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.
Murder In The Dark
Boo Hewerdine Lyrics
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Two of us can play
And there are no rules
You'd break them anyway
When I reach for you
And you turn away
That's murder in the dark
So I can't see your eyes?
If I can't read your lips
Did you think that you could hide?
When you don't tell the truth
Without ever telling lies
That's murder in the dark
I know I never will again
I know, I know, I know
But the sun will rise
Sun will fall
Heaven spin and fool us all
I thought there'd be a change
I really should have known
Right before the dawn
All the party favours gone
It's a funny thing
But you can play alone
Murder in the dark
The song "Murder In the Dark" by Boo Hewerdine is a song about a relationship that has gone sour. The singer realizes that his partner is playing a game without any rules, and that they will break them anyways. There is a sense of frustration in the lyrics when the singer tries to reach for the partner and they turn away. The metaphor of "murder in the dark" symbolizes the betrayal and dishonesty in the relationship. The partner's refusal to communicate and the singer's inability to understand the situation is causing the deterioration of the relationship.
The second verse deals with the singer's attempts to understand his partner. The imagery of the partner turning off the lights creates a feeling of isolation as the singer can't see their partner's eyes or read their lips. The partner's refusal to tell the truth, without ever telling a lie, sheds light on their manipulative nature. The last line of the verse, "murder in the dark," is repeated for emphasis, highlighting the sense of betrayal and deceit.
The final verse touches on acceptance and moving on. The singer seems to have finally grasped that the relationship is over and there won't be any change. The metaphor of the sun rising and falling, and heaven spinning, shows that life goes on despite the hurt and disappointment. The party favors gone represent the absence of love and the realization that it was all a game. The final line, "murder in the dark," ends the song on a bitter note, reminding the listener that the betrayal and hurt linger.
Line by Line Meaning
And I know a game
I understand a particular activity
Two of us can play
Only two individuals can participate
And there are no rules
There are no set guidelines
You'd break them anyway
However, you would disregard them
When I reach for you
When I try to connect with you
And you turn away
But you refuse to acknowledge me
That's murder in the dark
It resembles a cruel act of rejection
Did you turn out the light
Did you switch off the illumination
So I can't see your eyes?
To avoid eye contact with me
If I can't read your lips
If I fail to understand your words
Did you think that you could hide?
Were you hoping to conceal the truth
When you don't tell the truth
When you refuse to be frank
Without ever telling lies
But manage to evade the truth elegantly
That's murder in the dark
It resembles a cruel act of deception
I know I never will again
I acknowledge that it won't occur again
I know, I know, I know
I'm fully aware
But the sun will rise
The sun will ascend the sky
Sun will fall
It will also set later
Heaven spin and fool us all
The universe will keep operating in its way, regardless of our lives
I thought there'd be a change
I was expecting things to be different
I really should have known
But in fact, I should have anticipated the outcome
Right before the dawn
However, just before daybreak
All the party favours gone
The fun has come to an end
It's a funny thing
It is peculiar
But you can play alone
But you can enjoy it solo
Murder in the dark
That's how it feels at times
Writer(s): Mark Nicholas Hewerdine
Contributed by John H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.