The baseball-capped, baggy-shorted EMF-- standing for either 'Epsom Mad Funkers' or, in the words of their eponymously titled song, 'Ecstasy Mother Fuckers' (the band could never quite make up their minds)-- made their first attack on the U.K. music scene in the autumn of 1990 with the Jesus Jones-influenced Top 10 single "Unbelievable." Sampling hard-hitting U.S. comic Andrew Dice Clay, the single was a catchy pop pile-up featuring fresh-faced vocalist James Atkin's sneery schoolboy vocals, band leader Ian Dench's swaggering rock guitar and a booming bassline, courtesy of Zac Foley. mischief-maker Derry Brownson (keyboards), and Mark Decloedt (drums).
The new social scene of 'Madchester' had exploded in 1990, and every previously no-hoper band with half an idea sold their souls to hitch a ride on the ensuing 'indie dance' bandwagon. EMF's ideas were better formed than most, despite the fact that they had been signed by a major label (EMI/Parlophone) after only a handful of gigs. Denounced as beered-up party animals by some and cider-drinking country bumpkins who'd struck lucky by others, the group cultivated a hedonistic young upstart image that ensured that they felt as at home on the cover of Smash Hits as they did the NME.
Steered through these giddy times by the older, somewhat Svengali-like figure of guitarist and songwriter Dench, who had already enjoyed previous limited success with the band Apple Mosaic, the quintet quickly dispatched identikit follow-up singles in "I Believe" and "Children," with little drop in quality or commercial impact. By this stage, "Unbelievable" was breaking the band in the U.S., but their debut single's worldwide success was to hang heavy on their shoulders in years to come. In May 1991, EMF released their debut album, titled 'Schubert Dip' ("If ever I'm short of a chord sequence, I nick one from Schubert", Dench was quoted as saying), which contained all the band's singles to date and already felt like a greatest hits collection. Similarly it topped the charts, although the fourth single, "Lies," like much of the rest of the album (with the possible exception of the slower tune "Girl of an Age"), paled in comparison with their initial batch of exuberant singles. It also drew attention from Yoko Ono's lawyers, who objected to the single's use of a sample of John Lennon lyrics recited by her husband's murderer, Mark Chapman.
With 'Schubert Dip' becoming a million-selling album, the group's members were international superstars, the album hitting #12 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. while tracks such as the aforementioned I Believe" and "Lies" being Top 40 American hits as well. The band then took to hanging out in L.A. with such luminaries as Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, getting tattoos, getting high and talking big about making a 'real' rock record. When second album 'Stigma' appeared in late 1992, heralded by the noisy single "They're Here" and the 'Unexplained' EP (containing a rowdy cover of seminal proto-punk band the Stooges' "Search and Destroy"), it was interpreted by many as a deliberate attempt by EMF to distance themselves from their teenage fan base.
Though they may have won some respect from the critics by going for a harder, less straightforward sound, the album wasn't received as well as hoped, sliding quickly out of the charts and selling only a fifth of its predecessor's total. The limitations of Atkin's voice were also readily apparent against the crunchier guitar backing. Perhaps the band had been partying too hard and simply forgot to write some tunes; "Around the time of Stigma, I was pumping myself full of anything", bassist Foley would later admit. At any rate, listeners that had bought into the band's ethos of catchy pop meets indie-fueled dance music flocked to other groups, and the band's success had been crippled.
With the band either touring or doing nothing during 1993–94, there was a hiatus in the group's recording career, and many assumed that EMF had simply split up until the single "Perfect Day" appeared from nowhere in early 1995. Though it was the band's breeziest, grooviest single for a long while, it failed to recapture their previous fortunes. The album that followed, 'Cha Cha Cha'-- from which Massive Attack/Neneh Cherry producer Johnny Dollar had walked out during the sessions-- stubbornly refused to shift units. "Bleeding You Dry", the next single to be pulled from the album, seemed titled perversely appropriate.
The summer of 1995 saw the band abandoning promotion of 'Cha Cha Cha' and teaming up with comics Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer on a quirky cover of The Monkees' pop rock hit "I'm a Believer". Although this commercial move ensured the band appeared on Top of the Pops again-- wearing gaudy Mike Nesmith wigs and miming badly no less-- many critics smelled the stench of desperation. Their self-promoted follow-up, "Afro King", seen in some quarters as a return to their alternative dance origins, and in others as too little too late, failed to do as well. Though influencing many later British rock groups, said groups had very well eclipsed them completely. The band were subsequently dropped by their label and, with no other offers forthcoming, called it a day.
In 2001, EMF reformed and released a greatest hits album. They played a number of comeback shows in the UK, and even sold out the London Astoria in June of 2001. However, on January 3, 2002, Foley died due to an overdose of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, barbiturates and alcohol. He was aged 31. The remaining members of EMF played just four more gigs in late 2002, before deciding to split up for the final time. Still, sporadic reunions have taken place since then, although with the band's future still murky.
http://www.emf-theband.com/
Inside
EMF Lyrics
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I see myself and all I`ve fucked up
I`ve been sold a million times
It`s just as well
I can take three thousand times
Fine
They get at you inside you
You`re always hiding inside you
Got far looked hard
I`ve seen myself and all I`ve messed up
I`ve been told a million times
It`s just as well
I can see as the signs go by
Fine
To get at you inside you
You`re always hiding inside you
And I`ve lost all reason
I`ve got nothing to believe in
And it hurts to see you
You`re always hiding inside you
Always hiding inside
I`ve seen you I`ve seen you
I`ve been with you I`ve lived with you
I saw emotions pass away
Left us with nothing to say
Shame
To get at you inside you
You`re always hiding inside you
And I`ve lost all reason
I`ve got nothing to believe in
And it hurts to see you
And I`ve lost all reason
I`ve got nothing to believe in
And it hurts to see you
[Repeat: x3]
You`re always hiding inside you
Always hiding inside
The lyrics to EMF's song Inside convey the theme of self-reflection and self-deprecation. The lines "Hushed up touched up I see myself and all I've fucked up" indicate that the singer is deeply aware of their own emotional wounds, perhaps from past trauma or regrettable decisions. The repeated phrase "It's just as well" suggests a resigned acceptance of their own shortcomings and failures. The lines "To get at you inside you, you're always hiding inside you" convey a sense of emotional barriers and walls that the singer has put up, possibly as a form of protection or self-preservation. The repeated line "And I've lost all reason, I've got nothing to believe in, and it hurts to see you" emphasizes the singer's despair and hopelessness in trying to connect with someone who is also emotionally guarded.
Overall, the lyrics to "Inside" are a poignant reminder of the importance of self-reflection and introspection. The song invites the listener to confront their own emotional barriers and wounds, and reminds us that true connection and healing can only occur when we are willing to be vulnerable and honest with ourselves and others.
Line by Line Meaning
Hushed up touched up
I feel silenced and manipulated
I see myself and all I've fucked up
I'm painfully aware of my own mistakes and shortcomings
I've been sold a million times
I've been taken advantage of and exploited repeatedly
It's just as well
Despite everything, I've become accustomed to it all
I can take three thousand times
I've endured so much pain that I have immense resilience
They get at you inside you
Others find a way to penetrate and hurt you emotionally
You're always hiding inside you
You struggle with opening up and being vulnerable
Got far looked hard
I've traveled a long way and searched deeply
I've seen myself and all I've messed up
I've come face to face with my flaws and errors
I've been told a million times
Others have criticized and judged me countless times
I can see as the signs go by
I can recognize the warning signs of negative patterns
To get at you inside you
Others try to dig into your innermost feelings and thoughts
And I've lost all reason
I'm struggling to make sense of things
I've got nothing to believe in
My faith and trust have been shattered
And it hurts to see you
It's painful to witness your struggles and pain
I've seen you I've seen you
I know you well and I've witnessed your journey
I've been with you I've lived with you
I've shared experiences and time with you
I saw emotions pass away
I witnessed our feelings fade and die
Left us with nothing to say
We've become distant and disconnected
Shame
We both feel guilt and regret
You're always hiding inside you
You struggle with opening up and being vulnerable
Always hiding inside
You're constantly guarding and hiding your true self
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Derran Gene Brownson, Ian Dench, James Saul Atkin, Mark Simon De Cloedt, Zachary Sebastian Rex Foley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind