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.
Working in a Goldmine
Aztec Camera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of broken skies
Too blind to see
What lies inside
We love what shines
Before our eyes
Why can't we learn
What hides?
Waiting on the last train
Flicking through the highlights
Livin' in a suitcase
Positively uptight
Kissing in the full moon
Drowning in the sunshine
Walking on a tightrope
And everything is gonna be just fine
'cause I believe in your heart of gold
Automatically sunshine
Yeah glitter, glitter everywhere
Like working in a goldmine
And we believe that there's a heart beats on
In the dark of the close down
Yeah glitter, glitter everywhere
Like working in a goldmine
And time not tied
Is time to feed
We lose our pride
We spill our seed
The worst of us
Escape so slow
The best of us
Just goes
They'll make you work for everything
Never let it roll
Never let it swing
Take control and let your heart sing
In Aztec Camera’s song Working in a Goldmine, the lyrics lament the superficiality of human nature and our obsession with material possessions. The first verse highlights our tendency to embrace beauty without considering what lies beneath. Our love is compared to the sound of broken skies, where there is beauty in the colorful chaos of the sky after a storm, but we are blind to see what lies inside. We love what shines before our eyes, without realizing that what we seek might be hiding.
The chorus begins with the singer trying to reassure himself that everything will be fine because he believes in his partner’s “heart of gold”, but then he questions the authenticity of that gold when he realizes that it's just glitter, like working in a goldmine. The second verse reflects on how time can be used to either feed or waste away someone's life. Pride can be lost, and mistakes can be made, but in the end, the best of us still fades away without anyone's notice.
The song seems to be a criticism of society's obsession with material wealth and success. It suggests that even though we believe in the authenticity of someone’s “heart of gold,” we might just be deceiving ourselves with glitter, just like mining for gold in a glamorous but empty and shallow way.
Line by Line Meaning
Our love's the sound
Our love is likened to the sound of broken skies
Of broken skies
Our love is tumultuous and unsettled
Too blind to see
Despite this, we are unable to see the truth of our situation
What lies inside
We are unaware of the true nature of our feelings
We love what shines
We are attracted to superficial appearances
Before our eyes
Rather than looking beyond the surface
Why can't we learn
We struggle to gain wisdom from our experiences
What hides?
We are unable to see what lies beneath the facade
Waiting on the last train
We are delaying the inevitable
Flicking through the highlights
Distracting ourselves with trivialities
Livin' in a suitcase
Living an ungrounded, transient lifestyle
Positively uptight
Anxious and stressed despite trying to maintain a positive attitude
Kissing in the full moon
Finding moments of beauty and connection amidst chaos
Drowning in the sunshine
Feeling overwhelmed by the same things that bring us joy
Walking on a tightrope
Navigating a precarious situation
And everything is gonna be just fine
Hoping for the best despite uncertainty
'cause I believe in your heart of gold
Having faith in the goodness of the person we love
Automatically sunshine
The presence of this person brings light and warmth
Yeah glitter, glitter everywhere
We are surrounded by superficiality and materialism
Like working in a goldmine
Our environment is full of things that shine, yet lack true value
And we believe that there's a heart beats on
Despite this, we cling to the belief that there is still love to be found
In the dark of the close down
In times of uncertainty and hardship
Yeah glitter, glitter everywhere
We are still surrounded by distractions and superficiality
Like working in a goldmine
Our struggle to find true meaning and love feels like working in a mine
And time not tied
Unstructured time
Is time to feed
Is an opportunity to nourish ourselves emotionally
We lose our pride
We may have to let go of our ego in order to grow and learn
We spill our seed
We waste our resources and energy
The worst of us
Some people never change or grow
Escape so slow
Even those who try to change may struggle to do so
The best of us
Others continue to evolve and improve
Just goes
Without fanfare or attention
They'll make you work for everything
In life, nothing is guaranteed or handed to us
Never let it roll
We should always work towards what we want, and not rely on chance
Never let it swing
Nor should we let our emotions control us to the point of inaction
Take control and let your heart sing
We should seize our opportunities and pursue what brings us joy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RODDY FRAME
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patrickstocks3986
Our loves the sound
Of broken skies 🌌
Too blind to see
What lies inside
We love 💖 what shines
Before our eyes 👀
Why can’t we learn
What hides?
Waiting on the last train 🚆
Flicking through the highlights
Livin in a suitcase 🧳
Positively uptight
Kissing 😽 in the full moon 🌕
Drowning in the sunshine ☀️
Walking on a tightrope
And everyone is gonna be just fine
‘Cause I believe in your heart 💔 of gold
Automatically sunshine 🌞
Yeah glitter ✨ glitter ✨ everywhere
Like working on a goldmine
And we believe that there’s a heart ❣ beats on
In the dark of the close down
Yeah glitter ✨ glitter ✨ everywhere
Like working in a goldmine
And time not tied
Is time to feed
We lose our pride
We spill our seed
The worst of us
Escape so slow
The best of us
Just goes
They’ll make you work for everything
Never let it roll
Never let it swing
Take control and let your heart ❣ sing 🎤
@germanicus5264
Those of us coming of age in the 80s were very lucky. Such great artists and songs. This one is a great example, even if it was not a massive hit! I feel for kids growing up today...my kids included
@michaeldevries5660
Roddy was a prodigy! Aztec Camera was one of the most memorable concerts of my youth. Still sounds phenomenal!
@brettjones1093
Met my girlfriend/wife at a concert Kentish Town London - forever grateful x
@nenadjukic1987
This is one the best songs of its era. And it still sounds excellent. Rare perfection.
@elizabethbell4697
This tune is massively understated. One of the best tunes from 1988.
@deadaccount3
Correction: 1987
@elizabethbell4697
@The Goat Moon Guy Thank you so much for identifying this song to its year of release.
@vikluther
Such an incredible track , so much emotion , one of my all time faves 👍
@KRAZEEIZATION
Brilliant song by one of the most underrated artists of all time! Roddy Frame is a unique talent.
@kickbiker7920
This song has aged very well. Nice video. Still Lovely to listen to after all these years .... great voicings in the chordal arrangement ... crisp production. One of his/their best songs! Thanks for uploading.