Adorable were a British alternative rock band active in the 1990s. They for… Read Full Bio ↴Adorable were a British alternative rock band active in the 1990s. They formed in Coventry in 1991, and consisted of band members Piotr Fijalkowski (vocals, guitar), Robert Dillam (guitar), Steven ‘Wil’ Williams (bass), and Kevin Gritton (drums).

After recording a 12" of "Sunshine Smile" (b/w "I’ll Be Your Saint" and "Breathless") that was pressed to be released on record producer Pat Collier’s ‘Money To Burn,’ label the band received a gushing review in the NME. They signed to Creation Records in 1992, and after a UK tour supporting Curve they released their first single, a re-recording of "Sunshine Smile," in May of that year. Distancing themselves from the shoegaze movement by attempting to be more outspoken than traditional shoegazers, Adorable were briefly seen along with other bands Suede and The Verve as being a part of a new movement tagged ‘New Glam,’ a label attributed to Fijalkowski’s assertion that "we want to put the glamour back into pop." "Sunshine Smile" was NME’s Single of the Week, and topped the Indie Singles chart as well as entering the mainstream UK single top 100 charts for three weeks. A backlash in the press against the band’s outspoken image immediately followed, and the band were never to be interviewed in the mainstream UK press after their debut single. The band released "I’ll Be Your Saint," "Homeboy" and "Sistine Chapel Ceiling" (NME single of the Week), which all went into the Top 5 in the Indie charts, but failed to enter the mainstream Top 75. The album Against Perfection, released in 1993, went to #70 in the album charts, and the band toured the USA, Europe, Australia & Japan.

The second album, Fake, was seen as a far more introspective album, which Fijalkowski himself suggests was the result of the band feeling vulnerable. Although two singles ("Kangaroo Court" & "Vendetta") again entered high in the Indie Singles chart, the album failed to dent the mainstream Top 75, and strained relations both within the band and with Creation resulted in the band announcing their split onstage in Brussels in late 1994.

In subsequent years, the band has been re-classified as being part of the shoegaze movement. Bands such as Ash & Oasis have in the past acknowledged their admiration of the band.

Subsequent to the band’s demise Robert Dillam moved to Scotland where he joined The Zephyrs, whilst Fijalkowski went on to form the band Polak, who signed to One Little Indian Records.

Discography

Albums
Against Perfection (Creation / CRE 138) - Mar 1993
Fake (Creation / CRE 165) - Sept 1994
Footnotes - Best Of 92-94 (Cherry Red / CDMRED327) - Jan 2008

Singles
Sunshine Smile (Creation / CRE 127) - Apr 1992
I’ll Be Your Saint (Creation / CRE 133) - Jul 1992
Homeboy (Creation / CRE 140) - Oct 1992
Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Creation / CRE 153) - Jan 1993
Favourite Fallen Idol (Creation / CRE 159) - Apr 1993
Kangaroo Court (Creation / CRE 172) - Apr 1994
Vendetta (Creation / CRE 177) - Sept 1994

Sistine Chapel Ceiling
Adorable Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I took a breath onto a canvas
I could not have cared less
About the words spilling out of my mouth in blue and green
It was the nicest sound I'd ever seen
To come stumbling out of my frozen mouth

Sitting in a corner
Smoking a half-drug cigarette

Sitting in a corner
My half-imagined statuette

And with my hand upon my heart
I'll say that she's perfect
And with my hand upon my heart
I'll say that she worth it
And we all go...

Up on the ceiling, I'm going
Up on the ceiling, I'm going
Up on the ceiling, I'm going
Up on the ceiling, I'm going up, up

(Oh, (???) coming on the ceiling
Oh, (???) it's easier than feeling real)
[unfortunately, this is not in the lyrics. Help! -Minstrel]

Up on the ceiling, I'm going
Up on the ceiling, I'm going

Up on the ceiling, I'm going
Up on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, I'm up

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Adorable's "Sistine Chapel Ceiling" reflect a deep appreciation for art and the emotional impact it can have on individuals. The opening lines, "I took a breath onto a canvas, I could not have cared less," suggest a lack of concern or intention in the act of creation. However, as the lyrics continue, it is clear that the singer is moved by the act of expression and the beauty of the resulting piece. The colors of the paint spilling out of the singer's mouth are described as a "nice sound," which shows the power of art to evoke aural sensations.

The following verse shifts the narrative to a more personal space, with the singer sitting in a corner and smoking a half-drug cigarette. The use of drugs speaks to the potential for art to create an altered state of consciousness, one that may be more receptive to the emotional and sensory impact of art. The singer's half-imagined statuette suggests a connection between the act of creation and the formation of identity.

The chorus draws from the title of the song, with the singer claiming to ascend to the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The repeated "up on the ceiling" refrain implies that this is a transcendent experience, one that takes the singer out of their reality and into a place of rapture. In this space, the singer is able to declare the subject's perfection and worth, reflecting a deeper connection to humanity and the beauty of existence.

Line by Line Meaning

I took a breath onto a canvas
I began to paint with passion and emotion

I could not have cared less
I was so focused on my painting that the world around me dissolved away

About the words spilling out of my mouth in blue and green
My painting was the only form of expression I needed

It was the nicest sound I'd ever seen
The colors on the canvas were so beautiful, they were like music to my eyes

To come stumbling out of my frozen mouth
To see my own creation in front of me, like a dream coming to life

Sitting in a corner
Feeling isolated and alone

Smoking a half-drug cigarette
Trying to escape reality through substance use

My half-imagined statuette
My own sense of self is fragile and incomplete

And with my hand upon my heart
I believe this deeply and with conviction

I'll say that she's perfect
My painting is a masterpiece, a flawless creation

And with my hand upon my heart
I am completely confident in this assertion