The Libertines - The Libertines

If someone asked me to describe this album in one word it would be impossible. This is an album which covers every extreme of emotions and everything in between. An album that can make you dance with joy, and an album that can make you cry with sadness. A lot of the songs were written in response to the ever dwindling relationship between Pete Doherty and Carl Barat. It’s an album which contains a collection of genius lyrics, and wonderful melodies and music. Every track captures a sense of rawness and uniqueness, which with every listen leaves a lasting impression and different view on the concepts behind the album.

The opening song ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ shows this in the most direct context, with a metaphor for a love story which has seen better times. To me, the lines in the third verse ‘have we done enough to keep it together, keep on pretending, hope out luck is never ending’ is Pete asking Carl if what they once had will ever come back, and that if this point is just the ending for them.

The next song on the album, ‘Last Post on the Bugle’ is a very drug influenced song which relates to the events of Pete breaking into Carls flat. In the lines ‘there was a price to pay’ and ‘I got carried away’ this concept can be seen. Pete also sings of how he felt like ‘scum’ which shows a theme of regret for what he did, and understands how wrong he was, but at the same time wants people to realise he did it out of frustration.

The much loved Libertines classic ‘Music when the lights go out’ to me is a song which is similar in meaning to ‘can’t stand me now’. It is a song about the relationship between Pete and Carl, and how they both know; deep down, that it is over. The line ‘I no longer feel the music’ is a simple but direct lyric which is saying that they no longer have any feelings for each other. As well as this, the listener could relate to the song is so many different ways because of the directness. It is a song which seems unlikely to be written about Pete and Carl, but certainly fits into their world and situation at the time.

This album to me, is an album which documents a stage in the relationship between Pete and Carl with every song, and manages to captivate the listener with ease because of its all round quality from lyrics to music. It is an album which will remain in the hearts of so many who have listened to it, and will always be seen as a classic.