Tovey began his musical career after studying performance art at Leeds Polytechnic, but started recording upon his move back to his native London, UK. The songs of his early career (under the pseudonym) all feature synthesizers plus, sometimes, machine sounds like that of an electric razor or an electric drill. Almost all of his songs create a dark, mystical atmosphere, with Gadget's voice hovering monotonously over then unheard of, groundbreaking and still brilliant synthesizer sound effects. The lyrics are either very earnest, discussing subjects like guilt or life and death, or convey a black, sarcastic humour.
Initially, Fad Gadget was merely a moniker for Tovey, but as time went on a band was formed (although keeping Tovey as the main focal point). His longest-serving sidekick was drummer Nick Cash. Other members were keyboardist David Simmonds, bassist Peter Balmer, guitarist & bassist David Rogers and viola player & backing vocalist Joni Sackett
Singles included Back To Nature, Ricky's Hand and Collapsing New People. Fad Gadget was the first artist signed to the then-fledgling Mute label, on which he released four full length albums, Fireside Favourites (1980), Incontinent (1981), Under The Flag (1982) and Gag (1984). After 1984's Gag, Tovey released a compilation, (The Fad Gadget Singles), and recorded five more albums under his own name, whose styles ranged from semi-industrial electronic ballads to folk-oriented protest songs. He last appeared on a European tour supporting his latest album in 1993 and then virtually disappeared for some eight years.
In 2001 Tovey (and Cash) resurfaced with a comeback appearance and subsequently supported Depeche Mode on the Exciter tour later that year, again under his pseudonym Fad Gadget and backed by members of Temple X, whose album he had been producing. (Depeche Mode cite Tovey/Gadget as an icon and a paragon, and his influences can be heard in their music.) Tovey died of a heart attack on 3 April, 2002, aged 45, having suffered heart problems throughout his life.
Ideal World
Fad Gadget Lyrics
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And as I sleep, I walk
So close the door, turn down the lights
And let me dream it again
So close the door, turn down the lights
And let me dream it again
Oh, live it again
When you fall you wake
And feel no pain (feel no pain)
No stress, no death
When you fall you wake
And feel no pain
In an ideal world
In an ideal world
In an ideal world
In an ideal world
As you sleep, I'm here
I feed your dreams
So sit you down, plug in, switch on
And we'll play it again
So sit you down, plug in, switch on
And we'll play it again
I'll run it again
No stress, no death
When you fall you wake
And feel no pain (feel no pain)
No stress, no death
When you fall you wake
And feel no pain
In an ideal world
(Dreams become reality, living in an ideal world)
In an ideal world
In an ideal world
(Reality is just a scheme, living in an ideal world)
In an ideal world
And the sun never shines in my ideal world
I said the sun always shines in an ideal world
So it's plug in, switch on, in my ideal world
So let's turn down the light and dream it again
In an ideal world
No stress, no death, when you fall, you wake
In an ideal world
'cause the sun always shines and I feel you pain
In my ideal world
In my ideal world
In my ideal world
Let me plug in, let me switch on
Let me plug in, let me switch on
'cause you feed my dreams
Let me plug in, let me switch on
'cause you feed my dreams, as I sleep
In my ideal world
The song Ideal World by Fad Gadget talks about the concept of an ideal world, one in which there is no stress, pain or death, and where dreams become reality. The lyrics suggest that the artist is content to live in this world and longs to be in it. The lines "so close the door, turn down the lights, and let me dream it again" signify a desire to escape from the harsh realities of life and enter into a world that is perfect, where nothing can hurt or harm.
The chorus is repeated several times in the song, with the artist affirming his belief in an ideal world. He sings, "in an ideal world, dreams become reality". This suggests that the artist believes in the power of dreams and the possibility of creating a better world by imagining it. The song creates a mood of longing and desire for an ideal world, which is something that many people can relate to.
Overall, Ideal World by Fad Gadget is a song about the desire for a perfect world, free from the pain and problems of everyday life. It is a reminder that dreaming can be a powerful tool, and that we can create a better reality by imagining it.
Line by Line Meaning
As I dream, I live
My dreams are alive and real to me
And as I sleep, I walk
Even when I'm asleep, I feel like I'm awake and moving
So close the door, turn down the lights
I need to shut out distractions to immerse myself in my ideal world
And let me dream it again
I want to relive my perfect dream world
No stress, no death
When you fall you wake
And feel no pain (feel no pain)
In my ideal world, there is no stress or death, and even when I fall, I don't feel pain
As you sleep, I'm here
I feed your dreams
I am the one creating and controlling the dream world for others to experience
So sit you down, plug in, switch on
And we'll play it again
Let's recreate the perfect dream world together
No stress, no death
When you fall you wake
And feel no pain
In this ideal world we are creating, there is no stress or death, and even when you fall, you don't feel pain
In an ideal world
(Dreams become reality, living in an ideal world)
This is what living in an ideal world means - your dreams become a reality
In an ideal world
(Reality is just a scheme, living in an ideal world)
In my perfect world, reality is just a façade or an illusion
And the sun never shines in my ideal world
I said the sun always shines in an ideal world
The perfect world can have contradictory rules and still be ideal
So it's plug in, switch on, in my ideal world
So let's turn down the light and dream it again
I need to immerse myself and others in the dream world to make it real
Let me plug in, let me switch on
'cause you feed my dreams
As I sleep
In my ideal world
I am asking someone to help me create and realize my perfect world, as I experience it in my dreams
Lyrics © Mute Song Limited
Written by: Frost, Frank Tovey, Nick Cash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind