By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
Start Again
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When am I ever gonna learn
It's in my head
But I can't say the words
I had it in my hands
Lost my nerve
I gave it and I got it
One day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
My fingerprints
Have left their traces
On all the things
The people and the places
I ever felt
And felt a part of
I touched the life
And kissed the heart of
One day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
Start again
Nothing dies
Nothing ever dies
Woke up sad
When am I ever gonna learn
It's in my head
Time to take my turn
I had it in my hands
Lost my nerve
Gave it and I got it
In return
And one day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
I'll come around
And start again
Start again
Wonder when
Wonder when
Wonder when
The lyrics of Echo & the Bunnymen's song "Start Again" express feelings of personal regret and a longing for renewal. The singer wakes up feeling sad and filled with the knowledge that they have failed to learn from past mistakes. They are trapped inside their own head, unable to verbalize their thoughts and fears. They speak of having had an opportunity in their hands, only to lose their nerve and experience a failed outcome.
The central message of the song, however, is one of hope, as the singer looks forward to starting anew. They speak of their "fingerprints" having left their mark on people and places they love, indicating a life well-lived, even with its inherent struggles. The final lines reinforce the idea that nothing ever truly dies, and that there is always a chance to turn things around and begin again.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up sad
The singer wakes up feeling unhappy.
When am I ever gonna learn
The singer wonders when they will learn from their mistakes.
It's in my head
The singer knows what they need to do in order to feel better.
But I can't say the words
Despite knowing what they need to do, the singer finds it difficult to express themselves.
I had it in my hands
The singer had something they wanted.
Lost my nerve
The singer became too nervous to pursue that thing they wanted.
I gave it and I got it
The singer gave something up in order to get what they wanted.
In return
They received what they wanted in exchange for giving something else up.
One day
Someday in the future.
I'll come around
The singer will feel better.
Wonder when
The singer doesn't know exactly when they will feel better.
I'll turn around
The singer will make a positive change in their life.
And start again
The singer will start over and try again.
My fingerprints
The singer has left a mark on the world.
Have left their traces
That mark is visible and noticeable.
On all the things
The singer has left their mark on everything they have been a part of.
The people and the places
The singer has influenced both the people and the places they have encountered.
I ever felt
The singer has felt a connection to these things and people.
And felt a part of
The singer has felt like they belong with these things and people.
I touched the life
The singer has made an impact on the lives of those around them.
And kissed the heart of
The singer has made an emotional connection with those around them.
Nothing dies
Despite everything changing, some things remain constant.
Nothing ever dies
Even though things may change, some things remain timeless and unchanging.
Time to take my turn
It's the singer's turn to take action.
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gerardo Chávez
Woke up sad
When am I ever gonna learn
It's in my head
But I can't say the words
I had it in my hands
Lost my nerve
I gave it and I got it
In return
One day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
My fingerprints
Have left their traces
On all the things
The people and the places
I ever felt
And felt a part of
I touched the life
And kissed the heart of
One day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
Start again
Nothing dies
Nothing ever dies
Woke up sad
When am I ever gonna learn
It's in my head
Time to take my turn
I had it in my hands
Lost my nerve
Gave it and I got it
In return
And one day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
I'll come around
And start again
Start again
Wonder when
Wonder when
Wonder when
Annette Noack
His breathy, beautiful voice...no one could reproduce this song and make it any better....
Gavin Paisley
i hadn't heard this in 27 years, a ex girlfriend introduced me to it. it's even better than i remember it. i know he wrote a lot of iconic Bunnyman songs, but this is just as good, if not better than them. thanks very much for uploading
Les Holmes
I feel it too.. such a mystical song, so much feeling, Ian is such a humble mystic... one of the last truly inner-attainers......
Charles Grech
unbelievable.. beautiful song.... makes me think of my pop....I lost him......
Christian Eduardo Arias Yika
¡Un bálsamo! la voz susurrante de Ian es relajante!
Luiz Dias
Falou Tudo num tom Maior !!!!! .
Baby Irene
Just lovely.
Gerardo Chávez
Woke up sad
When am I ever gonna learn
It's in my head
But I can't say the words
I had it in my hands
Lost my nerve
I gave it and I got it
In return
One day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
My fingerprints
Have left their traces
On all the things
The people and the places
I ever felt
And felt a part of
I touched the life
And kissed the heart of
One day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
Start again
Nothing dies
Nothing ever dies
Woke up sad
When am I ever gonna learn
It's in my head
Time to take my turn
I had it in my hands
Lost my nerve
Gave it and I got it
In return
And one day
I'll come around
Wonder when
I'll turn around
And start again
I'll come around
And start again
Start again
Wonder when
Wonder when
Wonder when
Baby Irene
Wow.
Tad Somato
Fantastic