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.
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.
Interlude
Cardiacs Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Cardiacs:
A Bus for a Bus On the Bus I cannot come and play today My mummy says I'm in…
A Horse's Tail Digging to grow bigger Jim prove himself worthy to a perfec…
A Little Man and a House Leaving early, just before the hour A few moments won't mak…
A Wooden Fish On Wheels Going around all the shops always closing Never time to per…
Ain't He Messy Though What's up with eyes? What's up with everyones sad leaky We…
All Spectacular Life, everything Dead and burying Good man scared takes sa…
Angleworm Angel Reversal of despair Bright young spark he showing flair Lo…
Anything I Can't Eat Pick the paper plates up off the floor Hide the hands…
Arnald To steal away and then decide Is cake on top and…
Bell Clinks Choosing my resources at random endeavours As the fool thin…
Bellyeye All my mind's pissing out of me pouring brain Its my…
Big Ship Pretty teeth scrapy clean With a wind-up machine I'm feeli…
Billion When she was within two feet she laughed and moved…
Blind in Safety and Leafy in Love Death a thing she hardly knew So thin and rare and…
Bodysbad Body's feelie like I'm mad How long it has been More than…
Buds and Spawn Caught in the field like a dirty great power Like thunder…
Burn Your House Brown Left to live out our lives on earth Unplug Katie crush…
Clean That Evil Mud Out Your Soul Clean that evil mud out your soul Sweet heaven save me…
Come Back Clammy Lammy Dead you barmy you make it to heaven Fancy drowning to…
Core Crazy lover like mad And it cakes walls with sun I shall…
Cry Wet Smile Dry It is today couriers day I have a letter to say Pen…
Day Is Gone Telling familiar stories Invited us to our home for some so…
Dirty Boy We cut all his eyes we did Squeezed the lids and…
Dive Cancel my lowness with a high So here we go Caught in…
Dog-Like Sparky You ever believed in big strong daddy-legs? And do you beli…
Eat It Up Worms Hero Make eyes pretty wear clean dress And boy get shot into…
Eden on the Air Plain we make it How we love plain and even This is…
Everything is Easy Signs and beams and visions swank Their display clear as th…
Fairy Mary Mag Don't do anything just stand there Holding the light with ma…
Fast Robert The life and soul crys himself blind For shorter life a…
Fiery Gun Hand Sacred patience (and a short silence) and We will be sure…
Flap Off You Beak All nineteen birds flying fast up They are dead they are…
For Good and All Lost my chance and lost my home Lost my energies hole Leav…
Foundling Tasting sweet and beautiful (But awful too) Here comes the…
Gena Lollabridgida Lyrics to Gina Lollabridgida Here's me hidden in the undergr…
Gibber And Twitch Try to relax me now but then again Oh no! Isn't…
Gina Lollabridgida Here's me hidden in the underground And so far I don't…
Gina Lollobrigida Here's me hidden in the underground And so far I don't…
Goodbye Grace Once in a day Put a hand to a heart And a…
Goosegash Two civilians scrap In combatant rap Claws bleeding for dear…
Helen and Heaven Helen and Heaven Earth sea and shore Says even less than…
Hello Mr Sparrow My leg is on fire, oh Isn't it a fact, I've…
Hello Mr. Sparrow My leg is On fire oh Isn't it a fact I've seen it And…
Hope Day Don't pity me My sun shines only for me Occasionally gives…
Horsehead In the mirror and in the reflection His horsey head made…
I Hold My Love in My Arms I wash my love with dews wet dream I walk my…
I'm Eating in Bed Firstly there's a spanner in here Secondly it has the right…
Ice A Spot And A Dot On The Dog Its not the same no matter what Constantly I find myself…
In a City Lining Oh what a plain necessity to be alive Always too soon…
Insect Hoofs On Lassie Real (or imaginary) ice-spitting fire (That comfortable sou…
Is This the Life Following around to see a life that's never in Always callin…
It Make eyes pretty wear clean dress And boy get shot into…
It's A Lovely Day I suppose I could start Closed behind the door People look…
It’s a Lovely Day I suppose I could start Closed behind the door People lookin…
I’m Eating in Bed Firstly there's a spanner in here Secondly it has the right…
Jibber And Twitch Try to relax me now but then again Oh no! Isn't…
Jitterbug Bend this spine out of mine Oh I'm loads of rain,…
Loosefish Scapegrace Rigid license severity To drain the cup of misery Put dirt…
Manhoo Burned as bright as a rocket. All falsehoods set alight Flam…
March Everything I fear forever coming here To bless my heart and…
Mare's Nest In my home my daddy TV brings in all mother…
No Bright Side While Mother keepest Watch while and weepest ‘till memories …
No Gold She is only trying on a leafy crown She's looking in…
Nurses Whispering Verses All fear and power All ready for warning me Askew with red…
Odd Even Died in earth did brother by the side of sister No…
Plane Plane Against the Grain Little glad laughing makes a prickly noise But when with th…
Quiet As A Mouse Oh look And they run back and then pat on the…
R.E.S A stitch in time saves nine in time To stay alive…
R.E.S. A stitch in time saves nine in time To stay alive…
Red Fire Coming Out From His Gills King of all lice Of wood ship building Believing that his …
Scratching Crawling Scrawling The scratching crawling scrawling The grimy wardrobe closes …
She is Hiding Behind the Shed Tuesday and what's happening now It's not real life, it's n…
Signs Sleep them well all them dry bones After we shot to…
Sleep All Eyes Open You mistake you-self heavily Will you this? Is your master…
Snakes-A-Sleeping Watched after by angels And soft as moths watch on like Be…
Song Of A Dead Pest Mandy trained up her head to Away itself go when is…
Spell With A Shell It carried its home on its back When it came Saying he…
Stoneage Dinosaurs Wishing for money is a man growing old and he Breaks…
Tarred and Feathered I find I understand the rules but cannot find the…
The Breakfast Line I regard them By force of habit It is so that's why…
The Duck and Roger the Horse Duck tells me I must look a treat I look my…
The Everso Closely Guarded Line One day, in a different way I Will give myself a…
The Icing on the World When is it good or not good To perceive a petrifying…
The Leader of the Starry Skies He shone down the stairs Careful sun day when he can Move…
The Safety Bowl At the plate staring and He's left with so much on…
The Stench of Honey Loves smell for the stench of honey Easy life and love…
The Whole World Window It's just a funny world That hides me out of sight And…
There's Good Cud Wounded spawn from our devils open sore Was even more blood…
There's Too Many Irons in the Fire She lived among hubbering flights and sparks She breathed t…
There’s Too Many Irons in the Fire She lived among hubbering flights and sparks She breathed th…
To Go Off And Things Squalor is at large in tidy suburbia Filth and dirt abound…
Two Bites of Cherry Any real egg has a shell has a shell an…
Victory Egg "What's there to lose?" Said the General Selling our dead m…
Visiting Hours Being here alone I hardly find the time to see…
Will Bleed Amen Same thing everyone doing thee And don't even know if it's…
Wind And Rains Is Cold Wimping out for baby god No grudge nothing not even fear O…
Wireless Jenny's bed is nailed to the floor Black dog, tumble-weed, w…
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