After recording two albums as Kaleidoscope (the British '60s band), Peter Daltrey (vocals, piano, mellotron, harpsichord, organ, tambourine), Eddy Pumer (vocals, classical, acoustic twelve string and electric guitars, mellotron, organ, harpsichord), Dan Bridgman (vocals, drums, pedal tympany, tubular bells, tambourine, bongos) and Steve Clark (bass guitar, flutes) changed the band's name to Fairfield Parlour and signed to Vertigo, releasing the 1970s LP From Home To Home. Along with this name change came also a change in sound; their psychedelic '60s sound from their first two albums developing into a more folky sound with the introduction of flutes and harpsichords. Later releases of the album contain bonus tracks.
The band did record a subsequent album "White Faced Lady", which they financed independently. Attempts at finding a record company failed and the album was shelved until 1991 when it was released under the name Kaleidoscope on an independent label. The band member's last appearance in the early days was at a concert in Bremen, Germany, in 1972.
Aries
Fairfield Parlour Lyrics
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Emma Crabley was a face I knew
Spike Kasperak, he owned the pub
He had a wooden leg,
oh the names we used to call him
Me and my friends found a motorbike
Whitey died flying through Woollies window
Oh the summers with the girls,
if you want to I'll show you the scars
Hold my hand and tell me where we are
Hold my hand, hold my hand, Aries
And tell me where we are
Hold my hand
We smoked a million cigarettes
Often woke behind the factory wall
Spike Kasperak got twenty years
I really don't know why, and just now I can't think back that far
Hold my hand and tell me where we are
Hold my hand, hold my hand, Aries
And tell me where we are
Hold my hand
And upon the wall hangs the legend, "I love the Beatles"
And the moss grows between the crumbling bricks
And the boys play tricks on the girls
And somewhere that I've never seen
It's still raining
The lyrics of "Aries" by Fairfield Parlour convey the nostalgic memories of the singer and his adolescent friends. The song talks about collecting cigarette cards, knowing Emma Crabley, Spike Kasperak owning the pub and having a wooden leg, finding a motorbike, and the summers spent with the girls. The lyrics also hint at a tragic event where Whitey died flying through Woolworths' window, and Spike Kasperak got twenty years. The singer seems to be lost in his own world of memories and is unsure of the present moment. The lyrics express an urge for someone to hold their hand and tell them where they are now.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a small town where everyone knows each other, and memories are cherished. The line "Hold my hand, hold my hand, Aries, and tell me where we are" represents the singer's desire for someone to guide him back to the present moment. The mention of the Beatles and boys playing tricks on the girls adds to the nostalgic tone of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to collect cigarette cards
I have this memory of collecting cigarette cards
Emma Crabley was a face I knew
I remember Emma Crabley, a familiar face from the past
Spike Kasperak, he owned the pub
There was a man named Spike Kasperak who owned the pub
He had a wooden leg, oh the names we used to call him
Despite his missing leg, we often teased Spike with insults and names
Me and my friends found a motorbike
I recall discovering a motorbike with my friends once
Whitey died flying through Woollies window
Whitey passed away after crashing through the Woollies window while riding
Pilot Boat Park was our paradise
At Pilot Boat Park we found solace and comfort
Oh the summers with the girls, if you want to I'll show you the scars
During summer, we would meet girls and have some scars to show for it
Hold my hand and tell me where we are
Please take my hand and guide me to our current location
Hold my hand, hold my hand, Aries
I am speaking to someone and refer to them as 'Aries'
And tell me where we are
I am lost and seek assistance in determining our whereabouts
We smoked a million cigarettes
We smoked an alarming number of cigarettes
Often woke behind the factory wall
We often woke up behind a factory wall
Spike Kasperak got twenty years
Spike Kasperak was sentenced to twenty years in prison
I really don't know why, and just now I can't think back that far
I don't know why he got such a harsh sentence, and it's hard for me to remember the details
And upon the wall hangs the legend, "I love the Beatles"
There was writing on the wall that read "I love the Beatles"
And the moss grows between the crumbling bricks
The wall has decayed to the point where moss grows between the bricks
And the boys play tricks on the girls
The boys enjoyed playing pranks on the girls
And somewhere that I've never seen, it's still raining
I imagine there's somewhere that is still being rained on, that I've never witnessed
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.