McGlashan won the 'Best Song' award in the 1982 New Zealand Music Awards, for the Blam Blam Blam song Don't Fight It Marsha, It's Bigger Than Both Of Us. In the 1989 awards, McGlashan, along with Harry Sinclair, received three awards for their work as The Front Lawn: 'Best Film Soundtrack / Compilation', 'Most Promising Group' and 'International Achievement'. In 1993, McGlashan's group The Mutton Birds won a further three New Zealand Music Awards: 'Album of the Year', 'Single of the Year' (for Nature), and 'Best Group'.
Warm Hand has been announced as a finalist for 'Album of the Year' in the 2006 awards. His work on the album has also placed him in the running for the 'Best Male Solo Artist' award. McGlashan, SJD and Ed McWilliams were nominated for the 'Best Producer' technical award, but did not win.
McGlashan won the 1994 APRA Silver Scroll, a prestigious award for songwriting, for Anchor Me - performed by The Mutton Birds. In 2006, McGlashan had two songs nominated for this award - a feat last achieved by Dave Dobbyn in 1995. Bathe in the River, written by McGlashan for the film No. 2, later won the award.
In 2011 McGlashan provided the score to the fireworks during the opening ceremony of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
http://www.donmcglashan.com/
Toy Factory Fire
Don McGlashan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And here's one of Big Bird, with his feathers all matted and black
And here are the rows of young women
Wrapped up in bolts of white nylon
And the families from the countryside come to take their daughters back
I look up from my desk as the light turns the Hudson to mercury
The rest of the office are getting ready to leave
The Toy Factory fire
It's going to be one of those weeks; I roll up my sleeves
They said it was a death-trap from a text-book
Fire Exits just painted on
Locks and chains to keep out the unions
And piles of white nylon all around
But we've built a dozen more to fill our orders
We've had to keep moving around
Since May 10th 1993
When the Kader Toy Factory burnt down
A fire in Thailand could be a bus crash in Africa
The stories weren't big; they did not make the six o'clock news
But the pictures were something else
They could have ridden us down to hell
I knew this was a fight we couldn't afford to lose
They said it was a death-trap from a text-book
Fire Exits just painted on
Locks and chains to keep out the unions
And piles of white nylon all around
But we've built a dozen more to fill our orders
We've had to keep moving around
Since May 10th 1993
When the Kader Toy Factory burnt down
I look at the photographs once more in the Manhattan sunset
The same light falls on the one of my wife and my kids
Then I put them back in the file
Permit myself a smile
Keeping them hidden was the best work I ever did
'Cause people like us, we do make the world better
And if it's better for us, it's better for everyone
I open the window to the rush hour sirens on West Street
I see the Power and the Glory all over this town
All over this town
The song “Toy Factory Fire” by Don McGlashan tells the story of a devastating fire that occurred in a toy factory in Thailand in 1993. The lyrics describe the aftermath of the disaster - melted toys, blackened feathers, and rows of young women wrapped in nylon waiting to be taken home by their families. A decade later, the singer works in an office building overlooking the Hudson and reflects on the tragedy. He notes that the factory was known to be a death trap, with exit signs painted on walls and locks and chains to keep out unions. But despite the danger, the factory continued to operate and produce toys for export.
The song suggests that the fire was a wake-up call for those involved in the toy industry, a reminder that profits should not come above worker safety. The singer acknowledges that there are those who see the world as a tough place, where sacrifices must be made for progress. However, he believes that it is the responsibility of people like him to make the world a better place, one choice at a time. The final line of the song, “I see the Power and the Glory all over this town, all over this town” suggests that there is hope for change, even in the face of tragedy.
Overall, “Toy Factory Fire” is an emotional and thought-provoking song that highlights the need for social responsibility in the global economy, and the importance of remembering those who have suffered due to profit-driven decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's Bart Simpson, with his arms all melted and twisted
The toys in the factory were burned beyond recognition
And here's one of Big Bird, with his feathers all matted and black
The toys in the factory were burned beyond recognition
And here are the rows of young women
The factory employed young women to work with the toys
Wrapped up in bolts of white nylon
The women were dressed in nylon uniforms
And the families from the countryside come to take their daughters back
The families of the workers came to take them back home
I look up from my desk as the light turns the Hudson to mercury
The singer is at work, observing the sunset and reflecting
The rest of the office are getting ready to leave
The singer is still at work despite everyone else leaving
But it's 10 years since the fire
The fire at the toy factory happened 10 years ago
The Toy Factory fire
The Kader Toy Factory fire happened on May 10th, 1993
It's going to be one of those weeks; I roll up my sleeves
The artist is preparing for a difficult week at work
They said it was a death-trap from a text-book
The factory was unsafe and not up to safety standards
Fire Exits just painted on
The fire exits at the factory were not functional
Locks and chains to keep out the unions
The factory owners did not want the workers to unionize
And piles of white nylon all around
The workers were dressed in nylon uniforms that could have easily caught fire
But we've built a dozen more to fill our orders
Despite the tragedy, the factory owners continued to build more factories to fulfill orders
We've had to keep moving around
The factories had to move locations frequently
Since May 10th 1993
The Kader Toy Factory fire happened on this date
When the Kader Toy Factory burnt down
The Kader Toy Factory was destroyed in the fire
A fire in Thailand could be a bus crash in Africa
Tragedies happen all over the world, and the news cycles move on quickly
The stories weren't big; they did not make the six o'clock news
The news of the tragedy was not widely covered by major news outlets
But the pictures were something else
The images of the burned toys and factory were shocking
They could have ridden us down to hell
The tragedy could have been much worse and could have caused more devastation
I knew this was a fight we couldn't afford to lose
The singer realized that the tragedy was a turning point and that it was time for change.
I look at the photographs once more in the Manhattan sunset
The artist is reflecting on the tragedy and looking at photographs of their family
The same light falls on the one of my wife and my kids
The photographs of the family are illuminated by the same sunset
Then I put them back in the file
The singer puts away the photographs and gets back to work
Permit myself a smile
The singer feels grateful for their family and smiles
Keeping them hidden was the best work I ever did
Protecting and keeping their family safe was the artist’s most important work
'Cause people like us, we do make the world better
The artist believes that their work can make a difference and improve the world
And if it's better for us, it's better for everyone
The singer believes that if individuals and families are happy and healthy, it will benefit society as a whole
I open the window to the rush hour sirens on West Street
The singer is listening to the sounds of the city outside their window
I see the Power and the Glory all over this town
The artist sees the success and strength of the city
All over this town
The city and its achievements are evident everywhere.
Writer(s): DONALD BAIN MCGLASHAN
Contributed by Colton T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.