By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
New Direction
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you see what the cat dragged in
Take it on the chin
Catching fire on a roof of tin
You've learnt to speak and you're professing
The right to teach us our direction
True imprefection
I'm looking for a new direction
Where in the world am I?
I took the word the word was resurrection
And then you took me out to climb
Higher and higher
Higher and higher
Higher and higher
Kissing the spires
Higher and higher
Higher and higher
Higher and higher
Souls on fire
Inside of my head
I heard what the good lord said
"beware" he said
If you don't you might end up dead
You suck the air right out of me
But though you suck you cannot see
That life and living are not free
Though you live you do not breathe
I'm looking for a new direction
Where in the world am I?
I took the word the word was resurrection
And then you took me out to climb
(repeat) higher and higher...
I have changed
But still my heart
Remains intact
And true love stays
But will our hearts
Retain their lack of
No sense and no direction
Who in the world am I?
I took the word the word was resurrection
And then you took me out to climb
(repeat) higher and higher...
Start confessing
Start confessing
All my evils would be blessed
If to God I did confess
Wipe the slate and see if I
Ate the bread and drank the wine
So as you're leaving I take possession
Just take the bottle and start confessing
The song "New Direction" by Echo & the Bunnymen is a cautionary tale about trying to find one's way in life while being influenced by others who claim to know the right direction. The lyrics suggest the singer is walking a difficult path trying to make sense of his life's purpose amidst the contradictory advice and confusing signals from others. He's searching for a new direction, but he's unsure where to turn or who to trust.
The opening lines "Out on a limb, Did you see what the cat dragged in, Take it on the chin, Catching fire on a roof of tin" set the scene for the rest of the song. The lyrics describe a precarious situation where the singer is caught in a dangerous predicament but is still trying to maintain his composure. The first verse ends with the singer highlighting the irony of the situation, pointing out that the person he thought would show him the right direction is flawed and imperfect.
The chorus "I'm looking for a new direction, Where in the world am I? I took the word the word was resurrection, And then you took me out to climb, Higher and higher," is a call-to-action for the singer to find his purpose, but he's unsure how to get there. The repetition of the phrase "higher and higher" suggests the pressure is mounting from external sources, and the singer needs to reach a higher standard or level of achievement.
Overall "New Direction" is a song about the complexity of the human experience and how searching for one's purpose can be a difficult journey when influenced by the wrong people or ideas.
Line by Line Meaning
Out on a limb
Venturing into something risky or uncertain
Did you see what the cat dragged in
Did you observe the unpleasant thing/ situation that has been imposed upon me?
Take it on the chin
Accepting the situation and taking responsibility for it
Catching fire on a roof of tin
Experiencing extreme vulnerability and volatility
You've learnt to speak and you're professing
You've developed communication skills and are claiming authority
The right to teach us our direction
The entitlement to teach us the way forward
But I found out on close inspection
A revelation that came to me after careful examination
True imprefection
The realization that perfection is impossible
I'm looking for a new direction
Looking to find a way forward to something better
Where in the world am I?
Lost and uncertain about my place in the world
I took the word the word was resurrection
I embraced the concept of rebirth
And then you took me out to climb
You led me on a journey of upward mobility
Higher and higher
Increasingly ambitious and successful
Kissing the spires
Touching the pinnacle of achievement
Souls on fire
Passionately committed to success
Inside of my head
Within the deeper regions of my mind
I heard what the good lord said
I perceived a divine message
"beware" he said
"Be cautious, take heed", he warned
If you don't you might end up dead
Failing to take action may lead to failure
You suck the air right out of me
You drain my vitality and leave me feeling weary
But though you suck you cannot see
You are unaware of how exclusive you are
That life and living are not free
True independence and success require effort and investment
Though you live you do not breathe
You survive, but only exist, without fulfilment
I have changed
I have undergone a transformation
But still my heart
However, my sentiments and feelings
Remains intact
Are unchanged
And true love stays
And love for another endures
But will our hearts
But will we
Retain their lack of
Still continue to be without
No sense and no direction
Without purpose or understanding
Who in the world am I?
Existential questioning of self-identity
Start confessing
Admit the truth
All my evils would be blessed
If I repented, all my sins will be pardoned
If to God I did confess
If I opened my heart to God and admitted my mistakes
Wipe the slate and see if I
Clearing my conscience and assessing my status
Ate the bread and drank the wine
Taking part in the eucharist
So as you're leaving I take possession
I claim control as you exit
Just take the bottle and start confessing
Take this on the journey to liberation
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, WILLIAM ALFRED SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind