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.
Over My Head
Aztec Camera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I can't get free from these chains
Over my head go the things that we said
And I long to be above pain
When your heart is broken
Mine's in two
And I'm over my head in blue
Over my head, over my head
And I can't get free from these chains
Over my head go the things that we said
And I long to be above pain
When your heart is broken
Mine's in two
And I'm over my head in blue
Over the love of you
The lyrics to Aztec Camera's song "Over My Head" express the feeling of being overwhelmed with emotions and pain after a relationship has ended. The repetition of "over my head" emphasizes the intensity of the emotions and the feeling of being trapped or suffocated by them. The chorus repeats the idea of being unable to escape from the "chains" of the memories and the "things that we said" during the relationship, which only adds to the burden.
The second verse adds another layer to the pain by acknowledging the mutual suffering between both partners. The line "when your heart is broken, mine's in two" demonstrates that the pain of the breakup is not one-sided, but rather both partners are equally suffering. The phrase "over my head in blue" is a play on words, as it can mean both being overwhelmed with sadness ("blue" as in feeling blue) and also suffocating or drowning ("over my head").
Overall, the lyrics to "Over My Head" capture the complex emotions and pain that come with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Over my head, over my head
Feeling overwhelmed and out of control with emotions
And I can't get free from these chains
Unable to escape from the pain and struggles of love
Over my head go the things that we said
Constantly replaying the words and memories of a failed relationship in one's mind
And I long to be above pain
Desiring to move on and rise above the hurt
When your heart is broken
Referring to a love interest whose heart is shattered
Mine's in two
Feeling heartbroken and emotional pain
And I'm over my head in blue
Being engulfed and consumed by sadness and depression
Over the love of you
All of these emotions are caused by the love that was shared with the person who caused the heartbreak.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RODDY FRAME
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind