By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
Over The Wall
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His tongue's involved with solutions
But the monkey on my back
Won't stop laughing
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
There's something to be said for you
And your hopes of higher ruling
But the slug on my neck
Won't stop chewing
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
I'm walking in the rain
To end this misery
I'm walking in the rain
To celebrate this misery
What's that you say?
Speak up I can't hear
What did you say?
I couldn't hear
Over the wall
Hand In hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
Pounding the road
Coast to coast
Pounding the road
Coast to coast
Come over the wall
I can't sleep at night
How I wish you'd hold me tight
I can't sleep at night
Come on and hold me tight
Hold me tight
To the logical limit
The lyrics of "Over the Wall" by Echo & the Bunnymen present a mixture of alienation, frustration, and dissociation of the self. The man at the back with a question is a pertinent symbol of society's collective yearning for answers, solutions, and purpose. The lines, "There's something to be said for you / And your hopes of higher ruling," present a glimpse of hope and revival, yet the song subdues these aspirations with, "But the slug on my neck / Won't stop chewing." Here, the "slug" could signify the singer's negative mentality, nihilistic tendencies, or personal demons that hinder progress, growth, and connection.
Moreover, the chorus of "Over the Wall" brings a strange sense of euphoria that highlights the allure of unpredictability and risk-taking. The repetition of "Watch us fall" is a metaphor for the thrill and ecstasy experienced by individuals who put everything on the line and abandon all predictability. The last section of the lyrics also contain a link to the recurring themes of longing and disconnection, as the singer admits his misery, isolation, and the inability to find comfort even in sleep.
Overall, "Over the Wall" offers a surreal look into the human psyche, where hope, despair, joy, and confusion intertwine, leaving individuals in a state of constant flux.
Line by Line Meaning
The man at the back has a question
A person in the distance is raising concerns
His tongue's involved with solutions
He is discussing potential solutions to the issue
But the monkey on my back won't stop laughing
The obstacle I am facing is too difficult to overcome and is causing me to struggle
Over the wall, hand in hand, over the wall, watch us fall
Despite the obstacles, we are going to take action together and face the consequences together as well
There's something to be said for you and your hopes of higher ruling
Your aspirations towards having a position of power deserve recognition
But the slug on my neck won't stop chewing
The burden of my struggles constantly plagues me
I'm walking in the rain to end this misery
I am enduring hardship and aim to escape it
I'm walking in the rain to celebrate this misery
In some twisted way, I am relishing in my misery and the emotions that come with it
What's that you say? Speak up I can't hear
I cannot comprehend what you are saying, please speak louder
What did you say? I couldn't hear
I am still unable to understand what you are saying
Pounding the road, coast to coast, pounding the road, coast to coast
I am constantly on the move, traveling far and wide to overcome my struggles
Come over the wall
Join me in my struggle and let's face it together
I can't sleep at night, how I wish you'd hold me tight
My hardship is causing me distress and I long for comfort
Hold me tight to the logical limit
Provide me with security and comfort until I am at ease, to the greatest extent possible
Lyrics © 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
willglo
The man at the back has a question
His tongue's involved with solutions
But the monkey on my back
Won't stop laughing
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
There's something to be said for you
And your hopes of higher ruling
But the slug on my neck
Won't stop chewing
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
I'm walking in the rain
To end this misery
I'm walking in the rain
To celebrate this misery
What's that you say?
Speak up, I can't hear you
What do you say?
I couldn't hear you
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
Out on the road coast to coast
Out on the road coast to coast
I'm over the wall
I'm over the wall
I'm over the wall
Come over the wall
Come over the wall
I can't sleep at night
How I wish you'd hold me tight
I can't sleep at night
Come on and hold me tight...
I can't sleep at night
How I wish you'd hold me tight
Come on and hold me tight
I can't sleep at night
How I wish you'd hold me tight
Come on and hold me tight
Come on and hold me tight
I can't sleep at night
How I wish you'd hold me tight
Hold me tight
Hold me tight
Hold me tight
To my logical limit
To the logical limit
To my logical limit
To the logical limit
Leila
The man at the back has a question
His tongue's involved with solutions
But the monkey on my back
Won't stop laughing
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
There's something to be said for you
And your hopes of higher ruling
But the slug on my neck
Won't stop chewing
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
I'm walking in the rain
To end this misery
I'm walking in the rain
To celebrate this misery
What's that you say?
Speak up I can't hear
What did you say?
I couldn't hear
Over the wall
Hand In hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
Pounding the road
Coast to coast
Pounding the road
Coast to coast
Come over the wall
I can't sleep at night
How I wish you'd hold me tight
I can't sleep at night
Come on and hold me tight
Hold me tight
To the logical limit
Jeff Webster
One of the most underrated bands ever...
Derek Price
One of the finest Post-Punk songs EVER haunting stuff :)
M S
When I was 17 The Cults manager invited me to go on tour with them. He wanted me to take care of his kids (I was very naive). Anyway my friend wasn't invited, so she told my Mom. My Mom, my Aunt, my sister went to the hotel they were staying at looking for me. They went to every band members door and eventually found me 😂
Eugene Walker
Pete DeFreitas playing drums NEVER fails to blow me away when I listen to his playing. Simply AWESOME. STUNNING......Nice guy too.....He is missed.......RIP.
Martin clive
best drummer I ever did see
piet konijn
Belongs to the group of 27
Rob Jones
Saw the band in London in 1984, and they were superb.
This track was one of my favourites from that glorious period of post punk 1980 - 85.
Will S. remains one of the most underrated guitarists to come from the UK, and as for
the late great Pete DeFreitas, no further comment is necessary.
Ivan Julian
Being underrated doesn't mean you're good. It just means basically nobody's heard of you.
Shaun O'hannelen
This could well be a soundtrack to an exciting film
John Redmond
This song and the album on which it appears completely blew my mind when I was 15. It was like a portal into an entirely new reality.