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.
Baby Heart Dirt
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Near morning and gives me right of way
All all all my friends are leaving
Always are kept to the day or thrown away
I'm saving up for the lighter hours
And the safety of war
Named you 'fly' as a joke and it stuck fast
And hung up on the wall, its all and everything
I need to do its all and everything I do is
Showing through my ageing lines and living on
Mr. Right says "what is a sin in difficult times
Ahhh, as it's showing through my ageing lines
It could mean something other...
I'll beat you to the last one at any given time
It never leaves me high
I'm only seeding, only seeding, only"
Brave sun shines on me on my own it's only for me
As cold as can be, in an English sea
Which could mean something other...
She knows birthright of her babies
Has eyes for the future
We say what has to be said
As we wait for the lighter hours
Mr. Right says "what is a sin in difficult times
Ahhh, as it's showing through my ageing lines
Brave sun shines on me on my own it's only for me
As cold as can be, in an English sea
Which could mean something other..."
"Baby Heart Dirt" is a song by avant-garde rock band Cardiacs, and it contains lyrics that are quite abstract and open to interpretation. It appears to touch on themes of loneliness, aging, friendship, and the passage of time. The first verse suggests that the singer's friends are leaving, and he is left alone to face the morning. He seems to be waiting for something to happen, perhaps for the "lighter hours" or the end of a war.
The second verse references a nickname "fly" that "stuck fast" and "hung up on the wall", which may suggest a symbol or memory that the singer holds onto. The line "It's all and everything I need to do" implies that the singer is focused on this idea, and it permeates everything he does. The reference to "ageing lines" and Mr. Right talking about sin in difficult times suggests a sense of mortality and the idea that there are things left unsaid that need to be addressed.
The chorus seems to introduce a more optimistic note, with the mention of a "brave sun" shining on the singer. However, this is juxtaposed with the idea of being cold in an English sea, which could suggest a sense of isolation or feeling out of place. Overall, the song presents a complex mix of emotions and ideas, and invites the listener to draw their own meaning from the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Seeming to believe when seeing wakes me
I wake up with a sense of belief when I see things around me in the morning
Near morning and gives me right of way
The morning time encourages me and helps me take control of my day
All all all my friends are leaving
All of my friends are either leaving or abandoning me
Always are kept to the day or thrown away
They are either around just for a short while or are discarded completely
I'm saving up for the lighter hours
I am preparing for a time when things will be better and brighter
And the safety of war
By preparing, I seek to find safety in a future that is uncertain
Named you 'fly' as a joke and it stuck fast
I gave you a silly nickname but it became popular and stuck around
Like mad sticks fast
It held on to you like glue and became an integral part of your identity
And hung up on the wall, its all and everything
I put it up on the wall as a source of motivation and inspiration
I need to do its all and everything I do is
I believe it is all that I need to motivate myself and live my life
Showing through my ageing lines and living on
It still motivates me as I grow older and continue to live my life
Mr. Right says 'what is a sin in difficult times
My conscience asks what is the right thing to do during difficult times
Ahhh, as it's showing through my ageing lines
As I grow older, the questions persist and informs my conscience further
It could mean something other...
There might be an alternative interpretation to my actions and feelings
I'll beat you to the last one at any given time
I am more determined to succeed than anyone else at any time
It never leaves me high
It never gives me an excessive sense of elation
I'm only seeding, only seeding, only
I am only planting and starting the process towards future success
Brave sun shines on me on my own it's only for me
The sun inspires me to be brave and pursue what I want, even if I am alone
As cold as can be, in an English sea
Despite my environment being cold and unwelcoming, I persist
She knows birthright of her babies
The mother has knowledge and understanding of what her children deserve and are entitled to
Has eyes for the future
She has a long-term perspective and is forward-looking
We say what has to be said
We speak truthfully and honestly about what needs to be addressed
As we wait for the lighter hours
We are also hopeful for a better future and are patiently waiting for it
Contributed by Juliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
pyramidserum
dude youre a fucking king for uploading these, lots of songs on cardiacs playlist were deleted
lapse evident
♥️♥️♥️
HeliumLemon
only 24 likes??? cmon people!!!!
Zachary Detrick
gives me right of way