Tones on Tail's music is psychedelic/surrealist with a heavy English gothic rock vibe. It is textural and introspective and exhibits Ash's characteristically clean production. The band made a point of having each song sound as different as possible. In concert, the band sported all-white as a reaction to Bauhaus's all-black look. They never achieved a large following, though the track Go! is a retro dance club staple and a frequent addition to 1980s music compilations.
The band's back catalog has been subjected to a lot of compilations and reissues over the years; collecting the entire Tones on Tail discography was a difficult task. This was the situation until the 1998 release of Everything!, an appropriately named two-CD set of every track, fully remastered, plus a radio interview with Ash and Campling. The first disc contains the band's sole album Pop, while the second disc collects the rest of the band's work.
Lions
Tones on Tail Lyrics
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'Cause to kill it's always been an easy way out
Lions always hit the heights
'Cause to kill it's always been an easy way out
After a couple of drinks I think straight
Tears of joy sort the little girl out
Something you always wanted
And curvey lorraine always leads the way,
Admitting her love, it drips and drips
Something you always wanted
Gini,gini, look at me, gini
I let the stare that tries to cripple you
Slide down my back
Gini, gini, speak to me, gini,
I let the words they shove in front of you
Crawl right back
Lions always hit the heights
'Cause to kill it's always been an easy way out
Lions always hit the heights
'Cause to kill it's always been an easy way out
'Cause we take this world by storm
We don't look back
Let the stare that tries to cripple you
Slide down my back
'Cause the wheels keep us far apart
We can't look back
Let the words they shove in front of you
Crawl right back
Lions always hit the heights
'Cause to kill it's always been an easy way out
The song "Lions" by Tones on Tail is a dark and mysterious ballad that speaks of the power that lions hold both in the animal kingdom and the human world. The lyrics suggest that lions always seem to hit the heights, or come out on top, because killing has always been an easy way out for them. The song speaks to the idea that humans, like lions, often take the easy way out to achieve success and power, even if it means hurting others in the process.
The lyrics also delve into the idea of finding something you always wanted, but at what cost? The line, "After a couple of drinks I think straight" suggests that alcohol has been used as a means of coping or finding clarity, but at what cost to oneself and others? The mention of "tears of joy sort the little girl out" can be interpreted in many ways, but it suggests that sometimes something good can come out of something bad, and that joy can come from unexpected places.
Later in the song, the lyrics turn to the idea of standing up to those who try to bring you down. The lines, "Gini, gini, look at me, gini, I let the stare that tries to cripple you slide down my back" and "Gini, gini, speak to me, gini, I let the words they shove in front of you crawl right back" show the singer supporting and encouraging someone named Gini to stand strong against those who would try to harm her.
Line by Line Meaning
Lions always hit the heights
Lions are always successful and reach the top
'Cause to kill it's always been an easy way out
They achieve success by eliminating their competition in an easy but unethical way
After a couple of drinks I think straight
Alcohol helps me think clearly
Tears of joy sort the little girl out
The girl is happy and her tears help express that
Something you always wanted
It's something you have always desired
And curvey lorraine always leads the way,
Lorraine, who is curvy, is always ahead
Admitting her love, it drips and drips
Her love is confessed in a slow, painful way
Gini,gini, look at me, gini
Addressing a person named Gini and trying to make them pay attention
I let the stare that tries to cripple you
Slide down my back
I ignore the judgmental looks and criticism directed towards you
Gini, gini, speak to me, gini,
Continuing to speak to Gini
I let the words they shove in front of you
Crawl right back
I ignore the negative things others say about you and let it slide
'Cause we take this world by storm
We don't look back
We dominate the world and don't reflect on our actions
Let the stare that tries to cripple you
Slide down my back
Ignore the judgmental looks directed towards you
'Cause the wheels keep us far apart
We can't look back
The wheels represent distance, we can't revisit our past
Let the words they shove in front of you
Crawl right back
Ignore the negative things others say about you
Lions always hit the heights
Lions always achieve success and reach the top
'Cause to kill it's always been an easy way out
They use unethical means to achieve their success
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIEL GASTON ASH, GLENN DEREK CAMPLING, KEVIN HASKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind