Starting his vocal career with NZ punk band The Enemy in 1977, Knox has involved in the NZ music scene ever since. Frontman for the short-lived but energetic Toy Love and one half of the perpetually magical duo that is Tall Dwarfs - as well as recording and performing his own solo works. Knox assembled Chris Knox & The Nothing in the mid-2000s and recorded two albums.
On Thursday 11 June 2009, Knox was admitted to Auckland hospital suffering from a stroke. This initially left him with limited speech and mobility. Friends and family of Knox initiated a blog that kept people updated. An album of various musicians from around the world performing Knox's songs was produced entitled "Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox" with all proceeds going to Knox.
Laughter
Chris Knox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For all extremes have had their day
The shifting mist of compromise is nigh
Between the love and shame I hold
I see a rusted rose unfold
Beneath the soft, forgiving, endless sky
As on my knees I offer joy
The world falls inward on my naked eye
And shades of greyness coalesce
There is no more, there is no less
A scream becomes a moan becomes a sigh
And you know where all the hope may go
When we give up our ghosts and say goodbye
And I know why we should never show
What happens to our laughter when we die
Oh give my arms to one who cares
My heart I'll hold; I have no spare
To risk on some poor knave without a soul
To all who follow in my wake
I leave these words for pity's sake
Please use them well or use them not at all
And you know where all the hope may go
When we give up our ghosts and say goodbye
And I know why we should never show
What happens to our laughter when we lie
And overhead our thoughts cascade in some great mindless masquerade
And on we dance
The deathly pace of our cortege
Will give give the hopeful heart of rage
A second chance
A second glance
No more
For you and I must never cease
To war against ignoble peace
Which takes our laughter whole and leaves us dry
As once we live, just once we leave
No more to dance, no more to breathe
No more to drink the endless, searching sky
The song "Laughter" by Chris Knox is a complex and introspective meditation on life, death, and the ever-shifting nature of compromise. Knox’s opening lines set the somber mood, calling the listener to “come to me in shades of grey,” indicating the artist’s desire to explore the ambiguity and complexity of our existence. He then goes on to suggest that extremes have had their day and that compromise is nigh. These paradoxical observations set the tone for the rest of the song and invite the listener to contemplate the complexities of life.
Knox then delves deeper, offering up his own sense of personal conflict. He reveals that he is torn between love and shame, and that he sees a “rusted rose unfold” beneath the endless sky. The rusted rose represents the decay of his own emotions, and the soft and forgiving sky represents the beauty of life, which seems to shine through despite the corrosion of his personal feelings.
The song then moves to darker reflections on death and the idea that when we die, all hope disappears. The chorus declares that when we give up our ghosts, we should never show what happens to our laughter, for it will be gone forever. The final verse is a call to arms against those who would take away “our laughter whole and leave us dry.” Throughout the song, Knox uses metaphors and paradoxes to explore his own emotional conflicts, and his words serve to encourage listeners to introspectively ponder their own feelings and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh come to me in shades of grey
Come to me in a state of uncertainty and doubt, for I'm done with taking extreme positions on anything.
For all extremes have had their day
I'm tired of taking sides and seeing everything as black or white. It's time for a more nuanced approach.
The shifting mist of compromise is nigh
I can see a compromise on the horizon, and it's time for us to embrace it and find common ground.
Between the love and shame I hold
I'm torn between feelings of love and feelings of shame, and I'm not sure which way to turn.
I see a rusted rose unfold
Despite the difficulties I'm facing, I can still see some beauty in the world.
Beneath the soft, forgiving, endless sky
The sky may be infinite and full of unknowns, but it's also forgiving and peaceful.
As on my knees I offer joy
I'm willing to sacrifice myself and my happiness to bring joy to others.
To all who would my gifts employ
I offer my talents and resources to those who would benefit from them.
The world falls inward on my naked eye
The weight of the world is pressing down on me, and I can't escape from it.
And shades of greyness coalesce
I'm becoming more comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty.
There is no more, there is no less
There's no need for extremes or absolutes. Things just are what they are.
A scream becomes a moan becomes a sigh
I'm exhausted from all the pain and suffering I've experienced, and there's nothing left to do but sigh.
And you know where all the hope may go
You're aware of what happens to hope when we give up and die.
When we give up our ghosts and say goodbye
When we die and leave this world, hope goes with us.
And I know why we should never show
I understand why we should never reveal what happens to our laughter when we lie.
What happens to our laughter when we die
When we die, our laughter dies with us.
Oh give my arms to one who cares
I want to give my love and support to someone who truly deserves it.
My heart I'll hold; I have no spare
I can't risk giving my heart away to someone who doesn't value it.
To risk on some poor knave without a soul
I don't want to waste my love on someone who is cruel or unfeeling.
To all who follow in my wake
For those who come after me, I want to leave behind a legacy of kindness and goodwill.
I leave these words for pity's sake
I hope that others will take these words to heart and use them to make the world a better place.
Please use them well or use them not at all
If you can't use my words to spread love and compassion, then don't use them at all.
And overhead our thoughts cascade in some great mindless masquerade
Our thoughts are overwhelming us, and we're struggling to make sense of them.
And on we dance
Despite everything, we keep moving forward and trying to enjoy life.
The deathly pace of our cortege
We're living our lives at a slow and mournful pace, like a funeral procession.
Will give give the hopeful heart of rage
Our struggles and hardships will fuel our desire to make the world a better place.
A second chance
We have the power to turn things around and make a positive impact on the world.
A second glance
We need to take a closer look at the world around us and see things more clearly.
No more
We can't keep living our lives the way we have been. Something needs to change.
For you and I must never cease
You and I need to keep fighting for what's right, no matter how hard it gets.
To war against ignoble peace
We need to fight against complacency and inaction, and work towards creating a better world.
Which takes our laughter whole and leaves us dry
If we don't fight for what we believe in, our lives will be empty and devoid of joy.
As once we live, just once we leave
We only have one life to live, so we need to make the most of it while we can.
No more to dance, no more to breathe
When our time comes to an end, we won't be able to dance, breathe, or experience any of the joys of life.
No more to drink the endless, searching sky
We won't be able to appreciate the beauty of the world, or look up at the sky and dream.
Writer(s): Christopher Alexander Knox
Contributed by Zachary S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.