Barbarians

Info

Barbarians (previously known as "Natives at the Gates of Rome" or "Barbarians at the Gates of Rome") is the title of a Libertines track, released on their third album. The track was originally a Babyshambles number, having been played at several Babyshambles gigs throughout 2008, and bootlegs uploaded online to favourable reviews by fans. The song was later introduced as a potential track for Babyshambles' third album during a secret show at the Proud Gallery, Camden, on November 5, 2009.

Babyshambles' drummer Adam Ficek described the song as having "..a tribal lilting feel to it.." The song's title originates from an exclamation by Tony Hancock, "Barbarians at the gates of Rome!" in a scene from the film The Rebel.

The song was confirmed as appearing on The Libertines' third album when it was given a live debut at Fabrique, Milan, in July 2015.

First NME review of the song:
"A touch of light distortion kicks us off, alongside maracas, tambourine and a loping, slow strut of a bass line from John Hassall. It’s a subtle start, rather than piercing. Although the bones of this track have been doing the rounds since 2008, when Peter Doherty had Babyshambles regularly playing it under the title ‘Natives At The Gates Of Rome’, here it’s got a brand new chorus that will please the die-hard fans. It’s the best bit in the song. Others in our office have said it reminds them of ‘That’s Entertainment’ by The Jam, but for me the backing vocals and bright, major chords are closer to ‘Just Who Is The 5 O’Clock Hero?’ by the same band. Lyrically it’s a straight up Pete’n’Carl split, verse for verse, with all four members joining in on the shouty chorus. Carl’s bits seem to be about playing huge gigs (“And now they’re coming out in droves / Out of the burrows to the shows”), while Pete’s singing about prison (“Collect your food in 4/4 time”). The key lyric? It’s gotta be the chorus: “All I want is to scream out loud / And have it up with the mental crowd / ‘Cos I believe, somehow / The world’s fucked but it won’t get me down”.

Appearing on

Anthems for Doomed Youth	The Libertines	Album	2015-09-11
Maida Vale Studios (BBC Radio 1 Session)	The Libertines	Session	2015-07-28

Concerts

Festival SOS 4.8	The Libertines	Murcia	2016-05-07
AB brussels 2016	The Libertines	Ancienne Belgique, Brussels	2016-05-03
Live @ Olympia	The Libertines	Music Hall, Paris	2016-03-09
Rock en Seine 2015	The Libertines	Domaine national de Saint-Cloud, Saint-Cloud	2015-08-29
3Arena Dublin	The Libertines	3Arena Dublin	2015-07-09

Lyrics

This one's for your heart and for your mind
The melodies in 4/4 time
You get in right and it rings true
And now they're coming out in droves
Out of the burrows to the shows
There's nothing else to do

All I want is to scream out loud
And have it up with a mental crowd
Cause I believe somehow
The world's fucked but it won't get me down

To the thug you can't cultivate
Scrubs working by the prison gate
Your mum, your son in law and your lonely lies too
They boxed off your heart, they boxed off your mind
You collect your food in 4/4 time
To cope with your lonely life too

[?] shakes to change the rhythm
Feeling monkey play the pipe
It's a given, given on your back

All I want is to scream out loud
And have it up with a mental crowd
Cause I believe somehow
The world's fucked but it won't get me down