The band released their first album on vinyl, Self Non Self in July 1989. The intensity of that album garnered very good reviews and caught the attention of John Peel, who picked up on the album right away, with the group recording a session for him in the album's first week of release. Shortly afterwards they signed to the label Dedicated (which also became home to Spiritualized and Beth Orton) and went on to record their EP "Espero" in 1990, with the album "Wings of Joy" following a year later. The release of "Wings of Joy" caught the attention of Robert Smith of The Cure who picked the Cranes to open for them on their world tour in 1992. They then went on to record the albums "Forever" (1993), "Loved" (1994), "La Tragedie d'Oreste et Electre" (1995), and "Population Four" (1997).
After a 4 year break, Cranes re-emerged on their own independent label Dadaphonic to release "Future Songs" (2001) and "Particles & Waves" (2004), which saw the band heading in a more electronic direction while retaining the trademark sound of previous releases. In January 2007 the band released a download only album, "Live at Amsterdam Paradiso," originally recorded in 1991. The show captures the darker, heavier days of the early Cranes and is available only via www.dadaphonic.co.uk.
In 2008 Cranes albums "Wings of Joy', 'Forever' and 'Loved' were re-issued by Cherry Red Records, www.cherryred.co.uk as part of their series of 'influential artists' re-releases.
In October 2008 Cranes released their self titled album 'Cranes', to which they did a supporting tour. After that there was the odd performance here and there up until 2012 after which Cranes fell silent again.
In 2022 they re-emerged with several newly opened social media accounts to which the purpose soon became clear: Cranes have reformed in their original nineties line-up to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the "Forever" album with some gigs in the UK (see events) and they are currently rehearsing.
In June 2023 they also released a 'new' album: their previously unreleased "Peel Sessions 1989-1990" which you can get on their Bandcamp site (see Linktree below) both digitally and on CD/Vinyl.
Current members
Alison Shaw – vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar (1985–1997, 2000–present)
Jim Shaw – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums (1985–1997, 2000–present)
Mark Francombe – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, spanner (1989–1997, 2022-present)
Matt Cope – guitar (1989–1997, 2022-present)
Former members:
Kevin Dunford – lead guitar (1988–1989)
Paul Smith – guitar, keyboards (1995–1997, 2000–2012)
Manu Ross – drums (1996–1997)
Ben Baxter – bass guitar (2000–2012)
Jon Callender – drums (2000–2007)
Jon Mattock – drums (2008–2012)
Cranes official Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cranesofficial
Adoration
Cranes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It lets you know
It lingers slowly until you know
And I'm naked in your heart
I can't make it stop
I'm breaking in your heart
And I can't make it stop
I'd try and I can't make it stop
In your heart, in your heart
I feel naked in your heart
I want to make you wonder
I want to make it start
And oh when it fills with wonder
I won't want to break it apart
And oh when the sky falls on me
And when it's another day
I'll want to make you want me
In always another way
I'd love to know you
And I'd love to be in your heart
Oh and i hope you'll stay
With the love that fills your hearts
Hey . . . hey . . .
And it always makes me cry
When I see the sky, your sky
Don't want to think about tomorrow
'Cos I think it's all too much
And oh if I could feel it in your touch
It's all too much now
These dreams just make me cry
And oh if we could only try . . .
Don't want to think about tomorrow
Ih 'cos it makes me smile
If we could only hold on for a little while
This is the sense of calm I longed for
Oh and it makes me high
And it brings me here . . .
The lyrics to Cranes' song Adoration express a sense of vulnerability and longing for connection. The opening lines "It lies here slowly, It lets you know" suggest a slow and gradual build-up of emotion, perhaps referring to the development of a romantic relationship. The next lines "And I'm naked in your heart, I can't make it stop" express a feeling of exposure and lack of control, indicating that the singer has surrendered their emotions to the other person. There is a desire to hold onto this connection even as the emotions threaten to overwhelm them. The lines "I'd love to know you, And I'd love to be in your heart", reaffirm this desire for intimacy and connection.
The chorus of the song expresses a desire to create wonder and beauty in the other person's life, to fill their heart with love and never want to break it apart. There is a willingness to give everything to make this connection last, even as the world seems to be falling apart. The lines "And oh when the sky falls on me, And when it's another day, I'll want to make you want me, In always another way" suggest a bittersweet realization that nothing is certain, and that the singer must continue to work to maintain the relationship.
The closing lines of the song express a sense of calm and a feeling of being lifted up, indicating that despite the struggles, the connection with the other person is worth it. The lyrics to Adoration are poetic and evoke a sense of intimacy and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
It lies here slowly
Something is present, but not quite noticeable, it's making itself known slowly and gradually
It lets you know
Whatever is present wants to be acknowledged and felt
It lingers slowly until you know
The presence lingers on until it is felt and experienced
And I'm naked in your heart
The artist is vulnerable and exposed, without any defenses or barriers, residing in the heart of the listener
I can't make it stop
The artist cannot control the presence and its effect on them
I'm breaking in your heart
The singer is causing some kind of emotional pain or discomfort in the listener
And I can't make it stop
The singer is at the mercy of the presence and can't make it go away
I'd try and I can't make it stop
The artist has attempted to stop the presence but failed
And I'd like it if you don't ever stop
Despite the pain and discomfort, the artist wants the presence to continue and not go away
In your heart, in your heart
The focus is solely on the listener's heart where the presence resides
I feel naked in your heart
The singer is completely open and vulnerable within the listener's heart
I want to make you wonder
The artist wants to provoke curiosity and amazement in the listener
I want to make it start
The singer wants to initiate a process that leads to something beautiful and special
And oh when it fills with wonder
When the desired result is achieved, it will be filled with wonder and amazement
I won't want to break it apart
The singer won't want to ruin or destroy the beautiful thing that has started
And oh when the sky falls on me
The artist is expressing their vulnerability and how overwhelming it can feel
And when it's another day
Things may change but the artist's desire to continue this beautiful thing won't
I'll want to make you want me
The singer desires the listener to want them as they want the presence in their heart
In always another way
The singer is open to all kinds of possibilities and ways to keep the beautiful thing going
I'd love to know you
The artist desires a deeper, more meaningful connection with the listener
And I'd love to be in your heart
The artist desires to stay within the listener's heart in a more profound way
Oh and i hope you'll stay
The artist is expressing their desire for the listener's loyalty and commitment
With the love that fills your hearts
The singer acknowledges and values the love that the listener harbors in their heart
Hey . . . hey . . .
An interlude and transition into the next section of the song
And it always makes me cry
Referring to the presence - it always evokes an emotional response from the singer
When I see the sky, your sky
The listener's presence symbolizes the sky, something vast and all-encompassing
Don't want to think about tomorrow
The singer is living in the present and has no desire or capacity to think about the future
'Cos I think it's all too much
The artist is expressing being overwhelmed and stressed at the thought of the future
And oh if I could feel it in your touch
The artist desires a sense of reassurance from the listener's touch
It's all too much now
The current situation, the presence, and the future prospects are all overwhelming for the singer
These dreams just make me cry
The singer's dreams and aspirations are so big that they seem impossible to satisfy, making them cry
And oh if we could only try . . .
The artist wants to try and make their dreams come true with the help of the listener
Don't want to think about tomorrow
Repeat of the earlier line to emphasis living in the present
Ih 'cos it makes me smile
Thinking about the present and not worrying about the future brings a sense of joy and happiness to the artist
If we could only hold on for a little while
The singer asks for patience and hopes things will work out if they stay committed to the present
This is the sense of calm I longed for
The artist feels content and at peace, something they've desired for a while
Oh and it makes me high
The sense of contentment and peace brings the singer joy and provides an emotional high
And it brings me here . . .
The present moment, the presence, and the connection with the listener have all brought the singer to this point
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alex Yang
I remember seeing them perform at the Opera House in Toronto in the 90's... still to this day one of the most beautiful events of my life. they were just shimmering in the darkness, what a glorious night. our high school band used to cover one of their songs too. great memories.
Matt Cope
Stumbled across this footage.... completely forgot we had done this, but definitely remember it now. We turned up and it looked like Miss Havisham's wedding breakfast had been laid....
Thanks for uploading this.
Gustavo A. Belfiore
Hey Matt! Isn't there any other video material from those days that has never been released? We old time fans would love to get to see something like that. Oh and btw THANKS for the amazing music you guys made <3
Pisces West
💖😥💖
Rob Reid
Bands had to sing for their breakfast them days :) .... Cmon Cranes it's been too long!
johan bauwens
This video probably got me into Cranes 1991 or 1992. At that time the best band ever. Too bad they don't exist anymore. I still listen to Wings of Joy a lot, will stay in my top 5 albums ever
Plaintiff's Ex
Lovely song from a band I liked from the first listen! Thanks for unique post.
Gustavo A. Belfiore
Just found the 12" vinyl at some used record store in Madrid, it made me sooooo happy. Cranes 4 ever
Nana-Chan41
Who else is still listening this such a beautiful band in spring 2022?🌼🌷🌻
Panagiotis Charalampopoulos
I DO . I DISCOVERED THEM AT 17 AND STILL HEAR AT 52