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.
The Boy Wonders
Aztec Camera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll spare me the thanks 'til you know I'm the best
So come Hogmonay when love comes in slurs
Resolutions I'll make and you can label them 'Hers'
We threw our hands up high we, nearly touched the sky,
We clicked our heels and spat and swore
We'd never let it die
All those boy wonders
Sold their medals when they saw this train
Now this boy wonders
When he'll feel the fall of honest rain
I came from high land where the hopefuls have to hesitate
Now this boy wonders
Why the words were never worth the wait
I'm waiting, waiting.
In pastel paper pink over grey
We wrap, wrap, wrap and chuck, chuck away
The poor excuse they peddle as their prose.
Dry your tears, tie your tongue and you're never sixteen
And I'll give you a glimpse of the hard and the clean
And my travelling chest will be open to you
And boy will you learn that you haven't a clue
I even asked my best friend but he could not explain
It hit me when I left him
I felt the rain and called it genius,
Called it genius.
Chorus repeat
In the song, "The Boy Wonders," Aztec Camera tells the story of a young man who has returned home after traveling abroad. He boasts to the girl he left behind about the francs he brought back from his travels, and promises to make New Year's resolutions labeled "hers." The two of them have a moment of triumph, throwing their hands up high and nearly touching the sky. They vow not to let their relationship die. However, as time passes, the boy wonders about the worth of the words he's heard and the promises he's made. He waits for something more meaningful than what he's experienced before.
The lyrics of "The Boy Wonders" express a sense of youthful arrogance and disillusionment that is common to many young people. The song shines a light on the tendency of young people to believe they know everything and the realities of the world are predictable, only to be later humbled by the many lessons life has in store for them. The song's chorus speaks to the idea of the fallibility of those who have held themselves up as exceptional.
Line by Line Meaning
I brought you some francs from my travelling chest
I brought you a gift from my travels, but please withhold your gratitude until you realize how great I am
You'll spare me the thanks 'til you know I'm the best
Delay thanking me until you recognize my true worth
So come Hogmonay when love comes in slurs
When the New Year's Eve arrives and love is not clear, I will make resolutions and you can call them yours
Resolutions I'll make and you can label them 'Hers'
I will make resolutions that you can claim as your own
We threw our hands up high we, nearly touched the sky,
We raised our hands to the sky, almost touching it
We clicked our heels and spat and swore
We expressed our excitement through physical and verbal actions
We'd never let it die
We promised to keep the excitement and love alive
All those boy wonders
Referring to young, naive boys
Sold their medals when they saw this train
They gave up their former achievements upon seeing something new and exciting
Now this boy wonders
The artist himself is now uncertain
When he'll feel the fall of honest rain
He is uncertain when he will experience sincere emotions
I came from high land where the hopefuls have to hesitate
The artist comes from a place where those with dreams must pause and think things through
Why the words were never worth the wait
He wonders why the things he waited for, such as love, were never as good as he expected
In pastel paper pink over grey
Referring to wrapping paper, but suggesting that the gift inside is not as impressive
We wrap, wrap, wrap and chuck, chuck away
They wrap something up and then quickly discard it
The poor excuse they peddle as their prose.
Referring to the dishonest way people try to sell or present themselves
Dry your tears, tie your tongue and you're never sixteen
Stop crying, be quiet, and grow up and mature
And I'll give you a glimpse of the hard and the clean
I'll show you both the difficult and pure parts of life
And my travelling chest will be open to you
I will share my experiences and knowledge with you
And boy will you learn that you haven't a clue
You will realize how little you know
I even asked my best friend but he could not explain
The artist asked his closest confidante but even they cannot explain everything
It hit me when I left him
The realization came to him only when he was on his own
I felt the rain and called it genius,
The beauty of the rain was so profound that he considered it a stroke of genius
Chorus repeat
Repeating the chorus
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RODDY FRAME
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamespaterson2084
When most 16 year olds were drinking Concorde and Shlitz, Frame was writing masterpieces, the clash on acoustic guitars
@jameslansing7252
STILL one of my favorite albums...and always underrated.
@privysorrow5120
Favorite song from this album.
@vidgwatcher
Thanks Vinny
@JohnM...
I guarantee the highlight of your guitar life will be when you learn how to play this intro!
@jamespaterson2084
A masterpiece , written by a child
@slappedhappy9549
I grew up with this album!🥰
@alisonarmshaw3028
I'm 58 and I'm still growing up with this album ;)
@stephen1562
A boy wonder wrote this
@BilisNegra
Iremos juntos, dispararemos...