Adamson left school and shifted into graphic design attending Stockport Art College[3] but quit shortly after, favouring to venture into the exploding punk rock scene of the late 1970s. He joined ex-Buzzcocks singer Howard Devoto's band Magazine, playing bass guitar, scoring one chart single, "Shot by Both Sides"; in late 1977, he also joined Buzzcocks, as a short-time replacement of Garth Smith. He played on all of Magazine's albums, and contributed to Devoto's solo album and his next band, Luxuria. He also contributed to the studio-based band Visage, playing on the ensemble's first two albums, Visage and The Anvil.
After Magazine broke up, Adamson worked with another ex-Buzzcock, Pete Shelley, before joining Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He appeared on five of that band's albums: From Her to Eternity; The Firstborn Is Dead; Kicking Against the Pricks; Your Funeral, My Trial; and Tender Prey. After his stint in the band, he went solo, releasing an EP, The Man with the Golden Arm in 1988, and his first solo album, Moss Side Story, the following year, the soundtrack to a non-existent film noir.[4] The album incorporated newscasts and sampled sound effects and featured guest musicians Marcia Schofield (of The Fall), Diamanda Galas, Roland S. Howard, and former colleagues from the Bad Seeds.[4] Adamson's second solo album was the soundtrack to a real film this time - Carl Colpaert's Delusion, and he would go on to provide sountracks for several other films.[4]
Adamson's third album, Soul Murder, was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize in 1992.[4][5]
His solo work is influenced by John Barry, Elmer Bernstein and Ennio Morricone. Later works have included jazz, electronica, soul, funk, and dub styles.
In 2002, Adamson left his long-term label, Mute Records, and started his own 'production home', Central Control International. In 2006, he released Stranger on the Sofa, first for his Central Control International imprint, to critical acclaim. Back To The Cat, his second album for the label, was released in March 2008.[1]
In 2007 it was announced that Magazine would reform for concerts in 2008. Adamson will be part of this and the same line up that recorded Secondhand Daylight will reform, with the exception of the late John McGeoch. McGeoch will be replaced by Luxuria/Apollo 440 member Noko.
Deja Voodoo
Barry Adamson Lyrics
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Hanging over your door
How I know
Cos I've tasted it before
And my heart
It shivers in the wind
Where you lie
I am forced to come in
Déjà Voodoo
All the stars
In the pretty afterworld
Seem to call
As I watch it all unfurl
And it glows
Like a fairy tale in bloom
When no-one knows
That in hell there's no room
Déjà Voodoo
Take a small vacation from the
Hospital of sorrows and we'll
Drown our reservations in the
Hopes of all tomorrows
Flip back to the here and now
And bring with us a taste
Of what we've never seen before
All that we've never seen before
Déjà Voodoo
I can tell by the light
That everything's gonna be right
Cos you know from the start
There's always been love in your heart
When you slide from the past
Guess I think that this treasure will last
Cos you know from the start
There's always been love in your heart
The lyrics of Barry Adamson's song "Déjà Voodoo" depict a person who is drawn to a place where they have been before. There is a sign hanging over the door of the place, and the singer is compelled to enter. The person experiences a shiver in the wind where the entity lies. The lyrics are filled with imagery that conjures up a romanticized version of the afterworld, that one can only experience when alive. The singer is entranced by the allure of the afterworld, which is described as "glowing like a fairy tale in bloom".
The song suggests that the afterworld and the present world are connected, and there is a continuous loop or cycle of life and death, that one cannot escape. The chorus emphasizes that the singer has been here before as though they are experiencing a Déjà vu or a feeling of reliving the past. The song suggests that the afterworld is something grand, but it's not heaven, as "in hell there's no room." The song's final verses describe a sense of optimism, that everything is going to be right. The singer's thoughts shift to a place of hope, where there is no need for sorrow, and everything is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a sign
There is a symbol
Hanging over your door
Displayed above your entrance
How I know
I recognize it
Cos I've tasted it before
Because I have experienced it previously
And my heart
My innermost feelings
It shivers in the wind
Tremble due to fright
Where you lie
Where you reside
I am forced to come in
I am obliged to enter
All the stars
All the celestial bodies
In the pretty afterworld
In the gorgeous afterlife
Seem to call
Appear to summon
As I watch it all unfurl
When I observe everything unravel
And it glows
And it emits a light
Like a fairy tale in bloom
As if a storybook has come to life
When no-one knows
When nobody is aware
That in hell there's no room
That there is no space in hell
Take a small vacation from the
Take a brief break from
Hospital of sorrows and we'll
The place where sad memories are kept and we will
Drown our reservations in the
Dismiss our doubts and uncertainty with a wave of hand
Hopes of all tomorrows
Expectations of future days
Flip back to the here and now
Turn back to the present moment
And bring with us a taste
Carry along a slight sense
Of what we've never seen before
Of what we have never experienced
I can tell by the light
I can understand by the atmosphere
That everything's gonna be right
That everything will turn out well
Cos you know from the start
Because you knew it from the beginning
There's always been love in your heart
You have always had affection in your soul
When you slide from the past
When you leave behind your history
Guess I think that this treasure will last
I believe that this value will endure
Cos you know from the start
Because you knew it from the beginning
There's always been love in your heart
You have always had affection in your soul
Writer(s): Barry Anthony Adamson Copyright: Embassy Music Corp. O/B/o Mute Song
Contributed by Kennedy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.