By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
Foggy Notion
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got her hands by her sides
They hit her harder harder harder
'Til they thought she might die
Well I got a foggy notion, do it again
Over by the corner, do it again
I got my calamine lotion baby, do it again
Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae
Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae
She's over by the corner
Got her hands by her sides
They hit her harder harder harder
'Til they thought she might die
Well I got a foggy notion, do it again
Over by the corner, do it again
I got my calamine lotion baby, do it again
I got a foggy notion, do it again
She made me do something that I never did before
I rushed right down to a flower store
I bought her a bundle a beautiful batch
Don't you know something, she sent 'em right back, alright
Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae
Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae, alright
The lyrics to Echo & the Bunnymen's song Foggy Notion tell a story of violence towards a woman named Sally Mae. The song's opening lines describe Sally Mae in a vulnerable position, with her hands by her sides while being assaulted. The repetition of "harder" reflects the senseless brutality of the act, and the possibility that Sally Mae may have been close to death.
The chorus introduces a foggy notion that the singer seems to be grappling with. Perhaps it is a vague memory, a feeling of déjà vu, or an inclination towards repeating something. The repetition of "do it again" suggests a cycle of violence and the singer's struggle to break free from it. The mention of calamine lotion could be interpreted as a soothing balm, a reference to a childhood memory, or a symbol of the need for healing.
The second verse adds more complexity to the narrative, with the singer admitting that Sally Mae made him do something he had never done before - rushing to a flower store to buy her a bundle of beautiful flowers. However, Sally Mae sends them back, indicating a rejection of the kind gesture, which could be interpreted as a sign of trauma, fear or a lack of trust towards the singer.
Overall, the song Foggy Notion paints a harrowing picture of violence and abuse while also delving into themes of memory, repetition and the complexity of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
She's over by the corner
There is a woman standing in a certain location near the singer
Got her hands by her sides
Her arms are positioned downwards on either side of her body
They hit her harder harder harder
Someone is physically assaulting her with increasing intensity
'Til they thought she might die
The attackers continued beating her until they believed she might pass away
Well I got a foggy notion, do it again
The singer admits to having a vague idea, and encourages repeating the same actions
Over by the corner, do it again
Reinforcing the idea to repeat the same thing in the same location
I got my calamine lotion baby, do it again
The singer has a soothing solution for a hypothetical rash or irritation and asks to repeat the same actions
Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae, Sally Mae
A woman named Sally Mae is being addressed multiple times
She made me do something that I never did before
The woman influenced the singer to do something unfamiliar
I rushed right down to a flower store
As a result of the woman's influence, the singer hastily goes to buy flowers
I bought her a bundle a beautiful batch
The singer purchased a lovely collection of flowers for the woman
Don't you know something, she sent 'em right back, alright
Surprisingly, the woman returned the flowers back to the singer
Contributed by Allison I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mario G
greatness!
tony0000
Nice job! (Now go listen to the original.)
Sands of time
A nice go around, but nobody comes close to the Velvet Underground original.
† važica †
@Kunwar Bedi go home
Kunwar Bedi
its beats the hell out of VU