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.
Two Bites of Cherry
Cardiacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So break it killer fisty
Killer fisty beat his head
The watching everytime beats playing of every kind
And has the way subsiding every crack is yours for mine
Undreaded courage all the time
Knees up pleading, picks up hope
For the drunken line after mine
As if she like sugar, as I said she did
She like a snail says she like a gail says ideal
Like coming down with a newly born energy
Only trouble is I'm too afraid of what was said
Different arms and different eyes
Different colours different size
Different smell and different cries
Different meaning different life
Only, to have white hair
Caused by the trouble that never comes
And a gail, more powerfull than all of the guns
Crying need, leading astray
And steals her gentle smile away
Came made two bites of cherry when
The world's too big for danger
World's too big for danger
And demolitions all the time
Knees up pleading, picks up hope
For the drunken line after mine
Line after mine, after mine
Different arms and different eyes
Different colours different size
Different smell and different cries
Different meaning different life
Only, to have white hair
Caused by the trouble that never comes
And a gail, more powerfull than all of the guns, ever
Crying need, leading astray
And steals her gentle smile away
Came made two bites of cherry when
The world's too big for danger
And for all the sake of imitating mum & dad
There's good and bad down cul-de-sac and sanctuary
Making two bites of cherry when the world's too big for danger
Jeopardy and risk is ten miles high
"Two Bites of Cherry" is known for its non-linear, surreal lyrics, making it difficult to pin down a single, unified interpretation. Nonetheless, there are a couple of themes and motifs that can be discussed. The song starts with the line "Any real egg has a shell an egg," which most likely means that everything has a protective layer, and it takes a strong force to break through it. The song proceeds to reference various seemingly unrelated ideas, such as "undreaded courage all the time," "different arms and different eyes," and "jeopardy and risk ten miles high." Nevertheless, the overall mood of the song is one of introspection and searching.
Furthermore, the song refers to a "gail" (presumably, this is a misspelling of "gale"), which may be a metaphorical or a literal storm. The storm may represent danger or chaos in a world that's already too big to fully comprehend. In any case, the song seems to suggest that it's impossible to fully avoid danger in life. Nonetheless, the song concludes by talking about "cul-de-sac and sanctuary," or safe spaces where one can take "two bites of cherry" without being in danger.
Line by Line Meaning
Any real egg has a shell has a shell an egg
Every egg has a shell, not just the fake ones.
So break it killer fisty
Crack it open with force, using all your strength!
Killer fisty beat his head
Use your fists to hit yourself on the head.
The watching everytime beats playing of every kind
The act of intense observation is superior to any kind of playing, no exceptions.
And has the way subsiding every crack is yours for mine
Observation allows us to take ownership of every mistake - yours and mine - and work towards improvement without judgement.
Undreaded courage all the time
It takes a lot of bravery to observe yourself intensely and accept your mistakes without fear or dread.
Knees up pleading, picks up hope
Even when you're down on your knees pleading for mercy, there's always hope to pick yourself up and move forward.
For the drunken line after mine
Hoping for a chance to take a drunken crack at self-observation and improvement after this moment.
As if she like sugar, as I said she did
She seems to have a sweet tooth, just as I predicted.
She like a snail says she like a gail says ideal
She describes herself as slow-moving yet majestic, almost like a snail or a stormy gale, the perfect ideal.
Like coming down with a newly born energy
Feeling refreshed and revitalized, as if you've been reborn with a new surge of energy.
Only trouble is I'm too afraid of what was said
The only problem is that I'm too scared to hear the truth about what was actually said.
Different arms and different eyes
Everyone is unique, with different physical attributes, experiences, and viewpoints.
Different colours different size
People come in all colors and sizes, each with their own unique characteristics.
Different smell and different cries
Every person has their own scent and emotional expression.
Different meaning different life
Everyone's life has different meaning, depending on their own unique experiences and perspectives.
Only, to have white hair
The only goal worth pursuing is to have white hair, which symbolizes wisdom and experience.
Caused by the trouble that never comes
The only way to achieve this esteemed goal is to avoid trouble at all costs.
And a gail, more powerfull than all of the guns
It's better to harness the power of a stormy gale than to rely on the force of weapons and violence.
Crying need, leading astray
Desperation can often lead people astray, clouding their judgement and affecting their behavior.
And steals her gentle smile away
Extreme sadness can steal away even the most gentle, joyful smile.
Came made two bites of cherry when
There were two opportunities for happiness, just like two bites of a cherry, that presented themselves.
The world's too big for danger
The world is so vast and full of experiences that there's no reason to live in constant fear of danger.
And for all the sake of imitating mum & dad
Children often imitate their parents in order to learn and understand the world around them.
There's good and bad down cul-de-sac and sanctuary
There's a mix of both positive and negative experiences to be found in every corner, be it a cul-de-sac or a safe haven.
Jeopardy and risk is ten miles high
The potential consequences and risks of our actions can seem insurmountable and overwhelming at times.
Contributed by Sophie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.