By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
Jimmy Brown
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made of stone
Charlie clown
No way home
Bringing on the dancing horses
Headless and all alone
Shiver and say the words
[Chorus]
First I'm gonna make it
Then I'm gonna break it
Till it falls apart
Hating all the faking
And shaking while I'm breaking
Your brittle heart
Billy stands
All alone
Sinking sand
Skin and bone
Bring on the dancing horses
Wherever they may roam
Shiver and say the words
Of every lie you've heard
[Chorus]
Brittle heart
Brittle heart
And my little heart
Goes
Jimmy brown
Made of stone
Charlie clown
No way home
[Chorus]
Bring on the new messiah
Wherever he may roam
Brittle heart
Brittle heart
And our little hearts
Go
Echo & the Bunnymen's song "Dancing Horses" is a haunting and poetic representation of a person's struggle with their emotions and past experiences. The lyrics speak of Jimmy Brown and Charlie Clown, who are both trapped in their own worlds, unable to escape. The phrase "made of stone" refers to their emotional numbness, which is in sharp contrast to the "dancing horses" that is headless and alone as it roams around. The singer is begging for something to save them, to help them break free from their isolation and pain.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as it speaks of the singer's determination to succeed, to break free from any constraints that bind them. They want to break everything apart, to destroy anything false, and they are willing to shake and break their own heart to do so. The phrase "shiver and say the words of every lie you've heard" is particularly relatable because it speaks to the idea that people internalize lies about themselves and the world, and it can take years to break free from them.
In the last part of the song, the singer references a "new messiah," which suggests the idea that the only way to truly break free is to find hope in something new, something that is outside of our usual expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Jimmy brown
An allusion to the children's song "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy," a symbol of youthful innocence.
Made of stone
Being weathered and hardened by life's experiences, becoming emotionally impenetrable.
Charlie clown
A metaphor for oneself or another party who may seem foolish or insincere.
No way home
Feeling lost, trapped or hopeless; physically or emotionally disconnected from a sense of belonging or comfort.
Bringing on the dancing horses
Summoning a surge of passion and energy to combat feelings of despair and loneliness.
Headless and all alone
Being vulnerable and helpless, lacking control or direction in one's life.
Shiver and say the words
To confess to one's doubts and anxieties, confront one's internal stresses.
Of every lie you've heard
Acknowledging and dispelling the falsehoods that may have caused one's emotional or psychological distress.
First I'm gonna make it
Being resolute in achieving one's goals or aspirations, setting high expectations for oneself.
Then I'm gonna break it
Deliberately rising to face adversity, challenging oneself to greater achievement while also risking failure.
Till it falls apart
Facing the consequences of one's actions, being ready to undergo the painful learnings that arise from one's failure, and accepting that failure is important to succeed.
Hating all the faking
Being cynical toward insincere motives or dishonesty, valuing authenticity and realness in one's relationships.
And shaking while I'm breaking
Despite the fear or pain caused by personal challenges or tribulations, continuing to persevere and rise up.
Your brittle heart
Critiquing the vulnerability or fragility of someone else's emotions or motives.
Billy stands
A simple, unadulterated name as a symbol of universal, primal truth: life is fragile and fleeting.
Sinking sand
Feeling unstable, unsure or sinking amidst life's demands and pressures.
Skin and bone
Representing one's physical body, while simultaneously addressing the fragility and ephemerality of human life.
Bring on the dancing horses
Akin to a pledge to continue pushing forward, to continue seeking passion and vitality in one's life even amidst hardships.
Wherever they may roam
Pledging to pursue these ideals in any circumstance, no matter how trying or difficult.
Bring on the new messiah
Praying for the arrival of a savior, a figure who will provide clarity, guidance, and hope.
And our little hearts go
Concluding the narrative by bringing together all of the smaller ideas that are contained in the song, along with recognizing the vast array of emotions that we experience throughout our lives.
Lyrics Β© Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, PETER LOUIS VINCENT DE FREITAS, WILLIAM ALFRED SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind