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.

The Breakfast Line
Cardiacs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I regard them
By force of habit
It is so that's why I
In a few days
I will informally la la la la laugh
Ha ha ha ha ha!

As if withered with despair

Which is ever so hard

A woman in white surrounded me
With a jar
Gave me something I don't need
La la la
But for all I know it's ever so
For all I know it's ever so
Ever so ever so hard

Tow to the breakfast line
It's not too late
So step in time
Tow to the breakfast line
It's easy as can be

Take it fast
Take it slow
Take it any way you go
Will despair descend on me?
I don't know
But for all I know it's ever so

For all I know it's ever so
Ever so ever so hard

Overall Meaning

The Breakfast Line by Cardiacs is a surreal, riff-heavy song that presents a challenge for interpretation. The song starts with the singer mentioning how he habitually regards "them" and then admits to laughing informally in a few days. It seems like something ominous is happening, as the singer mentions the challenges that he has faced with despair. A woman in white then gives him something he doesn't need, with the refrain "la la la". The song becomes further surreal with the chant "tow to the breakfast line, it's easy as can be, take it fast, take it slow, take it anyway you go".

The meaning behind the song is difficult to grasp, as the lyrics are ambiguous and the verses don't flow into each other smoothly. The song conveys a sense of confusion, despair, and uncertainty, and the lyrics almost seem like random thoughts placed together. It could be interpreted as a commentary on how we are conditioned to follow things that we don't necessarily need, like synchronized routines or societal values, which we follow without any questions. The Breakfast Line could be a reference to this idea - how we follow blindly, even if we don't want to or understand why we do it.

Line by Line Meaning

I regard them
I notice them

By force of habit
Without thinking

It is so that's why I
That's just how it is, leading me to

In a few days
Very soon

I will informally la la la la laugh
I'll casually chuckle

Ha ha ha ha ha!
Haha!

As if withered with despair
Looking hopeless

Which is ever so hard
It's extremely difficult

A woman in white surrounded me
A lady in white approached me from all sides

With a jar
Holding a jar

Gave me something I don't need
She gave me an unnecessary item