Th… Read Full Bio ↴Aztec Camera was a Scottish Indie pop/New Wave band from Glasgow.
The line-up of the band changed several times over the years, but the constant member had been guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Roddy Frame. Founding members included Campbell Owens (bass) and Dave Mulholland (drums). Ex-Bluebells bassist Craig Gannon was a member from 1983 through 1985, before joining The Smiths. Guitarist Malcolm Ross (formerly of Josef K and Orange Juice) also joined in 1983, and appeared on the Knife album.
Aztec Camera first gained recognition as part of the Scottish post-punk scene along with bands like Orange Juice and Josef K, all of which released singles on the influential Glasgow-based label Postcard records. The band's first UK 7" single was released by Postcard in 1981, containing the songs "Just Like Gold" and "We Could Send Letters". The latter was included on the NME's C81 compilation, which pointed strongly towards the future C86 indie pop movement in the United Kingdom.
Though most commonly remembered generally as part of the 80s New Wave era, Aztec Camera has gone through numerous stylistic changes throughout their career, ranging from stripped-down, almost pastoral post-punk to slicker, more sophisticated pop rock as well as jazz and latin influenced acoustic ballads. As Roddy Frame's guitar playing has always been the signature of the band's music, guitar pop might be a more succinct description.
Aztec Camera's debut album, High Land, Hard Rain, was released in 1983. However, Owens and Mulholland left the group before the release, leaving Frame to complete the album alone. The album was quite successful, gathering significant critical acclaim for its well-crafted, multi-layered pop. The band went on to release a total of six albums, although most of these were essentially written and played by Frame. The albums included Knife (1984), Love (1987), Stray (1990), Dreamland (1993) and Frestonia (1995).
After the release of their sixth album, Frestonia, Frame finally dissolved the band to go solo.
Popular songs by Aztec Camera include "Oblivious", "Somewhere in My Heart", and "Good Morning Britain" (a duet with former Clash guitarist Mick Jones).
The group have also done cover versions of Blue Orchids "Bad Education", and a slowed-down version of Van Halen's Jump.
A 'Best of' collection was released in 1999.
Crazy
Aztec Camera Lyrics
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When shadows cease to fall
I wish and wonder
You walk into the room
The air is turning blue
I'm turning to you
And all my time
Is open wide
And you, you say you'll do one thing
And then you do two things
Smile and the birds sing and everything
And you, you're painting the sky blue
Growing the grass green
Sending the sea crazy
You sway and my head swims
You swam onto my shore
Closed your fingers
Smiled and blew
And shone your heart
And my heart flew
And fell for eyes that shone
They close and I'm all gone
And you've left here
I'm burning blue
For someone who
Flew too near
And you, you say you'll do one thing
And then you do two things
Smile and the birds sing and everything
And you, you're painting the sky blue
Growing the grass green
Sending the sea crazy
Closed your fingers
Smiled and blew
And shone your heart
And my heart flew
You say you'll do one thing
And then you do two things
Smile and the birds sing
It's crazy
The song "Crazy" by Aztec Camera is a captivating representation of love and infatuation. The lyrics describe the feeling of losing oneself in the presence of someone they are enamored with. The song is about a person who is completely unaware of their power over the singer, and how their charm and beauty can make them feel like they are going insane. The singer is struck by how the sunlight, the colors of the world, and even the ocean seem to go crazy for the person they are in love with.
The song starts out with a sense of anticipation as the singer describes how the world around them starts to change when the person they are waiting for walks into the room. As soon as they enter, the world goes from shades of darkness to light, colors become more vivid and shadows no longer exist. They are captivated by the person's presence, and all their inhibitions seem to disappear. At this point, the singer is openly expressive of their emotions and their heart is open.
In the next verse, the singer is describing the nature of the person they are enamored with. They have the power to do one thing or say one thing, but then they do more than what they promised. They have the power to make everything seem better and more vibrant. They have the power to make the singer feel insane with love. The chorus reiterates about how they paint the sky blue, make the grass green, and make the sea go crazy. These simple actions are a metaphor for how this person can turn the mundane things into something bewitching.
The bridge is the most powerful and emotional part of the song. The person that the singer is in love with sways and their head swims, and it is as if they have washed ashore. The person then smiles at the singer and touches their fingers, and it is as if their heart has been touched too. The singer's heart flies (the metaphorical representation of them falling in love), but then they close their eyes, and the moment is over. The singer is left heartbroken and burning blue for someone who flew too near.
Line by Line Meaning
When day has lost it's dark
When the light has fully shone, when darkness is nowhere to be seen
When shadows cease to fall
When there are no longer shadows cast onto the ground, when all is illuminated
I wish and wonder
I hope and think with curiosity
You walk into the room
You enter the space where I am
The air is turning blue
The atmosphere around us is becoming more intense and emotional
I'm turning to you
My focus and attention is directed towards you
And all my time
Every moment I have
Is open wide
Is free and available for you
And you, you say you'll do one thing
And you, your words claim that you'll act in one way
And then you do two things
But then you act in a contradictory way
Smile and the birds sing and everything
Your smile changes the world, brings joy and expresses your affection
And you, you're painting the sky blue
And you, have the power to change the world around us
Growing the grass green
Making the world come alive and feel new
Sending the sea crazy
Even the natural world is affected by your influence
You sway and my head swims
Your movements and presence have a powerful effect on me
You swam onto my shore
You came into my life unexpectedly
Closed your fingers
You made a fist, clenching your hands together
Smiled and blew
You smiled and blew a kiss or a bubble
And shone your heart
And you revealed your true self, your deepest emotions
And my heart flew
And I felt elated, overwhelmed by emotion
And fell for eyes that shone
And I was captivated by your sparkling eyes
They close and I'm all gone
When your eyes close, I lose myself in the moment
And you've left here
And now you're gone
I'm burning blue
I'm passionate and emotional, feeling deeply
For someone who
For the one who
Flew too near
Came too close, overwhelming my emotions
And you, you say you'll do one thing
And you, your words claim that you'll act in one way
And then you do two things
But then you act in a contradictory way
Smile and the birds sing and everything
Your smile changes the world, brings joy and expresses your affection
And you, you're painting the sky blue
And you, have the power to change the world around us
Growing the grass green
Making the world come alive and feel new
Sending the sea crazy
Even the natural world is affected by your influence
Closed your fingers
You made a fist, clenching your hands together
Smiled and blew
You smiled and blew a kiss or a bubble
And shone your heart
And you revealed your true self, your deepest emotions
And my heart flew
And I felt elated, overwhelmed by emotion
You say you'll do one thing
You make a promise
And then you do two things
But then you act in a way that breaks that promise
Smile and the birds sing
Your joy has an impact on the world around us
It's crazy
It's intense, emotional, and overwhelming
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RODDY FRAME
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind