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 Icing on the World
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To perceive a petrifying life
Or to solving a problem that's
Here tomorrow gone today
"I am a worthy subject"
Says one person catching somebody out
"And I'm tired of all that I am doing now"
Not to reason why
Ours is but to do and die
Says you says I
Yes it's starting to show
But it's already pie in the sky
No reason if adapted for ordinary use
In everyday lives
There's a clause that's not written down
We assume it's just a disguise
Look I know everything
Knowledge forms the best of me
After all I've done
Don't blame me
No not all the time
I put the icing on the world
Something is wrong
So how is it now
Is there something on your mind
Or are your problems deleting the course
That was set in your mind?
Now we are calm
Don't tell me your are living now
What you lived before
There's a will in everyones mind
To exude an air of some kind
Think back some years
The age of ten that's not you
That was someone else
Different thoughts and surroundings
Just memories exist today
When is it good?
Tomorrow? The day after?
Is living but a farce?
The must be truth in what I say
Seeing as how the sun shines from my arse
Dull seems the evergreen style of all our unity
And over the fence
An old mothers sympathy
Makes a spectacle of life
All for the sake of love
Look I know everything
Knowledge forms the best of me
After all I've done
Don't blame me
No not all the time
I put the icing on the world
Look I know everything
Knowledge forms the best of me
After all I've done
Don't blame me
No not all the time
I put the icing on the world
The lyrics to Cardiacs’ “The Icing on the World” explore the theme of perception versus reality. The song poses questions about when it is good or not good to perceive life as petrifying or to try to solve a problem that may not even exist. The singer also brings up the idea of being a “worthy subject” and being tired of what they are currently doing, questioning the notion of finding purpose and meaning in life.
The theme of perception versus reality is further explored in the lines “There’s a will in everyone’s mind/ To exude an air of some kind,” suggesting that people often try to present a certain façade or projection of themselves, even if it is not true to who they are. The chorus, “Look I know everything/ Knowledge forms the best of me/ After all I’ve done/ Don’t blame me/ I put the icing on the world” can be read as a statement of arrogance and overconfidence, suggesting that the singer believes they have all the answers and are responsible for making the world better. However, it can also be interpreted as a sarcastic statement, mocking the idea that any one person has all the answers or can solve all the problems in the world.
The song also touches on the idea of time and memory, with lines like “Think back some years/ The age of ten that’s not you/ That was someone else/ Different thoughts and surroundings/ Just memories exist today.” This line suggests that our memories and past experiences shape who we are, but they are not necessarily a reflection of our current selves. Overall, “The Icing on the World” is a thought-provoking exploration of perception, reality, purpose, and memory.
Line by Line Meaning
When is it good or not good
When is it appropriate or inappropriate
To perceive a petrifying life
To experience a frightening existence
Or to solving a problem that's
Or to finding a solution that's
Here tomorrow gone today
Present one day, gone the next
"I am a worthy subject"
"I am worthy of attention"
Says one person catching somebody out
One person exposes another
"And I'm tired of all that I am doing now"
"I am exhausted by my current actions"
Says somebody else
Another person speaks
Not to reason why
Don't question why
Ours is but to do and die
We must simply do our duty and die
Says you says I
We agree
Yes it's starting to show
It's becoming clear
But it's already pie in the sky
But it's already unrealistic
No reason if adapted for ordinary use
No justification if applied to daily life
In everyday lives
In our daily existence
There's a clause that's not written down
There's an unwritten condition
We assume it's just a disguise
We assume it's only a facade
Look I know everything
Listen, I understand everything
Knowledge forms the best of me
My knowledge defines me
After all I've done
Despite all my accomplishments
Don't blame me
Don't hold me responsible
No not all the time
Not always
I put the icing on the world
I make the world a better place
Something is wrong
Something is amiss
So how is it now
How is it presently?
Is there something on your mind
Do you have something bothering you?
Or are your problems deleting the course
Or, are your issues altering your path
That was set in your mind?
That you've already established?
Now we are calm
Now we are relaxed
Don't tell me your are living now
Don't tell me that you are simply existing presently
What you lived before
What you used to experience
There's a will in everyones mind
Everyone has a desire
To exude an air of some kind
To give off a certain impression
Think back some years
Consider some time ago
The age of ten that's not you
Who you were at ten is not who you are now
That was someone else
That was a different version of you
Different thoughts and surroundings
Different thought processes and environment
Just memories exist today
Only memories remain now
Tomorrow? The day after?
When is the right time?
Is living but a farce?
Is life just a joke?
The must be truth in what I say
There must be some validity to my words
Seeing as how the sun shines from my arse
Since I am always right
Dull seems the evergreen style of all our unity
Our constant togetherness seems uninteresting
And over the fence
On the other side
An old mothers sympathy
A mother's compassion
Makes a spectacle of life
Turns life into a show
All for the sake of love
All out of love
Contributed by William F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.