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.
Day Is Gone
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Invited us to our home for some soup
Bothered by steam
We clipped our wing, so we can't fly
Better than better than what?
Some dying off
A rocket ship
Looks as if a day is missing
Everyone's trying to leave
Lorries driving to the sea
Who is that who slammed the door?
Looks as if a day has gone away
More active than scraps alive
Sleep for weeks but often stirring
More alive than anyone swears
As born were we from hollow trees
Telling familiar stories
Invited us to our home for some soup
Bothered by steam
We clip our wing, so we can't fly away
Looks as if a day is gone
Looks as if the day is playing
Looks as if a day is gone
Looks as if a day has gone away
The song "Day Is Gone" by Cardiacs depicts a strange and surreal world where a day is missing and people are trying to leave. The first verse tells of someone inviting the listener to their home for some soup, but steam is bothering them. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling trapped or oppressed by something familiar that should be comforting. The line "we clipped our wing, so we can't fly" suggests that the people in this world have been limited in some way - they are no longer able to move freely and feel powerless.
The second verse continues with the theme of being trapped and limited. The line "some dying off" implies that there is a sense of mortality or inevitability in this world - perhaps people are unable to escape the confines of their existence. The lines "looks as if a day is gone" and "everyone's trying to leave" reinforce the idea that something is missing from this world, and people are desperate to find a way out. The reference to lorries driving to the sea suggests that people are trying to escape by any means necessary.
The final verse repeats the same lines from the beginning of the song, but with slightly altered wording. The line "more active than scraps alive" suggests that even in this limited world, there is still some sense of vitality or movement. The image of people being born from hollow trees is a bizarre and surreal depiction of life in this world. Overall, "Day Is Gone" paints a picture of a strange and oppressive world where people are trying to escape their limitations and find something better.
Line by Line Meaning
Telling familiar stories
Recalling the same old stories that we all know and relate to
Invited us to our home for some soup
Asked us to come over and share a meal, showing us kindness and hospitality
Bothered by steam
Annoyed or disturbed by the hot, rising steam from the soup
We clipped our wing, so we can't fly
We sabotaged ourselves or limited our own abilities, preventing us from achieving our full potential
Better than better than what?
Challenging the idea of constantly striving for improvement, asking what we are comparing ourselves to
Some dying off
People passing away or leaving us behind
A rocket ship
A symbol of progress and technological advancement
Looks as if a day is gone
It seems like time has passed and we can't get it back
Looks as if a day is missing
It feels like something important has been lost or forgotten
Everyone's trying to leave
People are attempting to escape or move on from something
Lorries driving to the sea
Trucks or vehicles heading towards the ocean, possibly symbolizing escape or new beginnings
Who is that who slammed the door?
Asking about someone who left abruptly or without explanation
Looks as if a day has gone away
Echoing the feeling that time has moved on and something has been lost or forgotten
More active than scraps alive
More energetic and engaged in life than those who are barely surviving
Sleep for weeks but often stirring
Resting for an extended period of time, but still occasionally waking up or being alert
More alive than anyone swears
Feeling more vibrant and present than anyone else would believe or acknowledge
As born were we from hollow trees
Suggesting that we come from humble or simple origins, like a tree trunk
Looks as if the day is playing
It seems like time is toying with us, making us feel lost or confused
Contributed by Reagan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.