By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
Heaven Up Here
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're over here
We've got those empty pockets
And we can't afford the beer
We're smoking holes
And we've got only dreams
And we're so damn drunk
We can't see to steer
The applecart upset my head's little brain
This little moon in the sky upset my head's little brain
I saw, yippee, I did, I swear
Walking through the hallway
Crawling on the stairs
Abebe baby, Bekila
I'm giving up on whiskey
Taking up with tequila
I'm on my own in my blind alley
I turn myself around so it's swallowing me
Groovy groovy people
We're all
Groovy groovy people
F-F-Faustus
You've got nothing to fear
It may be hell down there
'Cause it's Heaven up here
I'd have given forever
For a few good years
But too much of a muchness
Is too much you hear?
The hammer on my chest was an abominable pain
The anvil on my belly was an abdominal strain
You got the bottle
Gonna take the bottle
Gonna take a sip
The lyrics of Echo & the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here are filled with images of confusion, hopelessness, and escapism. At the beginning of the song, the singer seems to be asking someone else where they are, as they are in a difficult situation. They are broke and can't afford alcohol, yet they are so drunk they can't even "see to steer." This suggests a kind of vicious cycle of having no money, feeling helpless, and turning to alcohol as a way to cope. The reference to "empty pockets" and "only dreams" also implies a sense of despair about what the future holds.
The next verse continues with this theme of confusion and disorientation. The singer talks about how their head is upset by the "applecart" and the "little moon in the sky," suggesting that they are easily thrown off balance by small things. They also mention seeing things that aren't there, with a reference to someone named Abebe Baby or Bekila. This sense of unreality and distortion adds to the feeling of being lost and disconnected.
The chorus then introduces the idea of "groovy groovy people" who are all in this together. This could be seen as an ironic comment on the idea of a counterculture or community that offers a way out, as the people in question are still just as lost and hopeless as the singer. The final verse ends on a somewhat hopeful note, with the reference to Faustus (the famous literary figure who made a deal with the devil). The singer acknowledges that life may be hell, but suggests that they have found a kind of heaven in their current state. However, they also acknowledge that too much of a good thing (or too much of anything) can be overwhelming, which suggests a sense of caution about their current circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Where are you now?
Asking where the other person is.
We're over here
Responding with their location.
We've got those empty pockets
Acknowledging their lack of money.
And we can't afford the beer
Admitting they can't buy alcohol.
We're smoking holes
Feeling empty or hollow.
And we've got only dreams
Their aspirations are their only possession.
And we're so damn drunk
Admitting they are intoxicated.
We can't see to steer
They are so drunk they cannot direct themselves.
The applecart upset my head's little brain
Their plans are disrupted.
This little moon in the sky upset my head's little brain
Events beyond their control are causing them distress.
I saw, yippee, I did, I swear
Celebrating something seen or accomplished.
Walking through the hallway
Describing their physical location.
Crawling on the stairs
Using exaggeration to describe their movements.
Abebe baby, Bekila
Unrelated phrases used for their sound rather than meaning.
I'm giving up on whiskey
Switching to a different type of alcohol.
Taking up with tequila
Choosing tequila as their new drink.
I'm on my own in my blind alley
Feeling alone and trapped.
I turn myself around so it's swallowing me
Experiencing feelings of engulfment.
Groovy groovy people
Describing those around them as cool.
We're all
Everyone is.
Groovy groovy people
Repeating this description.
F-F-Faustus
An exclamatory phrase with no clear meaning.
You've got nothing to fear
Reassuring someone.
It may be hell down there
Suggesting an unpleasant place.
'Cause it's Heaven up here
Contrasting negative and positive experiences.
I'd have given forever
Expressing commitment.
For a few good years
A shorter period of time he would accept.
But too much of a muchness
Being overwhelmed.
Is too much you hear?
Asking if others agree.
The hammer on my chest was an abominable pain
Experiencing a painful sensation.
The anvil on my belly was an abdominal strain
Feeling pressure and discomfort.
You got the bottle
Referring to a drink.
Gonna take the bottle
Intending to drink.
Gonna take a sip
Taking a small amount of the drink.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, PETE DE FREITAS, WILLIAM SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charles Swaffield
For a band in their early 20's to have created such lyrics and sound is startling. I bought this album on release, along with just about everything coming out of Liverpool at that time. I saw thm perform many of the songs in their set at The Royal Albert Hall, London circa '83. I can't help think there is a vacuum in the present era for a creative sound like this.
inertia27
lyrics? Come on most of it is just meaningless twaddle
morssdn
I remember the dry ice machine going out of control lol
t th
hello from germaby: i give yu right and not. kno what you mean. ..but look at Besnard Lakes, Wye Oak, and so on. there are great bands out there. who...ähmm..wait..:) realeased their first albums in the last 10 and 20 years. and very new indie and progressive bands.... ok the sound is not unique and totally new but ...yeah...the 80er Bands...😁 i mean such sound. postpunk, real new Wave
Eliot Minkovitch
Vacuum doesn't even get close... Complete and total artistic and creative apocalypse is more like it.
Bluenose 1986
My favourite album of all time - pretty much perfect in my opinion.
Christiaan De Veirman
Best album of E & TB
Mattie Mclean
I'm with you. I think all their albums are great but this is a real fans album
Rik Church
The flow of this album!!!! The songs just link up so seamlessly..One of my all time favorite albums from one of my all time favorite bands.
Raven Cole
@Talorc MacAllan Innit?