Following Adamson's death in 2001, the band reformed in 2007, with the surviving members. Between 2010 and 2013, the band reformed with Mike Peters of The Alarm on lead vocals. Since then the band has continued with only two of the original members (Watson and Brzezicki).
Big Country's first single was "Harvest Home", recorded and released in 1982. It was a modest success, although it did not reach the UK Singles Chart. Their next single was 1983's "Fields Of Fire (400 Miles)", which reached the UK's Top Ten and was followed by the album The Crossing. The album was a hit in the United States (reaching the Top 20 in the Billboard 200), powered by "In a Big Country", their only US Top 40 single.
Stuart Adamson was found dead in a room at the Best Western Plaza Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii on 16 December 2001, having been believed to have died by suicide.
On 24 May 2024 the band announced that singer Tommie Paxton would being "helping them out" for the year. Paxton is guitar player and singer with the Big Country tribute band Restless Natives.
Inwards
Big Country Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I find out that some of the past has been missed
And the light in the window has burned it's fuse
I pull everything inwards but everything's loose
Everything inwards, but everything's loose
Everything inwards, but everything's loose
All the engines too loud, all the pavements hiss
How the scouts in the stairwell will meet again
I pull everything inwards but everything's changed
The lyrics of Big Country's song "Inwards" describe the feeling of being lost and out of place in a world that seems to be moving too fast. The singer expresses a reluctance to return home, as they fear they will find out about events from the past that have been hidden from them. The light in the window has "burned its fuse," suggesting that it has been left on for too long or that its time has come to an end. The singer is unable to control their emotions and is overwhelmed by the thought of facing the unknown. They pull everything inwards, but everything is loose, indicating a feeling of instability and lack of control.
The second verse highlights the chaos and confusion within the singer's surroundings. The engines are too loud, and the pavements hiss, suggesting an urban environment. The scouts in the stairwell are meeting again, perhaps signaling a coming together after a time of separation or uncertainty. The singer acknowledges that everything has changed, and they are struggling to keep up.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of disorientation and unease. The singer is grappling with the unknown and feels out of place in their own life. The repetition of "everything inwards, but everything's loose" emphasizes the feeling of being trapped in one's own thoughts and emotions, unable to find stability.
Line by Line Meaning
I wouldn't want to go home on a night like this
I don't want to return to my residence on such a gloomy night.
When I find out that some of the past has been missed
Upon discovering that parts of my history have disappeared.
And the light in the window has burned it's fuse
As the visible glow from the window has extinguished.
I pull everything inwards but everything's loose
I draw all things internally, but they still feel unsteady and uncontained.
Everything inwards, but everything's loose
All things are absorbed inside me, but they are not secure.
I wouldn't want to stay out with news like this
I don't want to remain outside with this upsetting news.
All the engines too loud, all the pavements hiss
The volume of motor vehicles is too high, and the sidewalks make a noise like a hiss.
How the scouts in the stairwell will meet again
The individuals in the stairwell will reunite, having been previously involved in scouting.
I pull everything inwards but everything's changed
I internalize everything, although everything has altered.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: B. WATSON, M. BRZEZICKI, S. ADAMSON, T. BUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on In a Big Country
An absolutely classic song by Squeeze.
Kanno Yoichi
on In A Big Country
I never saw you look like this without a reason
Another promise fallen through, another season passes by you
君をわけもなくこんな風に見つめた事なんてなかった
また約束が反故にされたまま、新しい季節が君のそばを過ぎていく
I never took the smile away from anybody's face
And that's a desperate way to look for someone who is still a child
誰かの顔から微笑を奪ったことなんてなかった
それはまだ子供のような純真さを求めて無我夢中だっただけさ
CHORUS:
In a big country dreams stay with you
Like a lover's voice fires the mountainside
Stay alive
この広大な大地では、夢は君とともにあるんだ
山の斜面を燃やし続ける恋人の声のように
どうかここで生き続けてほしい
I'm not expecting to grow flowers in the desert
But I can live and breathe and see the sun in wintertime
こんな砂漠の地では花が育つなんて期待してないよ
でもオレは生きて、息をして、冬のこんな季節にも太陽を浴びている
And in a big country, dreams stay with you
Like a lover's voice, fires the mountainside
Stay alive
この広大な大地では、夢は君とともにあるんだ
山の斜面を燃やし続ける恋人の声のように
どうかここで生き続けてほしい
I thought that pain and truth were things that really mattered
But you can't stay here with every single hope you had shattered
痛みと真実こそが今の君には本当に必要なこと
でも君がいくつもの小さな希望を持ち続けられなければ、ここで生きてはいけないよ
I'm not expecting to grow flowers in the desert
But I can live and breathe and see the sun in wintertime
こんな砂漠の地では花が育つなんて期待してないよ
でもオレは生きて、息をして、冬のこんな季節にも太陽を浴びている
And in a big country, dreams stay with you
Like a lover's voice, fires the mountainside
Stay alive
And in a big country, dreams stay with you
Like a lover's voice, fires the mountainside
Stay alive
この広大な大地では、夢は君とともにあるんだ
山の斜面を燃やし続ける恋人の声のように
どうかここで生き続けてほしい
この広大な大地では、夢は君とともにあるんだ
山の斜面を燃やし続ける恋人の声のように
どうかここで生き続けてほしい
So take that look out of here, it doesn't fit you
Because it's happened doesn't mean you've been discarded
Pull up your head off the floor, come up screaming
Cry out for everything you ever might have wanted
I thought that pain and truth were things that really mattered
But you can't stay here with every single hope you had shattered
君には都会暮らしは似合わないって、ここから見ていてわかるんだ
だって、ここでおきたことが君を見捨ててきたって意味にはならないから
フロアの中から飛び出してさ、大きな声で叫びにおいで
君が望んでたであろうすべてをそこにぶちまけるんだ
痛みと真実こそが今の君には本当に必要なこと
でも君がいくつもの小さな希望を持ち続けられなければ、ここで生きてはいけないよ