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.
R.E.S.
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To stay alive 'cause we are so divine
In my mind I can't stop dying
I wish there was no stopping me now
In the hope I'm to grow old
I've been told to keep my head down to the ground
It's like standing in the playground
Looking at the ground trying not to notice
The will to be kind is mine but
That's the way we all go
The people subsiding are always advising that
That's the way we all go
Calling is craving is letting the rain in
It peers at me and is it understanding?
Ha!
Holding me with all its derelict charm
Rushing round me and slipping but never falling
Down!
"Give me something I don't need"
My friend cried till his face bled really really red
It stays here all my life, it fears towards me
A stitch in time saves nine in time but
That's the way we all go
The higher the chances the higher the climb, but
That's the way we all go
Is everybody happy?
My hope day is forever coming closer
My hopes and fears are uncommon and it's he
Who asks for me now
So I'll stay here until it's saving my life
Sing la la la la la la la
Outside!
The lyrics of Cardiacs' song R.E.S. are cryptic and fascinating. The first verse seems to allude to mortality and the inevitability of death. The phrase "a stitch in time saves nine" is a proverbial expression that advises you to solve a problem immediately instead of procrastinating, since delay may increase the difficulty of finding a solution. In this context, it suggests that we should cherish life and seize the opportunity to enjoy it while we can. However, the next lines reveal a darker side of the singer's thoughts, as he feels like he's dying and wishes for an endless existence. The imagery of a playground and kids around seems to emphasize the contrast between the carefree innocence of childhood and the harsh realities of adulthood, where pursuing happiness is a serious challenge.
The second verse seems to continue the theme of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of kindness in the face of adversity. The phrase "that's the way we all go" could be interpreted as fatalistic resignation or stoic acceptance of fate, but the line "the people subsiding are always advising" hints at the notion that those who suffer the most are often the wisest and most empathic towards others. The last part of the verse is more enigmatic, as it describes the rain as a metaphor for craving or understanding, and the singer as being held captive by its "derelict charm" but never falling. It could be a metaphor for the struggle between desire and restraint, or the search for meaning in an indifferent universe.
Line by Line Meaning
A stitch in time saves nine in time
Taking action to fix a problem right away saves a lot of time and effort in the future.
To stay alive 'cause we are so divine
Our desire to survive is due to our belief in our own greatness.
In my mind I can't stop dying
I am constantly plagued by thoughts of my own mortality.
I wish there was no stopping me now
I long to have the freedom to pursue my dreams without any obstacles.
In the hope I'm to grow old
I have a desire to live a long life.
I've been told to keep my head down to the ground
Others have advised me to be humble and not draw attention to myself.
It's like standing in the playground
My situation is reminiscent of being a child on the playground.
Looking at the ground trying not to notice
I am avoiding looking around and acknowledging my surroundings.
All the kids around
Despite not looking, I am aware of the people and activity around me.
The will to be kind is mine but
I have a desire to show kindness, but there are obstacles.
That's the way we all go
The path we take is not always the one we would choose, but it is the only option.
The people subsiding are always advising that
Those in a position of lesser power often give advice to those in greater power.
Calling is craving is letting the rain in
Wanting something badly enough can make one vulnerable to unwanted influence.
It peers at me and is it understanding?
I am unsure if the thing I desire understands me.
Holding me with all its derelict charm
This thing that I desire has a certain allure, even when it is in disarray.
Rushing round me and slipping but never falling
The thing I desire can be elusive, but I still pursue it relentlessly.
"Give me something I don't need"
My friend requested something that he didn't actually require.
My friend cried till his face bled really really red
My friend was passionate and emotional about his request.
It stays here all my life, it fears towards me
The thing I desire will always be with me, and I am both afraid of and drawn to it.
The higher the chances the higher the climb, but
The greater the potential reward, the greater the effort required.
Is everybody happy?
I am questioning whether those around me are content with their lives.
My hope day is forever coming closer
I have a sense of anticipation and optimism for the future.
My hopes and fears are uncommon and it's he
My aspirations and anxieties are unique and difficult for others to understand.
Who asks for me now
I am being summoned for some purpose.
So I'll stay here until it's saving my life
I will remain in my current situation until it becomes necessary to leave in order to survive.
Sing la la la la la la la
I am expressing joy and exuberance through song.
Outside!
I am moving on and leaving my current space.
Contributed by Adeline S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dotsvg8482
Tim Smith is one of the most influential British musicians alive today. Radiohead, Blur, Napalm Death, Faith No More, Biffy Clyro and countless others have cited Tim and his band, Cardiacs, as a profound inspiration.
He’s also in trouble.
A cardiac arrest suffered in 2008 left him with severe brain damage and a condition called dystonia. Mentally he’s as sharp as ever. His ability to move and speak, however, is minimal. Funding shortfalls and bureaucracy have seen his rehabilitation grind to a halt, along with his ability to make music.
Tim's condition is complex and poorly understood. He has responded positively to treatment when his income has afforded it. A tribute record, fundraising gigs, reissues of his music and conventions attended by devoted fans have helped. But he is now entering his tenth year of inadequate care. ‘The only way I can try and let you know how I feel at the moment,’ Smith says, ‘is, 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’.
He has resisted publicity up until now, but we, his friends and family, now agree with him that the time has come to go public, with a story of a man's unique creative world and the severe problems of neuro- rehabilitation.
A charity called the Raphael Hospital Group, run by Dr. Gerhardt Florschutz, has bought the facility Tim lives in and is able to provide him and his fellow patients with the input necessary to make progress. This, of course, comes at a price and while he waits to hear about the possibility of funding, vital time is being wasted. We want to raise £40,000 so that he can finally afford the care he has needed since the beginning of his illness. If we raise more, it will allow him secure funding for a longer period.
Tim's friends and family just want him to be allowed to try to get better. Everyone in his condition deserves that opportunity. Being given the right treatment could allow him to complete musical projects of great beauty that still burn brightly within him. ‘People who could genuinely be described as geniuses are few and far between,’ says Steven Wilson, who recently hit number 1 in the UK album chart. ‘But I think Tim is up there, I really do.’
If he could recover enough to use a mouse he could make music again; if he can find his voice he will be able to boss us about in the studio; it feels as though he is finally being given a chance to come back to us.
Donate for Tim at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/timsmith
@101Volts
@@garcla5950 "Mary's house is upside down, she's burnt the walls to make them brown. But left to her devices foiled by bluntness, she would take pleasure in finding something pointier." - Cardiacs' Burn Your House Brown.
I gotta wonder how much Tim went into the realm of dark nursery rhymes, like this one:
"Old man long legs didn't say his prayers.
Pick him up, and _throw him down the stairs._"
Or, how's this one?
"Last night, the kitchen boiler burst; and father cursed and cursed.
But Mother, with a kinder feeling, scraped the housemaid off the ceiling."
Damn, Britain, you didn't fuck around with these.
@freedok
A stitch in time saves nine in time
To stay alive 'cause we are so divine
In my mind I can't stop dying
I wish there was no stopping me now
In the hope I'm to grow old
I've been told to keep my head down to the ground
It's like standing in the playground
Looking at the ground trying not to notice
All the kids around
The will to be kind is mine but
That's the way we all go
The people subsiding are always advising that
That's the way we all go
Calling is craving is letting the rain in
It peers at me and is it understanding?
Ha!
Holding me with all its derelict charm
Rushing round me and slipping but never falling
Down!
"Give me something I don't need"
My friend cried till his face bled really really red
It stays here all my life, it fears towards me
A stitch in time saves nine in time but
That's the way we all go
The higher the chances the higher the climb, but
That's the way we all go
Is everybody happy?
My hope day is forever coming closer
My hopes and fears are uncommon and it's he
Who asks for me now
So I'll stay here until it's saving my life
Sing la la la la la la la
Outside!
@colinhoward2064
More ideas in one track than some bands can muster in their whole lifetime. Superb.
@TONE11111
https://youtu.be/huErRAK1ch0
@neellabar7160
a few good ideas are better than a clusterfuck of awful ones...
@odysseychl4925
@@neellabar7160 butthurt
@TheGrandmasterMan
How do you even write something like this....amazing
@sodmancer
@@neellabar7160 Sure, Neel, sure.
@captainemergency7477
I don’t think anybody will see this. Not one person. But, I gotta say this
My dad was best friends with Tim Smith, and the entire band. He went to all of their concerts, and stood backstage after the show while Tim put an arm around his neck and vomited into the sink, that was a funny memory! Us as a family still meet up and talk to some of the band today, I just wish I got to see Tim Smith once again, I used to spend days on end with him, what an absolute legend.
@heckarockstick802
holy shit awesome
@mikekay9616
👌
@FatGitLovesThe80s
This is a great story, I'm sure I speak for everyone else when I say I'd love to hear more stories from you if and when you'd be willing to share.