Clifford T. Ward typified the early 70s bedsitter singer-songwriter with a series of albums that were at best delightful and at worst mawkish. Ward left grammar school before A-levels to work as a clerk, but by 1962 was fronting local beat group Cliff Ward and the Cruisers. The group changed their name to Martin Raynor and the Secrets and made their recording debut for EMI Records in 1965, before recording several more tracks as the Secrets for CBS Records.
In 1967 Ward enrolled at Worcester teacher training college to study English and divinity, after which he taught at Bromsgrove high school. His debut album appeared on disc jockey John Peel's brave-but-doomed Dandelion Records label in 1972. His second album and his first release for Charisma Records, Home Thoughts, proved to be his finest work and gave him wider recognition. Ward constructed each song as a complete story sometimes with great success.
The beautiful "Gaye" became a UK Top 10 hit but surprisingly the stronger "Home Thoughts From Abroad" and the infectious and lyrically excellent "Wherewithal" failed to chart. Mantle Pieces and Escalator contained a similar recipe of more harmless tales like the minor hit "Scullery" with affecting lyrics like; "You're my picture by Picasso, you'd brighten up any gallery'.
Ward's refusal to tour and promote his songs did not help endear the singer to his record company, however, and he switched to the Phonogram Records label for 1975"s No More Rock 'N' Roll. In later years although still recording the occasional album and still reluctant to perform live, Ward received kudos as a songwriter with his material being recorded by artists such as Cliff Richard, Art Garfunkel and Justin Hayward.
He was struck down with multiple sclerosis in 1987 and his health rapidly deteriorated. He managed to record 1991's vinyl-only album Laugh It Off, and friends and colleagues pieced together two more albums of new songs, out-takes and demos to give the ailing Ward some financial assistance. He finally succumbed to pneumonia December 18th 2001.
Cellophane
Clifford T. Ward Lyrics
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She knows how to entertain me
I'm inane over Cellophane
She knows how to really sustain me
She keeps me warm like counterpane
She wakes me up like summer rain
She elevates me like a steel crane
But then in the same machine like way
I'm so vain over Cellophane
She knows how to picture frame me
It's all the same to Cellophane
She knows how to window pane me
She strains my nerves in a funny way
She drains my energy away
There's not a grain of truth in what she says
But if she don't remain I'll stain my reputation.
I may not be twenty one but I'm not done with yet.
INSTRUMENTAL
(Cellophane) (Cellophane)
She keeps me warm like counterpane
She wakes me up like summer rain
She elevates me like a steel crane
But then in the same machine like way
She drops me back down again.
She's the tear me up and throw me down
A delicate see through summer gown.
She the things appertaining (Things appertaining)
To things unremaining (Things unremaining)
She's the same (She's the same)
A Cellophane (Cellophane)
Hard to restrain (Hard to restrain)
She's so hard to contain (Hard to contain)
Discards me like cellophane (Cellophane)
We hear the cellos playing.
The lyrics of Clifford T. Ward's song "Cellophane" seem to describe a tumultuous and complicated relationship between the singer and someone who he metaphorically calls "Cellophane". It's hard to say who or what exactly Cellophane represents in this song - perhaps she's a person, a drug, or some other kind of addiction. But it's clear that the singer is deeply affected by her, in both positive and negative ways.
He describes himself as "insane" and "inane" over Cellophane, but also notes that she knows how to "entertain" and "sustain" him. She alternately "escalates" and "drops him back down" again, like a "steel crane". There's a sense of both joy and pain in his relationship with her: she keeps him warm and wakes him up like summer rain, but also "strains" his nerves "in a funny way" and "drains" his energy.
The singer seems to be aware of the cyclical nature of his relationship with Cellophane, as well as the way it appears to others: she's able to "picture frame" and "window pane" him, and he worries that if she leaves, he'll "stain" his reputation. He asserts that while he may not be young anymore, he's not "done" yet - perhaps implying that he's willing to keep going through this tumultuous relationship for the sake of the highs.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm insane over Cellophane
I have an intense love and obsession for Cellophane
She knows how to entertain me
She is skilled at keeping me amused and engaged
I'm inane over Cellophane
My obsession with Cellophane has driven me insane
She knows how to really sustain me
She is able to provide me with the support and encouragement I need
She keeps me warm like counterpane
She provides me with comfort and protection, like a cozy blanket
She wakes me up like summer rain
She fills me with energy and inspiration, like a refreshing rain shower
She elevates me like a steel crane
She lifts me up and makes me feel powerful, like a towering machine
But then in the same machine like way
She drops me back down again.
However, just as quickly as she lifts me up, she brings me crashing back down
I'm so vain over Cellophane
My obsession with Cellophane has made me overly self-centered
She knows how to picture frame me
She is able to portray me to others exactly as she sees me
It's all the same to Cellophane
She knows how to window pane me
To her, I am no different from anyone else she interacts with, and she is able to manipulate me like a window pane
She strains my nerves in a funny way
She causes me stress and anxiety in a peculiar and unexpected manner
She drains my energy away
She saps my strength and vitality
There's not a grain of truth in what she says
She is dishonest and untrustworthy
But if she don't remain I'll stain my reputation.
However, if I were to lose her, I would damage my own reputation
She's the tear me up and throw me down
A delicate see through summer gown.
She is both delicate and destructive, like a flimsy piece of clothing that tears easily
She the things appertaining (Things appertaining)
To things unremaining (Things unremaining)
She's the same (She's the same)
A Cellophane (Cellophane)
Hard to restrain (Hard to restrain)
She's so hard to contain (Hard to contain)
Discards me like cellophane (Cellophane)
She embodies fleeting and shallow things, like Cellophane, and is difficult to control or manage. She is also quick to discard me, like a piece of refuse
We hear the cellos playing.
The song concludes with the haunting sound of cellos, underscoring the underlying sadness and despair of the lyrics
Contributed by Addison P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.