"What Became of the Likely Lads" is a song by The Libertines, which was released as the final single from their self-titled, second album, The Libertines.
The lyrics in this song ("What became of the dreams we had?", "What became of forever?") refer to the breakdown of the friendship between Pete Doherty and Carl Barât, and the subsequent collapse of the band. The song's title (and the chorus's lyrics) echo the title of a popular British situation comedy from the 1970s: Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
According to Carl Barât, in the cover photo, Doherty isn't actually wearing a watch.
Pete Doherty claimed in an interview with Newsnight that he had no input for the video of the song, which does not feature the band but two young boys on a council estate, implied to be a young Pete and Carl. This is incorrect to the story of the two, because they didn't meet each other until their late teens.
Read more about What Became Of The Likely Lads: Chart Performance
Famous quotes containing the word lads:
“Where is the world we roved, Ned Bunn?
Hollows thereof lay rich in shade
By voyagers old inviolate thrown
Ere Paul Pry cruised with Pelf and Trade.
To us old lads some thoughts come home
Who roamed a world young lads no more shall roam.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)