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.
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They're Here
EMF Lyrics
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I'm breathing with a sinking earth
Gasping for breath feeling hurt
Showing my rage as I turn the pages
Reading the words and between the spaces
Could it be, could it only be
The love we've lost was all we got
I'll tell your words are blind and cursed
I'm waiting for the world to change
Turn around, change the way
We breed ignoration of beauty and creation
A non stop battle with life in the saddle
Could it be, could it only be
The things that have been left to bleed
Tell me now with all honesty
This precious world of yours is free
And if you see me staring
You know that I'm not here
I'm searching for reasons to overcome the fear
They're here, they're here, around me
He stands, he stands, beside me
Could it be could it only be
Competing with the loud demands
See the sights and hear the sounds
Of desperation of war and creation
The earth must cost and now we're faking
Could it be, could it only be
Chances slip through our fingertips
Tell me the earth turns for the worse
I'll tell your words are not the first
The opening line of the song, "Beautiful exists, simply for its own sake", highlights the theme of the beauty of the Earth and its importance. However, the lyrics that follow portray a feeling of despair and hopelessness about the future of the planet. The singer feels the weight of the sinking Earth and is struggling to breathe, which could be a metaphor for the impact of human activities on the environment. The rage that the singer shows as they turn the pages could also represent frustration about the lack of action to address environmental issues.
The chorus of the song, "They're here, they're here, around me / He stands, he stands, beside me" is ambiguous and could be interpreted in different ways. It could be a reference to a spiritual or extraterrestrial presence that is watching over humanity in its time of crisis. Alternatively, it could be a metaphor for the people who are fighting for the survival of the planet and who the singer sees as allies. While the verses focus on the problems facing the planet, the chorus offers a glimmer of hope that change is possible.
The song ends with the lines "Tell me the earth turns for the worse / I'll tell your words are not the first", which suggest that the problems facing the planet are not new and that people have been warning about them for a long time. However, the repetition of the phrase "could it be, could it only be" throughout the song implies that there is still room for hope that things can change if people take action to address environmental issues.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm breathing with a sinking earth
I am feeling the weight of the world on my chest
Gasping for breath feeling hurt
I am struggling to cope with the pain and suffering I am experiencing
Showing my rage as I turn the pages
I am expressing my anger and frustration through reading and learning about the world's problems
Reading the words and between the spaces
I am trying to understand the deeper meaning and messages behind the words
Could it be, could it only be
The love we've lost was all we got
Is it possible that the love we have lost is all that we ever truly had in this world?
Tell me the earth turns for the worst
I'll tell your words are blind and cursed
If you believe that the world is only getting worse, then your perspective is narrow and pessimistic
I'm waiting for the world to change
I am hoping and longing for a better future and a more peaceful world
Turn around, change the way
We breed ignoration of beauty and creation
Let's shift gears and stop ignoring the beauty and creativity in the world
A non stop battle with life in the saddle
Life is a constant struggle and challenge, like riding an untamed horse
Could it be, could it only be
The things that have been left to bleed
Is it possible that we are neglecting important issues and letting them fester and worsen?
Tell me now with all honesty
This precious world of yours is free
Can you honestly say that the world we live in is truly free and fair for all?
And if you see me staring
You know that I'm not here
I'm searching for reasons to overcome the fear
If you catch me lost in thought, know that I am trying to find a way to conquer my own fears and anxieties
They're here, they're here, around me
He stands, he stands, beside me
I am aware of the problems and negative forces around me, but I am also bolstered by the presence of supportive people in my life
Competing with the loud demands
See the sights and hear the sounds
I am struggling to navigate and prioritize all of the demands and distractions in my life
Of desperation of war and creation
The earth must cost and now we're faking
The planet is suffering from the desperation and destruction caused by war and human activity, and we are pretending that everything is okay
Chances slip through our fingertips
Tell me the earth turns for the worse
I'll tell your words are not the first
Opportunities are slipping away, and if you think the world is getting worse, that sentiment is not a new one
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