As well as Smith, around 23 musicians were part of the Cardiacs over the years, including Smith's brother, Jim, and multi-instrumentalist, Sarah Cutts, who married Tim Smith in 1983.
Their music combined the excitement and energy of punk with the intricacies and technical cleverness of early British progressive rock, a combination sometimes referred to as pronk, although frontman Smith disavowed this classification.
Cardiacs released eight studio albums plus a number of live albums, compilation albums and singles between 1980 and 2007, and are best known for the 1988 minor hit single "Is This the Life?" They are also noted for attracting strongly diverse responses: they have remained one of Britain's leading cult rock bands during their four-decade-spanning career, but have also attracted virulent critical attack (including a lengthy editorial ban from the British music magazine New Musical Express).
On the 30th June 1990, Cardiacs played at Salisbury Arts Centre (a former church). The show was recorded and initially the video of it was released on VHS tape under the name "All That Glitters Is A Mare's Nest". The video helped Cardiacs achieve a cult following, with pirated copies of the video, being highly sought after. The audio from the show was released on CD in 1995.
The band was on hiatus following the 2008 hospitalisation of Tim Smith after a heart attack and series of strokes which affected his speech and movement.
Commenting on his condition, in 2017, Smith wrote: “Imagine if you were wearing a skintight bodysuit made of fishnet all around you, with electrical pulses going all the time. This is what my body feels like unless I fall asleep.”
In 2018, fundraising was set up for Tim Smith, which included the comment “This condition has affected Tim’s movement, his dexterity, his ability to speak, and it has added painful muscle tone and spasms that are a permanent feature of his life these days.”
On Tuesday 21st July 2020, at around 10.30 pm, Tim Smith passed away at his home, as a result of a heart attack.
Cardiacs final album, "LSD" remained unfinished at the time of Tim Smith's death. At the time of his death, Cardiacs still remained a cult following, their recordings were not, for example, available on Spotify. For many years there were few new copies of Cardiacs albums in circulation. Later on, re-releases became available on CD and then vinyl.
Angleworm Angel
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bright young spark he showing flair
Loosens flesh from machine
Granted it obscene
Thrust his fists
Fisting posts
Still insist he sees the ghost
Of what we try to see
Lock into theories old
Existance of all creatures told
Human eyes to snatch a glimpse
Of our lifes genesis
Lust for knife
Such is life
Love for every kind of strife
Angleworm bit in half
Fellow eaten raw and helpless
Perfect it's not as easy to find
The good in ourselves
That we leave behind
Forever sublime
And never quite comprehend why
That is why we try and we try
Until do us die
To pull up the soil
And plant greener seeds
Perfection an ultimate
Aiming high cannon my
Fear young failure to the sky
Confidence leaknesses dominate my mind
Out of blue into black Ideas meets oblivion
Endless destructible
Delusions of defeat and anguish
Perfect it's not as easy to find
The good in ourselves
That we leave behind
Forever sublime
And never quite comprehend why
That is why we try and we try
Until do us die
To pull up the soil
And plant greener seeds
Perfection an ultimate
Perfection an ultimate
Perfection an ultimate
The lyrics to Cardiacs' song "Angleworm Angel" are cryptic and enigmatic, creating an aura of mystery and intrigue around the song. The song appears to be about the human struggle to find purpose and meaning in life. The phrase "reversal of despair" suggests an attempt to overcome feelings of hopelessness and find some sense of optimism. The lyrics also allude to the idea of transcendence, or the belief that there is something greater beyond the material world. The image of the "bright young spark" suggests that the human spirit has the potential for greatness, but that this potential can be difficult to realize.
The second verse of the song introduces the idea of imperfection, suggesting that it is difficult to find the good in ourselves and that we leave things behind that we do not understand. The final lines of the song suggest that perfection is the ultimate goal, but that it is difficult to achieve. Ultimately, the song appears to be about the quest for meaning and purpose in a world that can often be confusing and chaotic.
Line by Line Meaning
Reversal of despair
A sudden change from a state of hopelessness to a state of hope.
Bright young spark he showing flair
A talented and innovative young person displaying great ability.
Loosens flesh from machine
Separates the organic body from the mechanical world.
Granted it obscene
Recognizing that it is vulgar, but allowing it anyway.
Thrust his fists
Moved his arms forcefully forward.
Fisting posts
Grabbing onto stationary objects with a tight grip.
Still insist he sees the ghost
Continuing to believe in something that cannot be proven or observed.
Of what we try to see
Referring to the elusive nature of the unknown.
In darkened rooms and endless laughter
Recounting the memories associated with seeking the truth.
Lock into theories old
Holding onto established beliefs without questioning their validity.
Existance of all creatures told
The idea of every living being having a purpose or meaning.
Human eyes to snatch a glimpse
The desire to see and understand what is beyond normal perception.
Of our lifes genesis
The origins and beginnings of our existence.
Lust for knife
A longing for violence or destruction.
Such is life
Accepting the unpredictable and often unpleasant nature of existence.
Love for every kind of strife
Finding joy in conflict and challenging situations.
Angleworm bit in half
Depicting a scene of violence, where a worm is torn apart.
Fellow eaten raw and helpless
A gruesome image of a helpless creature being consumed by another.
Perfect it's not as easy to find
Acknowledging the difficulty in achieving perfection.
The good in ourselves
That we leave behind
The positive aspects of our being that we often ignore or overlook.
Forever sublime
And never quite comprehend why
The beauty of life is eternal, but not always fully understood.
That is why we try and we try
Until do us die
Despite its difficulty, the pursuit of perfection is a lifelong endeavor.
To pull up the soil
And plant greener seeds
Metaphorically speaking, to cultivate a better future by making positive changes in the present.
Perfection an ultimate
The idea of achieving a flawless state that is beyond human error or fallibility.
Aiming high cannon my
Setting ambitious goals and working hard to achieve them.
Fear young failure to the sky
The fear of failure is overwhelming and pervasive.
Confidence leaknesses dominate my mind
A lack of confidence is a major obstacle to success.
Out of blue into black Ideas meets oblivion
Brilliant ideas can suddenly disappear or be lost.
Endless destructible
Delusions of defeat and anguish
Being stuck in a never-ending cycle of self-doubt and negativity.
Contributed by Riley A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.