Hewerdine (born Mark Hewerdine) moved to Cambridge as a child, but returned to London in his late teens, and worked in a record shop. Suffering from agoraphobia, it was not a happy time of his life, and he was fired from his job after being wrongly accused of theft. Returning to Cambridge, he teamed up with a friend with similar experiences and started to write songs. They formed the short-lived Placebo Thing, later renamed The Great Divide. They were heard by Mike Scott of The Waterboys, who recommended them to Ensign Records, where they cut two commercially unsuccessful singles. In 1985 Hewerdine, working once again in a record shop in Cambridge, formed The Bible, recruiting jazz drummer Tony Shepherd. They released an album of songs through the independent Norwich label Backs Records called Walking The Ghost Back Home.
The Bible became a fairly successful independent band, with a cult following spread mostly through word of mouth and live performances. Two tracks from the first album, Graceland and Mahalia were released as singles, but did not achieve very significant sales. The album however was very well received by music pundits, and this brought the band to the attention of Chrysalis Records. Signing to Chrysalis, Graceland and another track, Honey Be Good were (re)released as singles, and reached the lower end of the UK singles chart. A new album, Eureka followed, but failed commercially. In 1988, Hewerdine decided to leave the group and pursue solo projects. Calum MacColl and Neill MacColl from the group went on to form Liberty Horses.
At around this time Hewerdine met US "new country" singer Darden Smith, and this set him off in a new direction. Working together, he and Smith released a collaborative album, Evidence. Hewerdine also worked simultaneously on new solo songs, largely based on his earlier traumatic experiences in London. Eventually these were distilled down to produce the Ignorance album, released in 1992. Invited by Tori Amos to play support promoting these songs, Hewerdine managed to find a new audience and Ignorance and a single from the album, History, did relatively well commercially.
As Hewerdine's star rose, he started to write for other artists, among them Eddi Reader, Clive Gregson and Christine Collister. The Bible reformed for a tour in 1994. Further solo album releases followed, such as 1996's Baptist Hospital and 1999's Thanksgiving. Meanwhile Hewerdine was asked by long-time friend Nick Hornby to contribute music to the soundtrack for the movie version of his book High Fidelity, whose subject (working in a record shop) was also very close to Hewerdine's experiences.
Hewerdine continues to write and perform his own songs. Harmonograph, released on MVine/Red Grape Records in February 2006, is a collection of his songs written for other artists such as Eddi Reader and Hepburn, recorded by Hewerdine for the first time. 2008 saw two mini CD releases - Toy Box 1 and Toy Box 2 with art work by Hewerdine's grandmother. Hewerdine continues to tour regularly, playing a set featuring songs from through out his career from The Bible to Toy Box.
American TV
Boo Hewerdine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drive through the monochrome
But I knew I'd see somewhere better
It came as cathode rays
Through my imperfect days
I knew somehow I had to get there
California wasn't real
Just a place I'd see
On american TV
Back when I was a boy
There's something wrong with time
And of the northern line
It's going fast and slow together
I knew there was a place
Bonanza lost in space
Where smiles were white and there's no weather
And the colors were so much brighter
California wasn't real
Just a place I'd see
On american TV
Back when I was a boy
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
(Ooh, ooh) american TV
(Ooh, ooh) american TV
Where the colors were so much brighter
California (California)
California (California)
A place I'd see
On american TV
Back when I was a boy
A place I'd see
On american TV
Back when I was a boy, a boy
A place I'd see (a place I'd see)
On american TV (american TV)
Back when I was a boy, a boy (ooh)
The lyrics to Boo Hewerdine's song "American TV" portray a longing for a place better than the one the singer is currently in. They express a desire to escape the monotonous and dull life symbolized by driving through the "monochrome" and taking the bus back home. The singer knows that there must be somewhere brighter and more exciting out there.
The reference to "cathode rays" highlights the transformative power of television in the singer's life. Even amidst the struggles and imperfections of their days, they find solace and inspiration through the medium of TV. It becomes a means to transport themselves to a more vibrant and colorful world, one that they feel compelled to reach.
The song suggests that the singer's perception of California, as seen through American TV shows, is a place of wonder and fantasy. It represents a place where dreams come true, with perfect smiles and an absence of weather-related problems. California is portrayed as an idealized location, a promised land that only exists on the screen, but which captivates the imagination of the young narrator.
The repetition of the phrase "Where the colors were so much brighter" emphasizes the stark contrast between the singer's current reality and the vibrant world they envision through American TV. The colors symbolize a life full of possibilities, energy, and excitement that seems to be lacking in their present existence.
Overall, "American TV" reflects the nostalgic yearning of the singer for an idyllic place that was only accessible through the screen. It captures the longing and imagination of a young boy who sees the potential for a better life beyond their own circumstances, inspired by the captivating images and stories presented on American television.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd take the bus back home
I would choose to return home by bus
Drive through the monochrome
Travel through a world without color
But I knew I'd see somewhere better
But deep down, I knew there was a better place to be
It came as cathode rays
It arrived in the form of television signals
Through my imperfect days
During my flawed and ordinary days
I knew somehow I had to get there
I had a feeling that I needed to reach that place
Where the colors were so much brighter
Where the vibrant colors were much more intense
California wasn't real
California seemed unreal or out of reach
Just a place I'd see
Merely a location I observed
On american TV
Displayed on television from America
Back when I was a boy
During my childhood years
There's something wrong with time
Time feels distorted or inconsistent
And of the northern line
And the train route in the north
It's going fast and slow together
It moves at varying speeds, simultaneously fast and slow
I knew there was a place
I had a belief in the existence of a place
Bonanza lost in space
A utopian world like the TV show 'Bonanza' set in outer space
Where smiles were white and there's no weather
Where smiles were pure and unaffected, and the climate was perpetually pleasant
Ooh, ooh
Expressing a sound of awe or excitement
(Ooh, ooh) american TV
The fascination and impact of American television
(Ooh, ooh) american TV
The allure and influence of American television
California (California)
The state of California
California (California)
The place known as California
A place I'd see
A location I would glimpse
On american TV
Through the lens of American television
Back when I was a boy
In the earlier days of my childhood
A place I'd see (a place I'd see)
A location I would observe
On american TV (american TV)
Through the medium of American television
Back when I was a boy, a boy (ooh)
In my youth, when I was just a boy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARK NICHOLAS HEWERDINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind