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.
Nurses Whispering Verses
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All ready for warning me
Askew with red jetted eye
All as a day in sand (and rain)
And when you're near all me now
And then think never before did it seem so far away
All hostile to me
The nerve is bared the sense is real
There's places and houses fired
Inspires all fire in the inside you
Times are fine find all nine
And nurses find me in again
Treating our matey kiteman
Boiling off his belly
Papering his length all off his swing
He mask his hand and he grin to stay here
Or even to play here
Rather than be kept in on his own
We only know what doesn't show
What do don't ask me why
Oh we're in again and we're all the same
Red as egg laid on the page
Don't mind the unbalanced mind
It's fine and mine and yours too
Share with me and me is clean and
Treating our matey kiteman
Boiling off his belly
Papering his length all off his swing
But I don't really think so
Maybe I don't think I care
So no one else can know
Ah well another day
Now now
The lyrics to Cardiacs's song "Nurses Whispering Verses" are quite cryptic and difficult to decipher, but they seem to describe a sense of fear and hostility, juxtaposed with a feeling of connection and shared experience. The repeated refrain of "treating our matey kiteman, boiling off his belly" is particularly disconcerting, suggesting some kind of violent medical treatment. The line "times are fine find all nine" is also perplexing, possibly referencing some kind of game or ritual.
What is most striking about the lyrics, however, is their surreal imagery and disjointed structure. The lines often seem to be strung together without clear connection or narrative arc, creating a dreamlike quality that is both disturbing and intriguing. The title itself, "Nurses Whispering Verses," adds to the sense of unease, suggesting a subversive or conspiratorial element to the song's meaning.
Overall, "Nurses Whispering Verses" is a fascinating and enigmatic piece of music, inviting interpretation and analysis but ultimately defying easy explanation. Its haunting melody and curious lyrics create a unique atmosphere that is both beautiful and unsettling.
Line by Line Meaning
All fear and power
The feeling of fear and the influence it has over people
All ready for warning me
Prepared to alert me
Askew with red jetted eye
Off-kilter with bloodshot eyes
All as a day in sand (and rain)
Everything seems blurred and out of focus
And when you're near all me now
When you are close, all of me is present
And then think never before did it seem so far away
Realizing something is further than expected when closely approaching it
All hostile to me
Everyone is aggressive towards me
The nerve is bared the sense is real
A raw, honest feeling of vulnerability
There's places and houses fired
Places and homes ablaze
Inspires all fire in the inside you
The sight of fire ignites something within you
Times are fine find all nine
Everything seems to be going well, discovering all that is hidden
And nurses find me in again
The nurses find me in a state of vulnerability once again
Treating our matey kiteman
Taking care of our friend Kiteman
Boiling off his belly
Removing Kiteman's anxiety and stress
Papering his length all off his swing
Reducing his work load
He mask his hand and he grin to stay here
Putting on a facade to stay in a comfortable situation
Or even to play here
Even if it means playing along with a certain situation
Rather than be kept in on his own
Preferring to socialize than be alone
We only know what doesn't show
We only know what is not being revealed
What do don't ask me why
I am not sure why things are the way they are
Oh we're in again and we're all the same
We are back in the same situation and feeling the same as before
Red as egg laid on the page
As noticeable as something that is out of place
Don't mind the unbalanced mind
Don't worry about someone who is mentally unstable
It's fine and mine and yours too
It's okay, it belongs to all of us
Share with me and me is clean and
Share with me and I am pure and free
But I don't really think so
I am not entirely convinced
Maybe I don't think I care
Perhaps I am apathetic
So no one else can know
I don't want anyone else to be aware of this
Ah well another day
Oh well, it's just another day
Now now
Time to focus and be present
Contributed by Thomas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.