Better Strangers

Album: Royal Blood (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This tale of a twisted romance was the last song that Royal Blood wrote for their eponymous debut album. Vocalist Mike Kerr told Drowned in Sound the story of the song: "That was our first experience of trying to write on the road, and we didn't get how bands did that," he said. "I was going up to my hotel room with my guitar and it wasn't the same, and then we would try things out in sound check."

    "After a while we'd built up these ideas, and I got the title from a Shakespeare line, from As You Like It: 'I do desire we may be better strangers' and I thought: 'What a brilliant insult!,'" he continued. "It really related to me, cos I'd been in a situation where I wanted to know someone a whole lot less, you know?"

    "It was the quickest I'd ever written lyrics, it just fell out of me and I think production wise and recording it, it's sonically the best song on the record," Kerr added. "It's probably my favourite song actually. There's always something about the last thing you do, when you know the clock is running out. We didn't even have a discussion about it; it was just like: 'This is the last song on the record.' It was just obvious."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.