
When the face they peer upon
Well, you know
That face as I do
And how in the return of the gaze
She can return you the face
That you are staring from
So much better on holiday
That's why we only work when
We need the money
Said, come on kick me again
Said, I'm so drunk
I don't mind if you kill me
Come on you gutless
I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive
and how I know it
But for chips and for freedom
I could die
So much better on holiday
That's why we only work when
We need the money
(x4)
The character Ivor in the song is actually a Glaswegian poet/songwriter called Ivor Cutler. He'll be 82 on January 15th, and the story in the song happened about around 10 years ago, so he would've been about 71 or 72 then. Anyway, he used to go the library that Jacqueline worked in a lot, and talked to her. Jacqueline thought it was innocent, and that he was a lonely old man looking for a friendly face, when he was actually quite attracted to the 17 year old girl. One night, I think Jacqueline walked Ivor home, because it was late and dark, and Ivor offered her up to his flat for a cup of tea, as a thank you. Jacqueline agreed and went up. Then, Ivor told her how he felt about her. Jacqueline was horrified that an old man was attracted to her. At this, Ivor became very sad and said that he didn't blame her, because whenever he looked at Jacqueline, he forgot that he was an old man and thought that he was 17 again. I hope that makes some sense, because I don’t think it looks right. Anyway, it’s quite a tragic story about an old man feeling young again.
Ref: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/apr/15/franzferdinand (15 Apr 2005)
Ref: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/apr/15/franzferdinand (15 Apr 2005)
a song about how work can be so hard, when 'gregor' is being beat up, it could be that he's getting beaten up not phyically but mentally because of the strains of work. and to escape this strain, you have to go on holiday to recop your energy.
i agree whole heartidly. at first i thought it was some guy going up to jaqueline and telling her of this wonderful place where no one works (unless they need to) and that she should join them.
This whole CD seems to all go together, thematically and mood-wise. In the beginning, the boy and girl seem to be torn apart by some secret. He decides to tell her something tonight, then they realize they won't be leaving together. He hides in the matinee, where he cheats a little, with whoever else in is in the dark. In Auf Achse and Cheating on You, it just chronicles what happens during the cheating, which seems to be consentual. His fire overtakes him, and it seems like it will burn him down. Everything the new person does and says is like a dart of pleasure. Then wait, whoa! The new person is a guy!!! But the guy has the girl come back, so they can reconcile, and make things end well. But she ends up leaving again, which he demands at the end (don't forget to leave). Then he kills himself, because he can't seem to make things work.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
jerem, that's interesting. I never saw the album that way. I don't thik the songs were written to fit together like that, but I can see how they could tell that story.
I don't know what it's about, but foreverdelayed and fetter you guys have good ideas, the albums songs werent meant to fit jerem, but it does fit into a story.
its seems this song is about only working for money not for the pleasure of doing what you love. i love how his heavy scottish accent makes 'gutless' sounds like 'get less', i love scottish accents
I heard somewhere that Gregor was really a friend of the group, that one night had gotten really drunk and had a bad run-in with these guys and they were beating him to a bloody pulp, and he was telling them everything thats said in the lyrics, finally after the guys had gone; Gregor was laying on the side of the alley and somebody picked him up and took him to the hospital. Whenever somebody asks him about it he says, "Only angels could have saved me."- I'm not sure about the Jacqueline part
jacqueline was one of the groups ex girl friends
Jacqueline part is pretty simple. Ivor was "ugly" - metaphorically, and staring at a beautiful girl, "she returned him the gaze" that he was staring from - i.e. was "ugly" to him. which happens.