Cardiacs, originally called Cardiac Arrest, was an English band formed in 1… Read Full Bio ↴Cardiacs, originally called Cardiac Arrest, was an English band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith (1961-2020). Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by many newer groups and artists.

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.

Goosegash
Cardiacs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Two civilians scrap
In combatant rap
Claws bleeding for dear life
And life is is that

And you thunder out at the pitch of your breath
My dying's your living
My living's your death

God save the queen
That's where we stand
We hold the goose's gash of life in our hands

And all of the things that never begin
Succeeding the womb that we put them all in

They're watching me ban
I'll plug up their eyes
Hell's where I'll go
To the worm that never dies

All of these things
They cannot be sin
And life goes on learning to never give in

So I'm ready to start
But that's when I end

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cardiacs' Goosegash are phrased in a rather cryptic manner, making the meaning of the song somewhat difficult to discern. The beginning of the song sets a scene of two people fighting fiercely and desperately with each other, to the point where they are clawing at each other and causing each other to bleed. The language used in these lines is intense, presenting the struggle as a matter of life and death. The following lines are spoken from a third-person perspective, which could be interpreted as an individual observing the fight unfold. The observer is focused on the intensity of the moment, and the fact that both individuals are fighting so hard is giving them energy and life. The observer suggests that the combatants are sustaining each other, even as they battle.

After this, the lyrics turn to the refrain, which is composed of three lines. The first line references the nationalistic song "God Save the Queen," which could be seen as a commentary on how often we prioritize power over life. The second line, "That's where we stand," further emphasizes the idea that people are willing to put their beliefs and values aside in order to cling to power. Finally, the third line, "We hold the goose's gash of life in our hands," is another enigmatic turn of phrase. A "gash" typically refers to a cut or wound, and a "goose" could be seen as a symbol of innocence, vulnerability, or foolishness. It is possible that the line is suggesting that humanity has been given the gift of life but is recklessly causing injury to it.

The second verse appears to be one person's internal monologue as they struggle with their own fears and anxieties. They feel like they are being watched and judged unfairly, and they respond by lashing out and "plugging up their eyes." The final lines of the song suggest that there is some sort of internal conflict taking place, and that "starting" something may be the same as ending it.

Overall, the lyrics to "Goosegash" are imaginative and challenging, requiring the listener to focus closely on the poetic phrasing and try to suss out the meaning behind the words.

Line by Line Meaning

Two civilians scrap
Two ordinary people fighting each other

In combatant rap
In a style of verbal argument

Claws bleeding for dear life
Fighting with all their might and getting injured

And life is is that
Life involves battles and struggles

And you thunder out at the pitch of your breath
You shout at the top of your voice

My dying's your living
You benefit from my demise

My living's your death
You are hurt by my existence

God save the queen
A phrase to express loyalty to the monarchy

That's where we stand
That's our position in society

We hold the goose's gash of life in our hands
We control the fragile and vulnerable aspects of life

And all of the things that never begin
All the missed opportunities and unrealized potential