Aztec Camera was a Scottish Indie pop/New Wave band from Glasgow.

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.

Let Your Love Decide
Aztec Camera Lyrics

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Well, when I've questioned
All I could and come undone
And only sadness stands
Between me and the sun

When loving leaves and leaves me
Waiting on the one
And my heart can't hide

And when seduction separates me from surprise

I open my eyes and I let your love decide
I let your love decide
I let your love decide

Well, when I saw you in the spring
You caught my eye
Eluded me and made me wonder why
An unassuming, undermining kinda guy

Could not be on your side
And when your brown eyes
And my blue did so collide
I sat by your side and I shied away

And I let your love decide
I let your love decide
I let your love decide

Well, if the world was like I wished
When I was young
When all the things that I had thought
Could still be done

When we could win the wars
And wars could still be won and I didn't miss you
And when the world was opening up
Like a father to his son and I could kiss you

Well, let your love decide
Well, let your love decide
Let your love decide

So let your love decide

Overall Meaning

"Let Your Love Decide" by Aztec Camera is a beautiful tune that encapsulates the idea of making life decisions based on love. Roddy Frame, the lead vocalist and songwriter, talks about how he lets love take charge of his life when all logical reasoning and questioning fail to provide a solution. The opening lines of the song reveal that the singer has gone through a lot of emotional turmoil, and sadness is the only thing preventing him from basking in the sunshine. The line "And my heart can't hide" is an acknowledgment that love is the only way to mend his broken spirit.

In the second verse, Frame describes how he met someone in the spring who piqued his interest, and he could not help but wonder why he was not on her side. The singer is overwhelmed by her beauty, which he describes as "brown eyes," which, when combined with his "blue," did collide. Despite his shyness, he decides to let love take control of the situation and let it decide whether their love was worth pursuing.

The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "Let your love decide," which echoes throughout the song, emphasizing that love should be at the forefront of all life's decisions. Overall, this song is a tribute to the power of love and how it can guide one's decision-making process when all rational reasoning fails.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, when I've questioned
When I have doubts or uncertainties

All I could and come undone
When I have done all I can and failed

And only sadness stands
And all that's left is sadness

Between me and the sun
Between me and happiness

When loving leaves and leaves me
When love abandons me

Waiting on the one
When I'm waiting for love to find me again

And my heart can't hide
And my emotions are apparent

And when seduction separates me from surprise
And when I'm blinded by attraction

I open my eyes and I let your love decide
I trust in your love to guide me

Well, when I saw you in the spring
When I first saw you

You caught my eye
You were captivating