"Up the Bracket" is a song by

the Libertines The Libertines are an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar). The band, centred on the songwriting partnership of Barât and Doherty, has also included John Hassall ...

, released in September 2002. It is their second overall single and their first from the debut album ''

Up the Bracket ''Up the Bracket'' is the debut album by English indie rock band The Libertines, released in October 2002. It reached #35 in the UK Albums Chart. The album was part of a resurgence for the British indie/alternative scene and received widespread ...

''. The song alludes to London street crime, and tells the story of a romantic couple who refuse to become informants for a pair of gangsters, the gangsters might be an allusion to the

Kray Twins Ronald Kray (24 October 193317 March 1995) and Reginald Kray (24 October 19331 October 2000) were identical twin brothers, gangsters and convicted criminals. They were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in the East End of London, Engl ...

, since the Kray family lived in 178 Vallance Road; and the danger that this decision creates.The title is a slang term used by comedian

Tony Hancock Anthony John Hancock (12 May 1924 – 25 June 1968) was an English comedian and actor. High-profile during the 1950s and early 1960s, he had a major success with his BBC series ''Hancock's Half Hour'', first broadcast on radio from 1954, ...

for a punch to the throat; while "two crooked fingers" refers to the

V-sign The ''V sign'' is a hand gesture in which the index and middle fingers are raised and parted to make a V shape while the other fingers are clenched. It has various meanings, depending on the circumstances and how it is presented. When displ ...

. "Joseph bloody in the hole" is a reference to Genesis, chapter 37. In May 2007, ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' magazine placed "Up the Bracket" at number 47 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.

Track listing

All songs written by

Pete Doherty Peter Doherty (born 12 March 1979) is an English musician, songwriter, actor, poet, writer, and artist. He is best known for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he formed with Carl Barât in 1997. His other musical projects are indie b ...

and

Carl Barât Carl Ashley Raphael Barât (; born 6 June 1978) is a British musician and actor, best known for being the co-frontman with Pete Doherty of the garage rock band The Libertines. He was the frontman and lead guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things, and ...

CD 1

# "Up the Bracket" - 2:41 # "Boys in the Band" - 3:41 # "Skag & Bone Man" - 1:46

CD 2

# "Up the Bracket" - 2:41 # "The Delaney" - 2:39 # "Plan A" - 3:22

7"

# "Up the Bracket" - 2:41 # "Boys in the Band" - 3:41

Chart performance

References

{{The Libertines 2002 songs 2002 singles The Libertines songs Songs written by Carl Barât Songs written by Pete Doherty Song recordings produced by Mick Jones (The Clash) Rough Trade Records singles