Album: Employment (2005)

Charted: 9

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• Watching the people get lairy
  It's not very pretty I tell thee
  Walking through town is quite scary
  And not very sensible either
  A friend of a friend he got beaten
  He looked the wrong way at a policeman
  Would never have happened to Smeaton
  And old Leodiensian
  
  La ah ah, la la la la la
  Ah ah ah, la la la la la
  
  I predict a riot, I predict a riot
  I predict a riot, I predict a riot
  
  I tried to get in my taxi
  A man in a tracksuit attacks me
  He said that he saw it before me
  Wants to get things a bit gory
  Girls run around with no clothes on
  To borrow a pound for a condom
  If it wasn't for chip fat, they'd be frozen
  They're not very sensible
  
  La ah ah, la la la la la
  Ah ah ah, la la la la la
  
  I predict a riot, I predict a riot
  I predict a riot, I predict a riot
  
  And if there's anybody left in here
  That doesn't want to be out there
  
  Ah ah ah ah, ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
  
  Watching the people get lairy
  It's not very pretty I tell thee
  Walking through town is quite scary
  And not very sensible
  
  La ah ah, la la la la la
  Ah ah ah, la la la la la
  
  Oh, ah
  I predict a riot, I predict a riot
  I predict a riot, I predict a riot
  
  And if there's anybody left in here
  That doesn't want to be out there
  
  I predict a riot, I predict a riot
  I predict a riot, I predict a riot Writer/s: Andrew Robert White, Charles Richard Wilson, James Rix, Nicholas Baines, Nicholas Hodgson
  Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 21

• Chris from LeedsSmeaton was one of the Houses at Leeds Grammar School. Anyone who went to the school and has since left is ‘an Old Leodensian’. I was about 3 years below Ricky at the school, though I only have fleeting memories of him before the band became famous. In fact I remember being in a car with a friend when ‘I predict a riot’ was on the CD player. We looked at each other, started the track again and thought ‘Smeaton’? ‘Old Leodensian?’ That singer must have gone to our school! We soon figured out we had seen the band live under their old name before they changed it to Kaiser Chiefs. I remember it distinctly; they had a look where they all wore double denim and they played lower down the bill than my old band! Along with The Music it felt that Leeds finally had some great bands to be proud of.
• Luke from DewsburyBack in 2004, shortly before the Kaiser Chiefs released their first singles, Leeds United were going through a period of having groups, usually local, perform a song or two on the pitch before matches or at half time. While the Kaiser Chiefs performed 'Oh My God' and 'I Predict a Riot', the announcer deliberately omitted the title of this one, presumably in case it caused a disturbance in the crowd.
• Peter H from LeedsJohn Smeaton was one of the founders of Leeds Grammar School and has 'Smeaton House' at the school named after him. Old Leodensian is someone who went to the school. 'Old Leodensians' is the name of the old boys cricket and rugby teams.
• Vick from LeedsThe song refers to John Smeaton who was indeed a civil engineer from Leeds. The reference however, comes from the fact that some of the band members were in Smeaton House at Leeds Grammar School. Non of the Kaiser Chiefs attended John Smeaton high School. I can confirm that because I went to John Smeaton High School and I'm the same age and they definitely weren't in my year at school - unfortunately!
• Supermanfriday from Wigan, United KingdomKaiser Chiefs Leeds Utd player was Lucas Radebe but Philomon Masinga came as part of the same deal from another club ,so the band could have been named Mamelodi Sundowns ....
• Louise from Newcastle, --Love this. One of their best songs.
• Derek from Glasgow, Scotland"He looked the wrong way at a policeman
  Would never have happened to smeaton"
  This song was written before John Smeaton (June 30th 2007 GLASGOW AIRPORT ALKIEDA HAVE a go HERO interview link below) could this have been an Unconscious Prophesy. McDELBOY
  www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ngh-Cxrd_U
• Darrell from EugeneWasn't the Kaiser Chief a truck that was built in South America in the 1960s with an extensively modified Willys Jeep pickup chassis? Please tell me if I am right or wrong.
• David from Leeds, EnglandIm from Leeds and live about 5 mins away from the Grammar school where Ricky went. Yes a leodensian is a person from Leeds
• Lexie from London, England1) I think the whole 'thee' thing is just a way of adding character to the song and giving the Kaiser Chiefs something of a signature move
  2) Britain isn't ALWAYS like this you know! Britain rocks, the people described in this song just give the place some colour and the rest of us an edge :p
• Colin from Bradford, EnglandIt is very interesting that this song features the use of the archaic form 'thee'. Whilst it is true that this is used in Yorkshire, it is almost unheard of amongst young people. I have lived in Yorkshire for the last 16 years (within 20 miles of Leeds) and I have never heard it used routinely by anyone. It is still more current in South Yorkshire (Barnsley, Sheffield area) but largely amongst the older generation. I wonder why Kaiser Chiefs decided to use it here (other than the fact that it rhymes - sort of)?
• Myss from Arvada, CoInteresting! I always just thought this song was about the way Britain is in general. LOL
• Stu from Fife, ScotlandYep. According to my Concise Oxford dictionary, "lairy" is an alternative form of the word "leery".
• Stu from Fife, ScotlandIs it not: "Watching the people get leery; It's not very pretty, I tell thee", because leery means looking sly, as if plotting something. For our foreign readers, the archaic form "thee" is still used instead of "you" in the north of England, especially in Yorkshire, where Leeds is.
• Mr Ond from East Sussex - Almost Brighton, Englandthere are now 24 hour pub opening hours in britain
• Sarah from Sunderlandtried to get in my taxi
  A man in a tracksuit attacked me
  
  Almost certain those lines, refer to a common thug in britain, code name a chav.
• Sarah from SunderlandYah Leodensian is a person from leeds.
• Mel from Stockton On Tees, EnglandNick Hodgson said this song was written about a typical saturday night in Leeds.
• Mel from Stockton On Tees, England"Would never have happened to Smeaton" refers to John Smeaton, a highly regarded civil engineer from Leeds (where the band are from). Whilst at junior school, lead singer Ricky Wilson was in the school house 'Smeaton'. Though there is a high School named after John Smeaton (I went there!), Wilson did not attend there. he went to Leeds Grammer School.
• Rico from Melbourne, AustraliaGreat timing from Kaiser Chiefs - they might not have predicted the circumstances but the riots in France are on and its not long after the release of this album :)
  
  Awesome song, but I think the best song on this album is "Oh my God" or "You can have it all"... great music
• Alexander from Einbeck, GermanyA leodensian is a person from Leeds, or so I have read ;)

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