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  1. Tracks
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  3. Ultra Mono
  4. Grounds
Grounds by Idles

SINGLE

Idles

Grounds

Release date: 24th September 2020

From Ultra Mono
Track 2
3:09
AlternativeMusic
Spotify Apple Music More on Idles

About This Track

A Dork four-star record. 'Grounds' arrives with a monstrous, lurching beat and burbling laser sounds that cut against airstrike guitars, the track built on the sound of collective strength. Joe Talbot's voice rides the brutality with a message of unification, the lyrics insisting on solidarity over individual complaint. "Do you hear that thunder? That's the sound of strength in numbers" becomes the song's rallying cry, a refusal to be silenced or divided. The track explores class struggle and racist attitudes, themes that thread through the album. Talbot moves between defiance and clarity, rejecting performative outrage in favour of action and meaning. The song's power lies in its contradiction: it is aggressive and urgent, yet the message is one of love and collective resistance. 'Grounds' is a statement of intent, the lead single from an album that channels fury into something more durable than rage alone.

"Grounds" is a single by Idles, from the album Ultra Mono, released 24th September 2020. The track is 3:09 long. It's filed under Alternative. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 20 articles about Idles.

About the Artist

Idles

Idles

Lyrics

Grounds

You will not catch me staring at the sun
Not sucking on a dum dum
Not turning round to run
No Hallelujahs and no kingdom comes
So you will not catch me staring at the sun
Do you hear that thunder?
That's the sound of strength in numbers
Fee fee fi fi fo fo fum
I smell the blood of a million sons
A million daughters from a hundred thousand guns
Not taught by our teachers
On our curriculum
Do you hear that thunder?
That's the sound of strength in numbers
I am I
Unify (hey)
Not a single thing has ever been mended
By you standing there and saying you're offended
Go ahead, tell them what I've intended
I'll say what I mean, do what I love
And fucking send it
Do you hear that thunder?
That's the sound of strength in numbers
There's nothing brave and nothing useful
You scrawling your aggro shit on the walls of the cubicle
Saying my race and class ain't suitable
So I raise my pink fist and say black is beautiful
Do you hear that thunder?
That's the sound of strength in numbers
I am I
Unify
I am I
Unify, unify, unify
Do you hear that thunder?

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From Ultra Mono

3:092020Single
Listen
Album
Ultra Mono
Ultra Mono
Idles
25th September 2020
Track number
2
Release year
2020
  1. 1War
    3:07
  2. 2Grounds
    3:09
  3. 3Mr. Motivator
    3:16
  4. 4Anxiety
    3:00
Watch the music video

Idles — GROUNDS

Idles — GROUNDS

 

GROUNDS

More from Idles

Albums & EPs

TANGK
TANGK
2024
CRAWLER
CRAWLER
2021
Ultra Mono
Ultra Mono
2020
Model Village
Model Village
2020
Live At Ramsgate Music Hall
2020
A Beautiful Thing: IDLES Live at Le Bataclan
A Beautiful Thing: IDLES Live at Le Bataclan
2019

Explore

More tracks by Idles

  1. 5th Floor Walk Up
  2. 6th and A
  3. A Gospel
  4. A GospelTANGK
    3:45
  5. Alphabet City
  6. Bay 15
  7. Blessings and Successes
  8. Caught Stealing Remixes
  9. Cheerleader
  10. Coper

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5Kill Them With Kindness
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  • 6Model Village
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  • 11A Hymn
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    28 Sept 2026 • 8:00 am
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    21 Sept 2026 • 12:55 pm
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    Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Adam Devonshire, Colin Webster, Joe Talbot, Jon Beavis, Lee Kiernan, Mark Bowen, Warren Ellis
    Producer
    Adam “Atom” Greenspan, Mark Bowen, Nick Launay
    Engineer
    Adam “Atom” Greenspan, Nick Launay
    Bass
    Adam Devonshire
    Drums
    Jon Beavis
    Guitar
    Mark Bowen
    Background Vocals
    Adam Devonshire, Warren Ellis
    Featured Artist
    Colin Webster, Warren Ellis
    Lead Vocals
    Joe Talbot
    Mastering Engineer
    Bernie Grundman
    Mixing Engineer
    Adam “Atom” Greenspan, Nick Launay
    Programmer
    Kenny Beats
    Rhythm Guitar
    Lee Kiernan
    Saxophone
    Colin Webster