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.
Plane Plane Against the Grain
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But when with the boys he breaks his toys
Clicks when he hops (the crip) and he stops
To strike at the face that stops his clocks
Better next time we want it to be
Be just as happy for me
Take care and keep life a rolling on
The lyrics to Cardiacs' song Plane Plane Against the Grain are somewhat cryptic and abstract. It seems to be describing a person who is jovial and playful, but also prone to lashing out in anger. This is highlighted in the lines "Little glad laughing makes a prickly noise / But when with the boys he breaks his toys." The individual is depicted as being happy and carefree in one moment, but then suddenly destructive and violent in the next.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of wanting things to be better in the future, but being content with what one has in the present. This is conveyed in the lines "Better next time we want it to be / Be just as happy for me / For all the things we wanted to be / Take care and keep life a rolling on." The singer seems to be expressing a desire for improvement and growth, but also recognizing the value in appreciating what one has in the moment.
Overall, the song is a complex and thought-provoking exploration of human emotion and behavior, and it leaves much open to interpretation. It is a testament to the artistic talent of Cardiacs, who were known for their experimental and unconventional music.
Line by Line Meaning
Little glad laughing makes a prickly noise
When the singer is in a state of happiness, he emits an unpleasant, jarring sound.
But when with the boys he breaks his toys
However, when he is in the company of his male peers, he becomes destructive towards his possessions.
Clicks when he hops (the crip) and he stops
The singer, who is disabled, produces an audible clicking noise when he jumps and has a tendency to halt suddenly.
To strike at the face that stops his clocks
He has a strong urge to attack individuals who disrupt his daily routine.
Better next time we want it to be
We aspire to improve in the future.
Be just as happy for me
Please experience happiness on my behalf.
For all the things we wanted to be
Our aspirations for the future are varied and significant.
Take care and keep life a rolling on
Be cautious and carry on with life's journey.
Contributed by Jason K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.