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.
The Char Char
Edward Ka-Spel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The fuses had exploded
The circuits floated on a pool of oil
They wrenched the (flecks) had snapped and sparks flew dark blue clouds and jet black walls
An apple crumbled
Firemen grumbled
Toes were curling in their white boots
sweating in their tight asbestos suits
And Asmodeus played the flute
A table layed a chair and did the char char charred spitting splinters
Blisters throbbed and sisters sobbed behind the fence
Fire that burned the incense blessed the ashes as they flew
Fly away
Fly away Peter
Fly away Paul
The lyrics of Edward Ka-Spel's song The Char Char are somewhat enigmatic and difficult to interpret. Perhaps the most immediate impression created by these lyrics is one of chaos and destruction. The letter is corroded, the fuses have exploded, the circuits are floating on a pool of oil. Something has gone badly wrong, and this is reinforced by the imagery of sparks flying and dark blue clouds and jet black walls. The firemen arrive, but are seemingly powerless and fumbling with their hose. Meanwhile, Asmodeus (a demon in Jewish and Christian mythology) plays the flute.
The second half of the song presents us with a similarly bizarre scene. A table and chair are doing the "char char char" (presumably a reference to the sound of wood burning), and spitting out splinters. Blisters are throbbing, and sisters are sobbing behind a fence. There is a general sense of chaos and destruction throughout the song, but any attempt to pin down a specific narrative or meaning must necessarily be tentative. One possibility is that the song is a meditation on the inherent instability of the modern world, a world built on fragile technologies and subject to sudden catastrophe.
Line by Line Meaning
The letter was corroded
The paper had been eaten away by rust or acid over time, causing it to become less legible or even unreadable.
The fuses had exploded
The electrical components that regulate the flow of current had burst open, releasing energy in sudden bursts that caused damage to the system.
The circuits floated on a pool of oil
The wires and connections within the machinery were surrounded by a pool of liquid petroleum, which allowed them to conduct electricity efficiently while also providing cooling and lubrication.
They wrenched the (flecks) had snapped and sparks flew dark blue clouds and jet black walls
The workers had used excessive force to repair the malfunctioning machine components, causing them to break off in pieces and send out bright sparks that illuminated the surrounding area with dark blue light and cast shadows on the walls.
An apple crumbled
A piece of fruit had become soft and mushy due to age or decay, and had lost its original shape and texture.
Firemen grumbled
The emergency responders who were responsible for keeping people safe during fires and other disasters were unhappy about the situation they were in, perhaps due to the difficult conditions or lack of resources available to them.
Fumbled with a hose
The firefighters struggled to control the powerful flow of water coming from the hose they were using to extinguish the flames, likely due to the force of the water or the complexity of the machinery.
Toes were curling in their white boots
sweating in their tight asbestos suits
And Asmodeus played the flute
The firefighters were feeling uncomfortable and anxious in their protective gear, which was designed to keep them safe from the heat and smoke of the fire. Meanwhile, a sinister figure (Asmodeus) provided the background music for this macabre scene.
A table layed a chair and did the char char charred spitting splinters
Blisters throbbed and sisters sobbed behind the fence
Fire that burned the incense blessed the ashes as they flew
The fire had consumed not only the building, but also the furniture within it, which had warped and twisted into grotesque shapes and was spitting dangerous shards of wood. Nearby, people were injured and emotionally distraught as they watched their belongings be destroyed. The smoke from the flames was purified and made holy, as it carried the remains of the burnt materials into the air.
Fly away
Fly away Peter
Fly away Paul
This is a traditional children's rhyme, which may be intended as a plea for the souls of the departed to find peace and escape from the destruction caused by the fire.
Contributed by London J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gnudarve
This one is among his greatest achievements in my opinion. When I first heard it way back in the mid 80's it inspired me to try to make music myself. Something mysterious about this particular song, I realized that you didn't have to be master of an instrument to make music, you could do it with anything, it's about the ideas and how clearly you express them and the tone you create. Suddenly it all seemed possible, all the layers made sense, so I tried it. ~~~ Then years later in Los Angeles, my band opened for LPD and I got to meet Edward. Never told him how much this song meant to me but it was great to meet him, have that moment of closure. He even seemed to like our show.
@HughKAyers
Fly away, Peter! Fly away, Paul!
@bdazzled08
Thanks for posting this and taking the time to add the lyrics. Ka-Spel at his evocative, melodic best, and one of my favorites from "Eyes China Doll"/"...Needles". Do you plan to post more from this CD? "Six Cats On A Dead Man's Chest", perhaps?
@mattriskable
awesome love the song.. though i always thought it was ' Asthma-deus'.
@wombra8314
Matt Risk no, char char 💁🏼💙💙💙 :)