By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
Market Town
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come and watch the sun go down, come and watch the darkness
Come on down to market, come on down to market
Come and strap the whack around, wrap a magic carpet
Come and found what’s underground, finish what you started
Finish what you started, come on down to market
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
What you gonna do, will they come for you
What you gonna do, will they come for you
Come and climb the ladder down, come and find the darkness
Come and see the light go down, come and hear the darkness
Come and hear the darkness, come and hear the darkness
Come and climb the ladder down, lit the sound is dark
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
Oh what’s going down, and you know it’s down
Nahh na nahhh na nahhh
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
What you gonna do, when they come for you
What you gonna do, when they come for you
Come on down to market town, come on down to market
Come and watch the sun go down, come and find the darkness
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
What you gonna do, when they come for you
What you gonna do, when they come for you
What you gonna do, when they come for you
What you gonna do, when they come for you
What you gonna do, when they come for you
When they come for you, what you gonna do
When they come for you, what you gonna do
"Market Town" by Echo & the Bunnymen is a song that invites the listener to come to a mysterious and possibly dangerous place - the market town. The song seems to suggest that there is something exciting and alluring about the market town, but also hints at a sense of foreboding and danger. The lyrics describe the option of coming to the market town, watching the sun go down, and finding the darkness. The imagery of coming to the market town to wrap a magic carpet and find what's underground is intriguing and enigmatic. The chorus repeats the phrase "No survivors will be found" multiple times, adding to the ominous tone. The song also poses the question, "What you gonna do when they come for you?" suggesting that there might be some kind of threat or danger in the market town.
Overall, the lyrics of "Market Town" are poetic and suggestive, but also somewhat cryptic. The song seems to be about the allure of darkness and danger, and the thrill of exploring the unknown. At the same time, there is a sense of apprehension and fear, as if the market town is not a safe place to be. The lyrics encourage the listener to imagine what it might be like to come to the market town, but also warn them of the potential risks.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on down to market town, come on down to market
Join us in the town square, come to where the action is.
Come and watch the sun go down, come and watch the darkness
Experience the end of the day, and witness the transition from light to dark.
Come and strap the whack around, wrap a magic carpet
Get ready, prepare yourself for an adventure filled with wonder and enchantment.
Come and found what’s underground, finish what you started
Explore what lies beneath and complete the journey you began.
Finish what you started, come on down to market
Complete your quest and find your way back to the town square.
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
This journey may be dangerous, and there is no guarantee of safety.
What you gonna do, will they come for you
Be prepared to face challenges and obstacles on this adventure.
Come and climb the ladder down, come and find the darkness
Descend deeper into the unknown, and embrace the mysteries of the dark.
Come and see the light go down, come and hear the darkness
Bear witness as the light fades, and listen intently to the silence of the dark.
Come and hear the darkness, come and hear the darkness
Allow yourself to fully immerse in the experience of the unknown.
Come and climb the ladder down, lit the sound is dark
Descend further and observe as the sounds of the dark become clearer.
Oh what’s going down, and you know it’s down
Something is happening, and it is certain to happen soon.
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
Once again, be prepared for danger and uncertainty.
What you gonna do, when they come for you
The threat is imminent, so make a plan and be ready to face it.
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
Reiterating the potential danger and warning of the journey ahead.
Come on down to market town, come on down to market
Return to the starting point, back to where it all began.
Come and watch the sun go down, come and find the darkness
Experience the end of the day, and embrace the darkness that follows.
No survivors, no survivors, no survivors will be found
Closing with a reminder of the potential danger and uncertainty of the journey.
What you gonna do, when they come for you
A final warning to be prepared for the challenges ahead.
What you gonna do, when they come for you
Repeating the warning, and emphasizing the importance of being ready to face whatever may come.
What you gonna do, when they come for you
Finalizing the warning, and leaving the listener to ponder and contemplate their own preparedness.
What you gonna do, when they come for you
Leaving the listener with one last question, inviting them to consider what their own response would be when faced with danger and uncertainty.
Contributed by Vivian F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
wh0lenewmess
Flawless! I can't get enough of this! So damn happy to have new 'Echo & The Bunnymen' in my life!
realskybluepink
YES! Love this sound. So happy these guys are Back. Good going, thank you for the free listen; gotta buy this one and support one of my all-time favourite bands. Ian's voice is as gorgeous as ever and everyone sounds really great. Production is really good too, I really like the rawness left in the sound, not all 'slicked out' -- as it should be.Well Done, Cheers! <3 <3 <3
greenmantles
This is the best song they've released in years. If the whole album is this strong, it's a classic!
PK spx
Classic Echo sound right here. Bringing me back to the 80's, but with a fresh feel to this sound. This is a strong track for sure! Looking forward to seeing my old friends when they play LA in August. Cheers to all Bunnymen fans!
Gmotion EDC
PK spx agree total killer of a song.!
Tummayo
Brings me back to the 80s... new album .. yet I would have loved it back then too..
Jeff Spicoli
A magical, underrated album. They never sounded better.
Judith Cookson
Love this updated sound!
Tom McIntyre
LOVE THIS!!! Such an amazing band!!! I had the privilege to see them in 1987, we also won back stage passes on a radio giveaway. The Band, Ian, Will, Les and Pete were soo cool, so polite, so gracious, just an amazing experience!!!
SwitcherooU
Got this on vinyl this past weekend. The record store guy was talking on the phone, so I took this album up to register and gave him sort of a thumbs-up/thumbs-down prompt to see what his opinion was. Without hesitation, he nodded vigorously. This guy has never steered me wrong, so I bought it sight unseen.
Put it on last night and was blown away. And THEN I learn that this album was made in 2014! I probably wouldn't have bought it if I'd have known that (I don't typically like new releases from old bands). I'm glad I did.
This is the standout track on a very good album.