Ka-Spel is probably best known as the lead singer, songwriter and co-founder (with Phil "The Silverman" Knight) of the prolific underground band The Legendary Pink Dots. He has also released numerous solo albums and has worked in various side projects, including The Tear Garden (with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy), and Mimir (with Phil Knight, Christoph Heemann, Jim O'Rourke and others).
His musical output has combined elements of psychedelia, dark folk, goth, industrial, electronic, found noise, sampling, pop and rock in varying degrees. His lyrics have been described as intensely personal and mystical, incorporating recurrent themes from his own personal mythos, and his songwriting and singing have been compared (usually favourably) to Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd.
Ka-Spel's singing voice is distinctive, especially for listeners outside of England, as it displays characteristics peculiar to the region of England in which he grew up. In addition to his East London/East Anglian accent, Ka-Spel's dialect has what is sometimes misidentified as a lisp, but is actually a form of rhotacism, in which Rs are pronounced as Ws. This is believed to be a sociolect or a form of "permanent affectation" acquired as a child, rather than a speech disorder as such.
Eye Contact
Edward Ka-Spel Lyrics
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There were creases in his shirt
And someone stabbed a fag out on his coat
It made a hole; it didn't hurt
Squashed inside the train
The elbows in his ribs
Complaints
And smells of garlic perspiration
As the stations flew
No one talked
No one looked
His face turned china blue
He tried to push; he couldn't move
He tried to scream; no sound came through
Was heaving, bleeding from the inside
He died, still standing
No one noticed
No one cared
They'd steal a glance, but never stare
It never pays to stare
The lyrics of Edward Ka-Spel's "Eye Contact" examine themes of isolation, suffering, and the absence of human empathy. The song's protagonist is an anonymous man traveling on a crowded train, struggling to maintain his composure amid discomfort and inhospitable conditions. The first stanza describes how the character's appearance has been marked by others, with toothpaste staining his collar and a cigarette being flicked onto his coat. Despite these minor physical irritations, the man remains stoic, a character trait that is emphasized through the use of negative statements.
As the train fills with the stench of garlic, the man's situation becomes more dire. The lyrics capture the feelings of claustrophobia and panic that accompany being trapped in a densely populated space, an experience that many people can relate to. We see the character's vulnerability when he is unable to move or cry out, highlighting the helplessness that stems from being in a crowd but also pointing to the apathy of those around him. Even as his physical condition deteriorates to the point of death, nobody in the train car seems to notice or care, highlighting the tragic isolation of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Toothpaste on his collar
There were traces of toothpaste on his collar
There were creases in his shirt
His shirt was wrinkled and not properly ironed
And someone stabbed a fag out on his coat
Someone put out a cigarette on his coat, causing a hole
It made a hole; it didn't hurt
The cigarette burn caused a hole in his coat but he felt no pain
He never noticed
He didn't realize what had happened to his coat
Squashed inside the train
He was packed tightly on the train
The elbows in his ribs
People's elbows were constantly hitting him in the ribs due to the crowded space
Complaints
People were grumbling and complaining about the situation
And smells of garlic perspiration
There was a strong smell of sweat and garlic in the air
As the stations flew
The train was moving quickly, passing through stations one after the other
No one talked
Nobody was speaking to each other
No one looked
Everyone was avoiding eye contact
His face turned china blue
He was struggling to breathe and his face turned pale, almost blue
He tried to push; he couldn't move
He made an effort to push his way through the crowd but couldn't move an inch
He tried to scream; no sound came through
He attempted to scream but his voice was muffled and nobody could hear him
Was heaving, bleeding from the inside
He was gasping for air and was bleeding internally
He died, still standing
Despite the agony, he died while still standing
No one noticed
Nobody around him realized he had died
No one cared
Nobody showed any concern for his condition
They'd steal a glance, but never stare
People around him would take a quick look but never stared for too long
It never pays to stare
It's not worth staring at someone, especially when they're in distress
Contributed by Muhammad Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jan Klaus
such a talent to make music......awesome, as always
moldvox
I saw them in New Orleans at a bar called the howling wolf in 95...
Albert Bolk
Only a wise man make's such a video !
Ferrous black 🇦🇲
Dance around the living room while father drops acid
Justin Cunningblam
brilliant
panayiotis fitsoros
GREATT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jonhy marshall
wow
Skeeter McGoo
"i want more life .....fucker . "
Skeeter McGoo
" i jus do eyes" =/