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.
It’s a Lovely Day
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Closed behind the door
People looking at me
Ha ha ha ha
See the big ship sailing by
Pick me up and turn me round
Into the disarray around me
It's acting so banal awhile
So ask me nicely
La la la la
Ask me nicely
La la la la
Wild thing you make everything groovy
You make everything groovy
These giraffes eat leaves
And they run oh so very fast
If you wanted to catch one, yeah
You would have to take a car
Long necks so they reach the leaves
Up high in the sky in the trees
They run fast and they have a baby
They would given half the chance to
Ask me nicely
La la la la
Ask me nicely
La la la la
Wild thing you make everything groovy
You make everything
Turn around me all of the time
It seems to be all of the time
So welcome all to
The ugly bug ball
Isn't it a lovely day?
Ha ha ha ha
Watch me running around awhile
Pick me up and turn me round
Into the disarray around me
Somedays this and somedays that
It's acting so banal awhile
So ask me nicely
La la la la
Ask me nicely
La la la la
Wild thing you make everything groovy
You make everything
Turn around me all of the time
It seems to be all of the time
The Cardiacs’ song "It’s a Lovely Day" opens up with the singer expressing his discomfort with the attention he is suddenly receiving from the people in the room who are looking at him. He seeks refuge and attempts to escape by closing the door. The song then takes a surreal twist with the line "See the big ship sailing by", which seems to provide a sense of relief to the singer. The song transitions to the chorus with the phrase "Pick me up and turn me round", which could be interpreted as a need for the songwriter to break free from their current state and explore new experiences. The following lyrics suggest that life can be unpredictable and so there are ‘somedays this and somedays that’.
The second verse of the song continues with the surreal and dream-like quality of the lyrics. It talks about giraffes running fast and eating leaves. The verse seems to focus on the qualities of giraffes, which are their long necks that enable them to reach the high leaves and their speed. The lyric "They run fast and they have a baby" could be seen as an acknowledgment of how life goes on and the continuation of the cycle of life. The chorus repeats here with the message that someone has the power to change things positively and everything becomes groovy around that person.
Line by Line Meaning
I suppose I could start
I am contemplating where to begin.
Closed behind the door
I feel isolated and shut off from the world.
People looking at me
I am the center of attention, and it makes me uncomfortable.
Ha ha ha ha
I am laughing awkwardly to hide my discomfort.
See the big ship sailing by
I am distracted by something else happening outside of myself.
Pick me up and turn me round
I need someone to help me change my perspective on life.
Into the disarray around me
I need to learn how to navigate the chaos of life.
Somedays this and somedays that
Life is unpredictable and always changing.
It's acting so banal awhile
Life can be boring and mundane at times.
So ask me nicely
I need to be respected and treated with kindness.
La la la la
I am singing to distract myself from my problems.
Ask me nicely
I am emphasizing the importance of being treated with respect.
Wild thing you make everything groovy
Love and passion can brighten up one's life.
These giraffes eat leaves
I am shifting the topic of conversation to something random and lighthearted.
And they run oh so very fast
Giraffes are fascinating and graceful creatures.
If you wanted to catch one, yeah
It is nearly impossible to catch a giraffe.
You would have to take a car
Giraffes are faster than humans, so we need vehicles to catch up with them.
Long necks so they reach the leaves
Giraffes have long necks so they can eat leaves that are high up in the trees.
Up high in the sky in the trees
Trees are tall, and giraffes need to reach the top to find food.
They run fast and they have a baby
Giraffes are fast runners despite their long legs, and they still have babies to take care of.
They would given half the chance to
Giraffes are fascinating creatures that many people would love to observe more closely.
So welcome all to
I am inviting everyone to join me in enjoying life's simple pleasures.
The ugly bug ball
I am using a metaphor to describe how the imperfections in life can still be beautiful.
Isn't it a lovely day?
I am expressing gratitude for the beauty of the world around us.
Watch me running around awhile
I am embracing the joy and excitement of life.
Turn around me all of the time
Life is always changing, but I am ready to adapt and enjoy the ride.
It seems to be all of the time
I am acknowledging that life can be overwhelming, but I am still determined to find joy in it.
Contributed by Miles D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.