By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
The Disease
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That could always change
With comparative ease
Just given the chance
My life is the earth
'Twixt muscle and spade
We wait for the worth
As prospects diminish
As nightmares swell
Some pray for Heaven while
We live in hell
My life's the disease
My life's the disease
If you get yours
From Heaven
Don't waste them
The lyrics to Echo & the Bunnymen's song "The Disease" express the idea that life itself can be a disease. The singer claims that his life is a disease that is always in flux, but could be easily changed if given the opportunity. He then compares life to the earth, which is constantly being worked on and dug into to find some sort of worth or meaning. As the prospects and possibilities for the future decrease, the surrounding nightmares and difficulties only grow. While some people look to a hopeful afterlife in Heaven, the singer feels as though living in the present moment is enough of a hellish experience.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of despair and hopelessness that comes with the harsh reality of life's uncertainty. The singer makes it clear that he is aware of the futility of digging and searching for meaning in an existence that may ultimately prove to be meaningless. The lyrics are highly metaphorical and abstract, but still manage to convey a deep sense of emotional turmoil and dissatisfaction.
Line by Line Meaning
My life's the disease
The troubles and struggles of my life are similar to a disease.
That could always change
Despite it being difficult, there's always a possibility of things improving.
With comparative ease
Compared to the hard work put in, things may seem to improve easily.
Just given the chance
All it takes is an opportunity for things to change.
My life is the earth
My life is like the land we till
'Twixt muscle and spade
It's a place between the hand and the tool
We wait for the worth
We wait for something valuable to come out of it
Digging for just one chance
Continuing to work for the possibility of something better.
As prospects diminish
As opportunities become fewer.
As nightmares swell
As bad situations worsen.
Some pray for Heaven while
Some are hoping for a miracle.
We live in hell
Our current situation is like living in a living nightmare.
If you get yours
If you get what you want
From Heaven
With the help of a higher power
Don't waste them
Don't take them for granted, make the most of them.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, PETE DE FREITAS, WILLIAM ALFRED SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind