Initially known as The Ingoes, they were renamed and signed to manager Giorgio Gomelsky's Marmalade label. The original line-up comprised Brian Godding (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Jim Cregan (guitar, vocals), Brian Belshaw (bass, vocals), and Kevin Westlake drums).
The band's debut album, We Are Ever So Clean, is a classic example of English psychedelia. On release, it was presented in the U.K. music magazine Melody Maker as "Giorgio Gomelsky's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Although not a major commercial success, tracks such as "What on Earth" or "Look at Me, I'm You" have helped give the album something of a cult period status as it is unearthed by successive generations of 1960s retro fans. It was recently voted number forty in Record Collector’s list of the "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records".
If Only for a Moment saw the band taking a noticeably heavier and rockier direction, with Cregan and Godding's distinctive two-part guitar harmonies playing a prominent role. The album also marked the departure of Westlake, to be replaced by John "Poli" Palmer and then Barry Reeves.
The quartet was dissolved in 1970. While Belshaw and Godding rejoined Westlake in B.B. Blunder, Cregan formed Stud with Jim Wilson and Charlie McCracken, before joining Family. He would find fame later in the decade with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and as a part of Rod Stewart's backing band.
The Blossom Toes contributed music to La Collectionneuse (1967), a film by French director Éric Rohmer, and also appeared in Popdown (1967) by Fred Marshall.
What On Earth
Blossom Toes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What on earth am I doing here
Waiting for the world to stop raining
I shall go out
Before it all goes down the drain
What on earth are you doing there
Looking very much like you don't care
Come on out and see
You should be glad
And It's so true
You'll feel much better the wetter you get
We are ever so clean
Cleaner that the tub on a washing machine
What on earth was that all about?
Granny takes the kids for an outing
Look at them play
Making all they can of the day
Why on earth are we wasting time
Waiting for a life of sunshine
Come on out and see
It's not so bad
You should be glad
And it's so true
It could be fine, full of sunshine
If you want to
What on earth am I doing here What on earth are you doing here
What on earth am I doing here What on earth are you doing here
The lyrics of Blossom Toes's song "What On Earth" address the idea of living in the present moment and not waiting around for the troubles to pass. The first few lines set the scene for the song, where the singer questions their whereabouts and why they're there, waiting for something good to happen. The rain is a metaphorical symbol of the problems they wish to go away. The line "I shall go out before it all goes down the drain" suggests that instead of waiting for things to get better, they want to take action and live their life, regardless of the difficulties around them. The singer urges someone else to do the same and come out, assuring that it's not as bad as it seems, and you'll feel better if you embrace it.
The next verse starts with the question, "What on earth was that all about?" suggesting a break from reality, where they observe children playing, enjoying life without any worries. The accompanying line, "why on earth are we wasting time, " implies that adults are unnecessarily waiting for perfect conditions to start living when what we need is to seize the moment. The verse ends with a positive note that with a change of attitude, one can find sunshine within. The song ends with the same questioning lines, emphasizing the theme of the uncertainty of our existence and the importance of taking action before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Introduction words, introduction words, introduction words…
This line is just an introduction, and has no real meaning
What on earth am I doing here
The singer is questioning why they are in their current situation
Waiting for the world to stop raining
The singer is waiting for their problems to go away on their own
I shall go out
The singer is going to take action to try and improve their situation
Before it all goes down the drain
The singer wants to act quickly before it's too late
What on earth are you doing there
The singer is questioning why someone else is in their current situation
Looking very much like you don't care
The other person seems indifferent to their problems
Come on out and see
The singer is inviting the other person to do something about their situation
It's not so bad
The singer is trying to reassure the other person that things aren't as bad as they seem
You should be glad
The singer is encouraging the other person to have a more positive attitude
And It's so true
The singer believes what they're saying is accurate
You'll feel much better the wetter you get
The singer is suggesting that getting out in the rain could be refreshing and improve their mood
We are ever so clean
The singer is using sarcasm, implying that they're not really that clean
Cleaner that the tub on a washing machine
The singer is again using sarcasm, exaggerating their cleanliness
What on earth was that all about?
The singer is questioning the purpose of something that happened or was said
Granny takes the kids for an outing
The singer is describing a scene where an elderly woman takes children somewhere
Look at them play
The singer is admiring the way the children are enjoying themselves
Making all they can of the day
The children are taking advantage of the opportunities available to them
Why on earth are we wasting time
The singer is questioning why they and others are not taking advantage of their opportunities
Waiting for a life of sunshine
The singer is waiting for their problems to go away on their own and for things to become easier
It could be fine, full of sunshine
The singer is acknowledging that things could be good if they take action to make it so
If you want to
The singer is emphasizing that it's up to the individual to make the most of their situation
What on earth am I doing here What on earth are you doing here
This is just a repetition of the first and fifth lines, emphasizing the confusion and questioning of the situation
Contributed by Madison Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.