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.
Hello Mr Sparrow
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Isn't it a fact, I've seen it
And it appears
Quite a task lasting forever
I've got the mind of an eel
But I'm fizzing all the time
I've got an eel now
I'd say, I'd say, I'd say, I'd say
Fine accomplished day to day
Bide my time in my own way
It's passing me over
Meet me once upon a time
But obviously don't ignore it's me
I'm here you see
I've got no say in it anyway
Isn't it a fact
But a funny thing to say
Why do you stay in
On such a lovely sunny day
I'd say, I'd say, I'd say, I'd say
Fine accomplished day to day
Bide my time in my own way
It's passing me over
Meet me once upon a time
But obviously don't ignore it's me
I'm here you see
I've got no say in it anyway
Ha ha, ha ha
The lyrics of Cardiacs' Hello Mr Sparrow contain a series of cryptic and surreal images that create a sense of disorientation and confusion. The first line, "My leg is on fire, oh," sets a strange and uncomfortable tone, as the singer seems to be in agony, but the cause of the pain is not specified. The following lines, "Isn't it a fact, I've seen it/And it appears/Quite a task lasting forever," reinforce this sense of ambiguity and unease.
The second stanza introduces the imagery of an eel, which adds to the surreal and somewhat disturbing quality of the song. The lines, "I've got the mind of an eel/But I'm fizzing all the time/I've got an eel now/But I'm fizzing all the time," suggest a constant state of restlessness and energy, but also a sense of being trapped or confined. The repeated use of the phrase "I'd say, I'd say, I'd say, I'd say" throughout the song gives a sense of a speaker trying to make sense of their thoughts and communicate them, but being unable to do so effectively.
The final lines of the song, "Meet me once upon a time/But obviously don't ignore it's me/I'm here you see/I've got no say in it anyway/Ha ha, ha ha," leave the listener with a sense of confusion and disorientation, as it is unclear who the singer is addressing or what the purpose of the meeting is. Overall, the lyrics of Hello Mr Sparrow are poetic and enigmatic, inviting the listener to interpret them in their own way.
Line by Line Meaning
My leg is on fire, oh
I am in excruciating pain, and it is a major issue.
Isn't it a fact, I've seen it
This is the reality of the situation, and I have witnessed it firsthand.
And it appears
This seems to be the case from my perspective.
Quite a task lasting forever
Dealing with this problem is a monumental, ongoing challenge.
I've got the mind of an eel
My thinking is slippery and hard to pin down, like that of a fish.
But I'm fizzing all the time
I am constantly energetic and full of ideas.
I've got an eel now
I now possess the tricky, elusive nature of an eel.
I'd say, I'd say, I'd say, I'd say
I repeat myself to emphasize my point.
Fine accomplished day to day
I manage to achieve small tasks each day.
Bide my time in my own way
I am waiting for the right opportunity to act, in my own manner.
It's passing me over
Opportunities are not coming my way, or I am being overlooked.
Meet me once upon a time
There was a moment in the past when we met.
But obviously don't ignore it's me
Although I may seem different, I am still the same person.
I'm here you see
I am physically present, and not invisible.
I've got no say in it anyway
I do not have any control over the situation, regardless of what I do.
Ha ha, ha ha
I am laughing, although the situation may not be humorous.
Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.