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.
Pianos and Clocks
Aztec Camera Lyrics
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Like your colour, how you doin'?
I've been battered and bewildered
In the beauty of your ruins
Flash, flash and I am blinded
By the fact that you've been born
Feels like fiction life goes on
Brown eyes are gone
I was taught so I agreed
Conversation half forgotten
Is the hole I hold in me
And all our language and expression
Is decimated by decree
The sound of song dies in the dawn
Brown eyes are gone
Descended slowly on the
Steps of the cathedral
Where I kissed you,
Remembered candles lit with meaning
I imposed but that escaped you
With your brown eyes
And your blue jeans
I heard the chiming of the clocks
Kick out the shifting
Shuffling rhythm of your docs
Hit the road with my compadre
Saw the city incomplete
We were tossed and torn and tumbled
In your famous foreign streets
I felt so fearless and forgotten
No-one numbered nothing neat
The son has shone, we still belong,
Brown eyes are gone
So farewell then senorita
Pianos played and set the tone
I was singing like a servant
To the tune of telephones
I wish you freedom and forgiveness
And a time that is your own
Blue is the colour, mine's the moment
Brown eyes are gone
The song "Pianos and Clocks" by Aztec Camera opens with greeting an old acquaintance and complimenting their appearance. The lyrics suggest that the singer has faced struggles, but has found something beautiful in the ruins of their environment. The imagery in the song is sensory and vivid, with the singer describing the blinding lights, the sound of song dying in the dawn, and the chiming of clocks contrasting with the rhythm of the shoes. The lyrics suggest a longing for connection and a deeper understanding, particularly in the lines, "Conversation half forgotten/Is the hole I hold in me."
The song also reflects on a past relationship, possibly with the senorita mentioned towards the end of the song. The singer remembers kissing in front of the steps of a cathedral, but also admits to imposing meaning through remembered candles. The relationship may have been lost in translation or memory, as the singer notes, "No one numbered nothing neat." The singer ultimately wishes for the senorita's freedom and forgiveness, while acknowledging the loss of the brown-eyed companion.
Overall, the song is a reflection on beauty shining through destruction, the struggle to communicate, and the ache of past relationships. Its vivid imagery and sensory descriptions paint a nostalgic and poignant picture.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, hello there, sweet to see you,
I am happy to see you, and I find you to be a sweet person.
Like your colour, how you doin'?
I appreciate your appearance and want to know how you are.
I've been battered and bewildered
In the beauty of your ruins
Your ruins are beautiful, but they have left me feeling overwhelmed and confused.
Flash, flash and I am blinded
By the fact that you've been born
Feels like fiction life goes on
Brown eyes are gone
The fact that you exist and that life continues to move forward feels surreal and overwhelming to me, especially since the person with brown eyes is no longer here.
Silence is a virtue
I was taught so I agreed
Conversation half forgotten
Is the hole I hold in me
I was taught to value silence, but now it leaves me feeling empty and incomplete because I have lost touch with parts of myself through neglecting conversation.
And all our language and expression
Is decimated by decree
The sound of song dies in the dawn
Brown eyes are gone
The things we used to communicate with each other have been destroyed by a higher authority, and the person with brown eyes is no longer here to share in the music of morning.
Descended slowly on the
Steps of the cathedral
Where I kissed you,
Remembered candles lit with meaning
I imposed but that escaped you
With your brown eyes
And your blue jeans
I walked down the cathedral steps, remembering how we kissed there, and how the candles we lit had significance. I tried to express this to you, but you didn't seem to understand or care, even though I remember your brown eyes and blue jeans clearly.
I heard the chiming of the clocks
Kick out the shifting
Shuffling rhythm of your docs
The sound of the clocks drowned out the noise of your shoes as you walked away.
Hit the road with my compadre
Saw the city incomplete
We were tossed and torn and tumbled
In your famous foreign streets
I left town with my friend, and realized that the city was missing something without you there. We were battered by the unfamiliarity of everything.
I felt so fearless and forgotten
No-one numbered nothing neat
The son has shone, we still belong,
Brown eyes are gone
I felt both brave and ignored, as if nothing made sense. Despite this, life goes on without the person with brown eyes.
So farewell then senorita
Pianos played and set the tone
I was singing like a servant
To the tune of telephones
Goodbye, then, Miss. The pianos set the mood, and I was singing along like a servant to the ring of the telephone.
I wish you freedom and forgiveness
And a time that is your own
Blue is the colour, mine's the moment
Brown eyes are gone
I hope you find freedom and peace, that you can forgive me, and that you find time for yourself once again. Blue represents me, while the moment has passed and the person with brown eyes is no longer here.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RODDY FRAME
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind