By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas. Their next, the critically-acclaimed Heaven Up Here, reached the Top Ten in 1981, as did 1983's Porcupine and '84's Ocean Rain. Singles like "The Killing Moon" (later used in the soundtrack to Donnie Darko, a film whose imagery owed much to the artwork of the band's early records.), "Silver," "Bring on the Dancing Horses," and "The Cutter" helped keep the group in the public eye as they took a brief hiatus in the late 1980s. Their 1987 self-titled LP was a small American hit, their only LP to have significant sales there.
McCulloch quit the band in 1988. De Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident one year later. The others decided to continue, recruiting Noel Burke to replace McCulloch on vocals in Reverberation (1990), which did not generate much excitement among fans or critics. Burke, Sargeant and Pattinson split after that, but the surviving three fourths of the original band reformed in 1997 and released Evergreen (1997), What are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999), Flowers (2001) , Siberia (2005), and the latest addition, The Fountain (2009). The group's old audience liked the return to their classic sound, and they also managed to gain a number of new, younger listeners.
Echo and the Bunnymen were managed early on by Bill Drummond, who went on to be a founder member of The KLF.
05-Bombers Bay
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In no dream town
They shut us up
And the shutters down
The planes flew in
And laid the ground
We built upon
And spun around
Lost in circles
[Chorus:]
On the march
Berlin to Bombers Bay
Traveling dark
On the roads to Mandalay
Cannon fire
Came to call
Stood us up
And watched us fall
The way we were
And now outworn
Our costumes changed
To uniforms
Black black days
Here to stay
On the march
Madrid to Bombers Bay
Traveling dark
On the road to Mandalay
Pack up the troubles and you'll all get by
Smile boys that's the style
Pack up your troubles and you'll all get by
Smile
They give us hope
And teach us well
With magic moons
That cast a spell
And hypnotize
And draw us in
I believe
I'm believing
God's one miracle
Moves in circles
On the march
Berlin to Bombers Bay
Traveling dark
On the road
[Chorus]
Black black days
Where the flying fishes play
(x4)
The lyrics to Echo & the Bunnymen's "Bombers Bay" are cryptic and open to interpretation. The song appears to be about the futility of war, and how those involved become caught in a cycle of destruction that can't be broken. The opening verse suggests that a town is being shut down and closed off, possibly in preparation for an attack. The planes that arrive are seen as a damning symbol of violence, and the inhabitants are left to rebuild after the destruction.
The chorus repeats the phrase "On the march / Berlin to Bombers Bay / Traveling dark / On the roads to Mandalay", suggesting that the war has spread far and wide. The idea of traveling in darkness is powerful, as it plays into the sense of confusion and uncertainty that can accompany war. The reference to Mandalay is possibly a nod to the poem "Mandalay" by Rudyard Kipling, which romanticizes British colonialism in Burma.
The later verses of the song talk about "black black days" and "flying fishes", which could be seen as a symbol of destruction and peace, respectively. The song ends with the repeated phrase "pack up the troubles and you'll all get by / smile boys that's the style", which is a well-known war song from World War I.
Overall, "Bombers Bay" is a commentary on war's ineffable destruction, futility and despair. The cycles of destruction and rebuilding create an endless loop of war's ravages, and the allusion to a pleasant scene of flying fish, only heightens the tragedy.
Line by Line Meaning
The word went round
News of impending danger spread throughout the town
In no dream town
This town is not a place of imagination or fantasy
They shut us up
Those in power silenced the people
And the shutters down
Windows and doors were closed to protect from outside threats
The planes flew in
Enemy aircraft arrived at the scene
And laid the ground
The enemy prepared to attack and take control
We built upon
The people have created something from the original place
And spun around
They danced and revolved in circles
God's one miracle
The unique and one of a kind creation of God
Lost in circles
Trapped in a cycle of repetition and confusion
On the march
Moving forward with a specific goal in mind
Berlin to Bombers Bay
Traveling from one city to another
Traveling dark
Going through a dangerous and unknown path
On the roads to Mandalay
Traveling down the street that leads to a particular destination
Cannon fire
Artillery shells being fired
Came to call
Attacked and entered the area
Stood us up
The enemy challenged the people and their beliefs
And watched us fall
Observed people's defeat and downfall
The way we were
People's lifestyle, values, culture before the war
And now outworn
Current ways are no longer beneficial, outdated
Our costumes changed
People are no longer wearing their original clothes
To uniforms
People are now wearing military clothing
Black black days
Times of despair and hopelessness
Here to stay
The bad times are not going away anytime soon
Madrid to Bombers Bay
Traveling from one city to another
Pack up the troubles and you'll all get by
Forget your problems and try to overcome them
Smile boys that's the style
Put on a positive demeanor despite tough times
They give us hope
Those in power try to inspire their subjects
And teach us well
Leaders try to educate and inform people
With magic moons
A symbol of hope or inspiration
That cast a spell
Providing relief to people during tough times
And hypnotize
People are being influenced or controlled
And draw us in
People are lured into following a certain ideology
I believe
Holding on to faith and hope
I'm believing
Having faith and trust in a certain leader or system
Where the flying fishes play
A place that is said to be impossible or unreal, a hopeless situation
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, WILLIAM SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stephen Lisson
MY GOD!!!!! this band were so good live. I've seen them 3 times and every time I hear them on the radio or on my many CD'S I have, I think of each concert and how great they were. BRILLIANT!!!!!!!
BRIAN WHYTE
3 times eh?
aloisio dornellas
PASSEI A SER GENTE DEPOIS QUE ESCUTEI ECHO, ISTO É MINHA VIDA.
CLAUDIO LUIZ PEREIRA
MUITO BOM, ÓTIMO!
roger murray
What a creative force McCullough was. Then there's the musicianship. The Bunnymen are pretty close to being near the top of the list of the greatest groups of the last 50 years.
Eduardo bracamonte alvarez
the best
Ollie Foster
wow.
Alejandro Reyes
Que maravilla...escuchar a Echo...Saludos desde Santiago...de Chile..
Victor Hugo
TO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDALAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY
tywag
3:23