By the time of their debut album, 1980’s Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
(On the cover of their third album 'Porcupine' the band's name was written 'Echo & the Bunnymen' with the word 'and' replaced by an ampersand symbol. Both this abbreviated form and the original full written form have been used on subsequent albums and singles.This double usage has been the source of many discrepancies in meta-data in streamed and downloaded versions of the band's recordings)
The Game
Echo And The Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was my one intention
And an ugly beauty
Was my own invention
Pride a proud refusal
And I refuse
To need your approval
Too many seekers
But through the fog
We'll keep on beaming
Through the crying hours
Of your glitter years
All the living out
Of your tinsel tears
And the midnight trains
I never made
'Cause I'd already
Played the game
Everybody's
Got their own good reason
Why their favorite season
Is their favorite season
Winter winners
And those summers sons
Aren't good for everyone
Aren't good for everyone
Spring has sprung
And autumns well done
So well done
And it's a better thing
That we do now
Forgetting everything
The whys and how's
While you reminisce
About the things you miss
You won't be ready
To kiss goodbye
The earth is a world
The world is a ball
A ball in a game
With no rules at all
And just as I wonder
At the beauty of it all
You go and drop it
And it breaks and falls
I'll never understand
Why you thought I would
Need to be reassured
And be understood
When I always knew
That your bad's my good
And I was ready
Ready to be loved
Born under mars
With Jupiter rising
Fallen from stars
That lit my horizon
I'll never understand
Why you thought I would
Need to be reassured
And be understood
When I always knew
That your bad's my good
And I was ready
Ready to be
Through the crying hours
Of your glitter years
All the living out
Of your tinsel tears
And the midnight trains
I never made
'Cause I'd already
Played
It's a better thing
That we do now
Forgetting everything
The whys and how's
While you reminisce
About the things you miss
You won't be ready
To kiss goodbye
In the first stanza, the singer talks about their sense of duty, which was their one intention. They also mention an "ugly beauty," which was their own invention. The beauty they're referring to could be interpreted as a metaphor for their own persona or outlook on life. They talk about pride being a proud refusal and that they refuse to need the approval of others. The singer then goes on to talk about how there are too many seekers and too few beacons, but they will continue beam through the fog. This could mean that even though there are a lot of people searching for meaning, there aren't enough people to guide them, but the singer will continue to shine their light.
In the second stanza, the singer talks about everyone having their own good reason why their favorite season is their favorite season. They mention that winter winners and summer sons aren't good for everyone, and that spring has sprung and autumn is well done. This could represent the different seasons of life and how some people thrive in certain seasons while others don't. The singer then talks about forgetting everything, the whys and how's, and reminiscing about things that were missed. They mention that if you do this, you won't be ready to kiss goodbye.
The chorus is repeated twice in the song and talks about the singer playing the game and never understanding why someone thought they needed to be reassured or understood when the singer always knew that the other person's bad was their good. The singer is ready to be loved.
Line by Line Meaning
A sense of duty
I had an obligation to fulfill
Was my one intention
That was my sole purpose
And an ugly beauty
Something unpleasant that had a certain charm
Was my own invention
I created it myself
Pride a proud refusal
I refused because of my stubborn pride
And I refuse
I won't accept it
To need your approval
I don't need your validation
Too many seekers
There are too many people searching
Too few beacons
Not enough guiding lights
But through the fog
Despite the confusion
We'll keep on beaming
We'll keep shining brightly
Of your glitter years
During your youthful, flashy times
All the living out
Experiencing to the fullest
Of your tinsel tears
Crying insincere tears
And the midnight trains
Trains that depart in the middle of the night
I never made
I didn't climb aboard
'Cause I'd already
Because I already
Played the game
I already knew what to expect
Everybody's
Each person has
Got their own good reason
Their own valid rationale
Why their favorite season
For preferring one season over the others
Is their favorite season
Is their favorite season
Winter winners
People who thrive in cold weather
And those summers sons
Those who excel in the hot months
Aren't good for everyone
Not everyone does well in those conditions
Spring has sprung
Spring has arrived
And autumns well done
Fall is appropriately finished
So well done
Well done
And it's a better thing
It's a positive development
That we do now
The actions we're taking currently
Forgetting everything
Erasing all memories
The whys and how's
The reasons and methods
While you reminisce
While you recall the past
About the things you miss
You're thinking about the things you long for
You won't be ready
You won't be prepared
To kiss goodbye
To say farewell
The earth is a world
The planet is home to many places
The world is a ball
The Earth is round
A ball in a game
A sphere in a competition
With no rules at all
Where there are no regulations
And just as I wonder
Just as I ponder
At the beauty of it all
The magnificence of it
You go and drop it
You then ruin it
And it breaks and falls
It shatters and collapses
I'll never understand
I won't comprehend
Why you thought I would
What made you think I would
Need to be reassured
Require further confirmation
And be understood
And be comprehended
When I always knew
When I was already aware
That your bad's my good
That what you consider negative is positive for me
And I was ready
I was well-prepared
Ready to be loved
Ready for someone to cherish me
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, WILLIAM SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Obscured Universe
THE GAME----
A sense of duty
Was my one intention
And an ugly beauty
Was my own invention
Pride a proud refusal
And I refuse
To need your approval
Too many seekers
Too few beacons
But through the fog
We'll keep on beaming
Through the crying hours
Of your glitter years
All the living out
Of your tinsel tears
And the midnight trains
I never made
'Cause I'd already
Played... the game
Everybody's
Got their own good reason
Why their favorite season
Is their favorite season
Winter winners
And those summer sons
Aren't good for everyone
Aren't good for everyone
Spring has sprung
And autumn's well done
So well done
And it's a better thing
That we do now
Forgetting everything
The whys and hows
While you reminisce
About the things you miss
You won't be ready
To kiss... goodbye
The earth is a world
The world is a ball
A ball in a game
With no rules at all
And just as I wonder
At the beauty of it all
You go and drop it
And it breaks and falls
I'll never understand
Why you thought I would
Need to be reassured
And be understood
When I always knew
That your bad's my good
And I was ready
Ready... to be loved
Born under Mars
With Jupiter rising
Fallen from stars
That lit my horizon
I'll never understand
Why you thought I would
Need to be reassured
And be understood
When I always knew
That your bad's my good
And I was ready
Ready... to be
Through the crying hours
Of your glitter years
All the living out
Of your tinsel tears
And the midnight trains
I never made
'Cause I'd already
Played
It's a better thing
That we do now
Forgetting everything
The whys and hows
While you reminisce
About the things you miss
You won't be ready
To kiss... goodbye
Michiel Bester
Hauntingly beautiful song. Masterpiece Ian.
Walace Amaral
The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, U2... Soundtracks of my life!
Obscured Universe
THE GAME----
A sense of duty
Was my one intention
And an ugly beauty
Was my own invention
Pride a proud refusal
And I refuse
To need your approval
Too many seekers
Too few beacons
But through the fog
We'll keep on beaming
Through the crying hours
Of your glitter years
All the living out
Of your tinsel tears
And the midnight trains
I never made
'Cause I'd already
Played... the game
Everybody's
Got their own good reason
Why their favorite season
Is their favorite season
Winter winners
And those summer sons
Aren't good for everyone
Aren't good for everyone
Spring has sprung
And autumn's well done
So well done
And it's a better thing
That we do now
Forgetting everything
The whys and hows
While you reminisce
About the things you miss
You won't be ready
To kiss... goodbye
The earth is a world
The world is a ball
A ball in a game
With no rules at all
And just as I wonder
At the beauty of it all
You go and drop it
And it breaks and falls
I'll never understand
Why you thought I would
Need to be reassured
And be understood
When I always knew
That your bad's my good
And I was ready
Ready... to be loved
Born under Mars
With Jupiter rising
Fallen from stars
That lit my horizon
I'll never understand
Why you thought I would
Need to be reassured
And be understood
When I always knew
That your bad's my good
And I was ready
Ready... to be
Through the crying hours
Of your glitter years
All the living out
Of your tinsel tears
And the midnight trains
I never made
'Cause I'd already
Played
It's a better thing
That we do now
Forgetting everything
The whys and hows
While you reminisce
About the things you miss
You won't be ready
To kiss... goodbye
mpreiss
One of the best songs ever written!!!! "Born under Mar's with Jupiter rising" just fantastic
gonzax
A fantastic and totally underrated album, best Echo & the Bunnymen record after Ocean Rain in my opinion.
Gilberto Antônio Martins
Not underrated 4 me..I bought 3 abums,,,,one 4 me & 2 ......4 my 2 daughters
Nicole Koretsky
It's up there for me, too.
sou viado
evergreen is great too
Victor Cajilog
Agree
Mattie Mclean
Yes I agree that it is very underrated and even Ian Mac doesn't rate it... but I don't think it is better than "Porcupine"...