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.
Life On The Line
Fad Gadget Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sure it was an accident
My hands are made of nitroglycerin
That explains the incident
Fortune built my homes in daydreams
Pages I'd never seen
I'm sorry you were so disappointed
The undersigned is you
Lay your life on the line
Chorus
No questions
(Life on the line)
That's fine
(Life)
Just sign on the dotted line
The nib hesitates at the inkwell
A sample of the poet's blood
Guitars pluck a tune in the ozone
But me, I'm just stuck in the mud
Fortune left my hopes in daydreams
Pages I'd never seen
I'm sorry you were so disappointed
The contract states quite fundamentally
The undersigned is you
Lay your life on the line
Chorus
Fortune built my hopes in daydreams
Pages I'd never seen
I'm sorry you were so disappointed
The contract states quite fundamentally
The undersigned is you
Lay your life on the line
The song "Life on the Line" by Fad Gadget starts out with a seemingly mundane apology about a mess on the table that turns out to be a bigger issue due to the singer's volatile nitroglycerin hands. It's a metaphor that carries through the song, as he sings about a contract where the undersigned is the listener, laying their life on the line, with no questions asked. The eerie chorus of "Life on the line, that's fine, just sign on the dotted line" reinforces the theme of blind devotion and the dangers that may come with such commitment.
Throughout the song, the singer speaks about living in a daydream world of hopes and pages never seen, implying a sense of escapism from reality. The line, "the nib hesitates at the inkwell, a sample of the poet's blood" is particularly striking, symbolizing the hesitation and sacrifices artists make when putting their thoughts and emotions out into the world.
The song can be interpreted in various ways - as a warning against giving up too much in a contract or a relationship, as a comment on the dangers of pursuing one's dreams at any cost, or the perils of losing oneself in a fantasy world. However, ultimately, the lyrics leave room for interpretation, and open up meaningful discussions around power dynamics, artistic expression, and personal sacrifice.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sorry about the mess on the table
Apology for the unintentional disarray on the table
I'm sure it was an accident
Confident that the mess happened without intent
My hands are made of nitroglycerin
Hands that are highly unpredictable and explosive
That explains the incident
The cause of the accident was due to the uncontrollable nature of the hands
Fortune built my homes in daydreams
Success and luck imagined in a dreamlike state
Pages I'd never seen
Opportunities that haven't been explored or experienced
I'm sorry you were so disappointed
Regret for an unfulfilled expectation
The contract states quite fundamentally
The agreement outlines the essential terms
The undersigned is you
You are the one who must sign the contract
Lay your life on the line
Put everything at risk for this agreement
No questions
No doubts or inquiries allowed
(Life on the line)
Everything is at stake
That's fine
It's alright, there's no problem
(Life)
Referring to the high stakes of the agreement in the chorus
Just sign on the dotted line
Agree and sign the contract as is
The nib hesitates at the inkwell
The pen is uncertain at the inkwell
A sample of the poet's blood
The writer's personal essence is poured into the work
Guitars pluck a tune in the ozone
A surreal scene where guitars play music in the atmosphere
But me, I'm just stuck in the mud
Feels trapped and unmoving
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE LEE HOLLIS, GRAEME JOHN DOUGLAS, PAUL GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eugene Titkov
Frank Tovey - is one of the best voices of the world electronic scene
R. ROOKSBY
God, I loved this song (& Frank generally) as a snotty, specky school kid... I still don't understand why it wasn't a massive hit, it's such a great song...
Tieper Rotterdam
Strange, for more than 20 years I did not here this song and still some lines were very familiar to me. Thanks for posting it.
Heathercliff
Damn. Why couldn't the 1980s lasted longer. Such a great, fun time to be young.
Daniel
I wish I could have been a teenager in the early 80's vs being a young kid. So much great music!
ComradeLavender
I was 2 years old. I remember it vividly.
soepil
Certainly some similarities in the drum sound - the winning TR-808+Arp2600+Simmons SDS V combination, if I'm not mistaken ? Sounds great and a superb track, this.
Joelomite
I just stumbled on FG after watching the great show Succession on HBO. The song used was Collapsing New People. Why have I never heard of this AWESOME electro synth band before?!?
charlie mcwilliam
he was the best ,great lyrics ,seen him in glasgow live was v good ,saturday night special my fav song, but under the flag smashin album ,its on me wall,god bless fad!
wayne252525
Brilliant song ... one of my all time favourite synth / techno pop songs ! ... Wayne