Czech One

Album: The Ooz (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Czech One" is the lead single from The Ooz, Archy Marshall's second album under the performing name of King Krule. Marshall has family from the Czech Republic and the track is inspired by his Eastern European ancestry.
  • Marshall is a big fan of The Sopranos; he pulls an errant line of dialogue from a trippy dream sequence in the crime drama.

    The train's motion
    Untidy echo
    And she pants


    Marshall explained to 52 Insights: "There's this scene where Tony's nephew kills the Czech guy in the first series and then he has this dream sequence, and the first line in 'Czech One' is something said in their conversation in this dream sequence."
  • The bizarre Frank Lebon-directed video shows Marshall looking out of a plane window with his left eye bandaged up. In the visual for the next single, "Dum Surfer," Marshall portrays himself arriving at a gig while flat out on a hospital trolley. Q magazine asked him why he chose to look ill in the clips.

    "Because a lot of the songs are about internal damage," he replied. "So it's just indirectly saying to the viewer: damage, pain. You know you can physically see it. I don't have to spell it out to you."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin GayeFact or Fiction

Did Marvin try out with the Detroit Lions? Did he fake crazy to get out of military service? And what about the cross-dressing?

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.