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.
Hope Day
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My sun shines only for me
Occasionally gives me hope
For the day I always wanted
I know the part that's never learned by anyone-two
So stick it up your arse by the left Mr Soldier
I'm safer on my own
You'll all be in boxes so piss on you
Fighters right or wrong
Look at me now
Wow I'm impressed
You'll see when you
See me on the beach
See me on the beach
See me on the beach it gives me
Hope for the day I always wanted
Uniform a man of action
Uniform a man of action
Blame him to save blaming me
I can't quite reach him
Seeing is believing
But it never occured to me to do so anyway
I feel as high as the moon
But never mind it's hope day soon
It's plain to see I'm only bluffing
Man of action see him suffering
Dead men tell no tales
It seems that I'm halfway home
Blame him to save blaming me
And hurting someone pointlessly is
As easy as ABC
So carve me out an effigy
Passive action leaves no traces
Dead soldiers with silly faces
Mr "S" holds all the aces
Playing games and winning races
My soldier I kill you
Though I loved you more than all the world
The thought of dying makes me ill
I'm scared because I want to kill
So Blame him to save blaming me
And hurting someone pointlessly is
As easy as ABC
So carve me out an effigy
The lyrics to Cardiacs' song Hope Day are complex and contain several themes. The song starts off with a sense of individuality and self-reliance, with the lines "Don't pity me / My sun shines only for me." The singer expresses a lack of need for others' pity or company, and instead finds hope in their own personal pursuits. However, the following lines hint at a deeper frustration with society, with the lyrics "So stick it up your arse by the left Mr Soldier / I'm safer on my own / When you go home / You'll all be in boxes so piss on you / Fighters right or wrong." The use of military language and the dismissive attitude towards violence and death suggest a rebellious attitude towards societal norms and a disillusionment with the military industrial complex.
The second half of the song continues with themes of struggle and suffering, with the lyrics "Seeing is believing / But it never occurred to me to do so anyway." The lines indicate a desire to believe in something greater, but with a sense of resignation and hopelessness. The chorus "It's plain to see I'm only bluffing / Man of action see him suffering / Dead men tell no tales / It seems that I'm halfway home" speaks to the idea of putting on a brave face and the cost of doing so, and the acknowledgement that death is inevitable. The final lines of "So carve me out an effigy" suggest a search for meaning and purpose, or perhaps an acceptance of the inevitable.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't pity me
I do not want your pity
My sun shines only for me
I am the center of my own universe
Occasionally gives me hope
Sometimes I find hope in my life
For the day I always wanted
For the future I dream of
I know the part that's never learned by anyone-two
I understand the things that are hidden from others
So stick it up your arse by the left Mr Soldier
Go away, I do not need your help or advice
I'm safer on my own
I am better off alone
When you go home
When you leave me alone
You'll all be in boxes so piss on you
Everyone will eventually die, so I do not care about your opinion
Fighters right or wrong
People often fight for what they believe in, even if it is wrong
Look at me now
Look at how much I have accomplished
Wow I'm impressed
I am impressed with myself
You'll see when you
You will see for yourself
See me on the beach
See how happy and successful I am
It gives me hope for the day I always wanted
It makes me believe that my dreams are possible
Uniform a man of action
A uniform represents someone who takes action
Blame him to save blaming me
Blame someone else to avoid being blamed yourself
I can't quite reach him
I cannot understand or communicate with him
Seeing is believing
I need to see something to believe it
But it never occured to me to do so anyway
Even though I have not tried, I do not believe it will work anyway
I feel as high as the moon
I feel very happy and optimistic
But never mind it's hope day soon
I am looking forward to a day of hope
It's plain to see I'm only bluffing
I am pretending or faking something
Man of action see him suffering
Someone who is always active or taking action may also experience pain
Dead men tell no tales
If someone is dead, they cannot reveal their secrets or experiences
It seems that I'm halfway home
I am close to achieving my goals
So carve me out an effigy
Create a statue or symbol to represent me
Passive action leaves no traces
Inactive or passive behavior does not have an impact or leave a mark
Dead soldiers with silly faces
Even the brave and strong can look foolish or silly in death
Mr "S" holds all the aces
Someone named "Mr. S" has all the advantages or power
Playing games and winning races
Some people enjoy competing and being victorious
My soldier I kill you
I will defeat or destroy my opponent
Though I loved you more than all the world
Even though I may have once cared deeply for my opponent
The thought of dying makes me ill
I do not want to die or experience pain
I'm scared because I want to kill
My desire for revenge or victory makes me afraid
And hurting someone pointlessly is
Causing pain or harm for no reason is unnecessary and wrong
As easy as ABC
It is very simple
So carve me out an effigy
Create a symbol or representation of me
Contributed by Ryan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.